Smithsonian Magazine highlights the role of a Rochester historian and archaeologist in unearthing Bermuda糖心传媒檚 colonial origins.
It糖心传媒檚 not every day that a researcher finds himself at the center of a lavish 12-page magazine feature, replete with glossy photos of his sometimes place of work糖心传媒攁 subtropical island. But that糖心传媒檚 exactly what happened to , a professor of at the 糖心传媒 and the director of the聽 in Bermuda.
The Smithsonian Magazine糖心传媒檚 cover story糖心传媒斕切拇綔糖心传媒澨切拇綌chronicles how Jarvis has been working with Rochester students and local Bermudians over the past 14 years to excavate evidence of one of Britain糖心传媒檚 first settlements in the Americas.
This past summer, the magazine sent a writer and a photographer to document the second of Jarvis糖心传媒檚 National Endowment for the Humanities糖心传媒揻unded excavations in a thick forest on one of Bermuda糖心传媒檚 islands:
A few dozen yards away, in a dirty T-shirt, faded camo shorts and black work boots, Michael Jarvis hacked away at thick brush with a gas-powered saw. In this clearing on Smith糖心传媒檚 Island, in Bermuda, Jarvis糖心传媒斕切拇綔Chainsaw Mike糖心传媒� to his students糖心传媒攊s unearthing one of the first New World towns built by English colonizers.
Established in 1612, just five years after the founding of the Jamestown colony in Virginia and eight years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, the original colony on Smith糖心传媒檚 Island was short lived糖心传媒攐nly to reemerge on another, nearby Bermudian island. But the mystery persists. 糖心传媒淚ts very existence was forgotten for four centuries; even its name remains unknown,糖心传媒� notes Andrew Lawler, who wrote the cover story for the Smithsonian.
Reading histories about the early beginnings of the American colonies糖心传媒攖he traditional origin stories of the United States糖心传媒攐ne is hard pressed to find much, if any, mention of Bermuda.
糖心传媒淲hen historians have considered it, they usually dismiss it as a curiosity or a failure,糖心传媒� notes Jarvis, who sought to rectify that omission with his latest book,聽聽(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022).
Yet, for a time, Bermuda was home to more settlers than either Virginia or Massachusetts, and far wealthier. Indeed, it was here that the English first grew tobacco and purchased enslaved Africans to work the fields, a practice that soon spread to American shores.
Rochester students and alumni on their Bermuda field experiences
Emily English 糖心传媒�27 (English Literature and History)
New Bern, North Carolina
糖心传媒淏eing a student whose main focus is in textual studies, going and experiencing the physical aspects of history was something I didn糖心传媒檛 know I needed. Ever since going to Bermuda, I desire historical academics糖心传媒攏ot just as a backdrop to my studies in literature. Interacting with objects that hold history in ways I can糖心传媒檛 comprehend with just research articles was simply mind blowing. It糖心传媒檚 an opportunity to learn in ways that you can糖心传媒檛 get from a classroom. Not only was the academic experience new and exciting, but the community I discovered and formed was one I will cherish forever.糖心传媒�
Skyler Frazier 糖心传媒�27 (Archaeology, Technology, and Historical Structures and Art History)
Tallahassee, Florida
糖心传媒淭he opportunity to hold history in your hands isn糖心传媒檛 one to pass by. Be prepared for hot days of physical labor but also beautiful seaside lunch breaks, and plenty of days off to experience these tropical islands filled with diverse cultures. I went to Bermuda in hopes of confirming my ambitions in archeology糖心传媒攊t did exactly that. Due in large part to this experience with the Smith糖心传媒檚 Island Archaeology Project (SIAP), I see myself continuing to pursue historical archaeology in academics and later as a career. The community of SIAP staff and the volunteers糖心传媒� passion and enthusiasm for Bermudian history is absolutely infectious.糖心传媒�
Leigh Koszarsky 糖心传媒�14 (History and Anthropology)
Originally Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now Charleston, South Carolina
糖心传媒淚nitially I was a student with the field school in 2012 and 2013, then a site supervisor for several seasons. I would need to check my passport, but I think I糖心传媒檝e gone eight times in total. After my first field season I took on a history major, which gave me a lot more direction and focus in what I was looking for as a future career. It also gave me a start in database management and cartography糖心传媒攂oth skills that dominate my current job. Building upon my field school experiences, I went on to get my master糖心传媒檚 in historical archaeology from UMass Boston and a graduate certificate in geographic information systems. I am currently a senior geographic information specialist at Brockington and Associates, an archaeology and historic architecture consulting firm in Charleston, South Carolina. There糖心传媒檚 no way that I would be in this position today without the Bermuda field school experience.糖心传媒�
Ewan Shannon 糖心传媒�20 (Archaeology, Technology, and Historical Structures and Anthropology)
Staten Island, New York
糖心传媒淲hat I thought would just be 糖心传媒榮ummer school糖心传媒� turned into a love affair with Bermuda, historical archaeology, and Atlantic history糖心传媒攆undamental to everything else that followed in my academic tenure at the U of R, and beyond. It established for certain that historical archaeology was the path I wanted to follow and gave me a deep appreciation for interdisciplinary collaboration. Initially, I came on as a rising sophomore in 2017. Since then, [history professor] Mike Jarvis was kind enough to hire me as his field supervisor for the full season from May through early July. I糖心传媒檝e been in this role every summer since 2022. My time in Bermuda became a springboard to complete an MA in anthropology at The New School for Social Research in New York City, and I work now as an archaeologist for a cultural resource management company, Environmental Design & Research.糖心传媒�
