Center for Archaeological Studies News and Research
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Union Hall History
November 24, 2025There were 34 historical structures in the project area, but only one was eligible for listing to the National Register of Histori ... -
Shipbuilders Local 18 Labor Union
November 24, 2025IUMSWA Local 18 Union Hall in Mobile in 1988. Mobile Historical Development Commission, The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscr ... -
Jewett's Mill and Labor Organizing in Reconstruction-Era Mobile
August 29, 2024In 1867, Black workers at the mills and docks along the Mobile riverfront went on strike for higher wages. We excavated Jewett ... -
Archaeology Open House Showcases the Dig
August 6, 2024An archaeologist's goal is to refine and improve understanding of the past through research, excavation, finding and exhibiti ... -
Mapping Memory: Our Alley
June 5, 2024Of the many noteworthy locations nestled within the Down the Bay neighborhood, sat "Our Alley." ... -
A 1916 streetcar token provides a window into the daily lives of past Mobilians and show us the importance of public transportatio ... -
Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Creates 'Growing Up Down the Bay' Exhibit
May 21, 2024As a part of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project, the Âé¶¹Ö±²¥'s spring 2024 undergraduate Mu ... -
Development and Displacement Down the Bay
May 21, 2024Down the Bay sprung up in the late 1800s and grew into a thriving interracial neighborhood. Though it still exists today, it was c ... -
Down the Bay: Making Your Own Fun
April 10, 2024Kids growing up Down the Bay made their own fun. They transformed everyday household objects into toys and invented games to enter ... -
Archaeology in Action: Williams Inspection Site
March 4, 2024We excavated the Williams Inspection Site, or 1MB571, for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project in 2022. The site is bo ... -
A "How?" to Follow the "Why?"
February 19, 2024Oral histories are more than written transcripts, they give life to the past through memories. There is magic in spoken histories ... -
Archaeology in Action: Shotgun House Site
February 15, 2024We excavated the Shotgun House Site in 2023 as part of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project, named for a row of shotgu ... -
Mapping Memory: Harlem Theater
February 7, 2024A light beams onto your face, fragmenting the flickering glow of the theater screen. You squint in dismay, swallowing down the las ... -
Archaeology in Action: Maryland Street Site
January 30, 2024We excavated the Maryland Street Site, also known as 1MB499, in 2022 for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project. The sit ... -
Archaeology in Action: Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Conception Street Site
January 10, 2024The Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Conception Street Site was one of three sites at "RV City" that we investigated for the I-10 Mobile River Brid ... -
Feeding the Community: Narrative Sustenance and Down the Bay
December 14, 2023Down the Bay was home to some truly incredible cooks. A large part of the community's history lies in recipes that have been ... -
Archaeology in Action: Mardi Gras Camp Site
November 28, 2023The Mardi Gras Camp Site is one of three sites at “RV City,” the area along Water Street where RVs park during Mardi G ... -
Mapping Memory: Texas Hill
October 24, 2023The remarkable thing about oral history, in all of its sonic richness, is the ability of a community to construct a nuanced and vi ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Union Hall Site
October 10, 2023The Union Hall Site, also known as 1MB513, and the adjacent Bender Site, or 1MB555, are the first two sites we started excavating ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Old Water Street Site
September 21, 2023This site is bound by Madison, Old Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Water, Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Royal, and Canal Streets, and had some of the most intact structural remains ... -
Why Oral History?
September 8, 2023Oral history is documentation, true, but it is also a way of preserving life and sustaining community. ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Palmetto Street Site
August 30, 2023We excavated the Palmetto Street Site, or 1MB412, in 2022-2023 as part of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Madison Street Site
August 16, 2023We excavated the Madison Street Site, or 1MB532 for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project in 2021-2022. ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Eslava Street Site
July 26, 2023We excavated the Eslava Street Site, also known as 1MB531, in 2021-2022 as part of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Projec ... -
Archaeology in Action: Excavating a Brick Tenement
July 6, 2023On the corner of Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Royal and Madison Streets, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a large brick structure while working on ... -
The impact of women in preserving the cultural narrative is undeniable. ... -
Archaeology in Action: Excavating a Hurricane
May 5, 2023Hurricanes are the most common natural disaster to affect the Gulf Coast; in fact, since 1850, the Mobile Bay area has been impact ... -
Archaeology in Action: Ceramic Analysis Using pXRF
April 26, 2023My name is Lance Greene. I'm a historical archaeologist and Anthropology professor at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio ... -
Baseball Legends from Down the Bay
April 19, 2023Baseball runs deep in Mobile. Five players from Mobile are commemorated in the Baseball Hall of Fame. ... -
The Banana Docks, a large open-air market constructed in 1857, provided a landing and launching place for fruits and vegetables im ... -
The Archaeologist's Toolkit: Lab Processing
March 14, 2023Many people imagine archaeologists spend a majority of their time out in the field. However, you might be surprised to find out th ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Virginia Street Site (Part III)
February 2, 2023The Virginia Street Site is located south of downtown Mobile on Virginia and Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Franklin streets and has a history spanning 2,0 ... -
The Archaeologist's Toolkit: What is an Excavation?
January 24, 2023The most popularized aspect of archaeology is the process of excavation. According to Hollywood, it is during excavation when arch ... -
The Bankhead Tunnel: Down the Bay and the New Deal
January 19, 2023Each day, around 14,000 vehicles use the Bankhead Tunnel to travel between Mobile and Baldwin. A vital link for commuters and carg ... -
Down the Bay: A Historic Mobile Neighborhood
January 12, 2023Community is a group of people who have genuine connections with each other based on shared traditions and values, ultimately form ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Virginia Street Site (Part II)
December 14, 2022The Virginia Street Site is located south of downtown Mobile on Virginia and Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Franklin streets and has a history spanning 2,0 ... -
The Archaeologist's Toolkit: Archaeological Survey
December 7, 2022One of the most common questions archaeologists are asked is, "how do you know where to dig?" There are many different w ... -
The Archaeologist's Toolkit: What is Stratigraphy?
November 30, 2022Did you ever want to dig a tunnel to China? Well, you won't reach China, but that tunnel could transport you to a different t ... -
The Archaeologist's Toolkit: What is Archaeology?
September 23, 2022When people think of archaeology Indiana Jones or digging holes comes to mind. However, archaeology encompasses a lot more than fa ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Virginia Street Site (Part I)
September 9, 2022This series shares results from our ongoing archaeological fieldwork. Our current focus is the I-10 Mobile River Bridge (MRB) Arch ... -
As one of the largest port cities in the country, it is no surprise that shipping and maritime industries have long been an import ... -
37 hurricanes have hit Mobile Bay since 1850, when recording officially began. However, hurricanes have affected the Gulf Coast fo ... -
The USA Center for Archaeological Studies digs into the past to make way for a bridge linking Alabama's two coastal counties. ... -
Huge Boost for the Humanities
October 4, 2021The Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ has received its largest grant ever in the humanities -- $453,000 from the National Endowment for ... -
Archaeology in Action: Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Royal Street Site
January 1, 2014We excavated the Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ Royal Street Site, or 1MB510, as part of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project in 2022. ...