Archaeology Field School with ARCH and the Strawbery Banke Museum

Those who have toured the Colonel Paul Wentworth House probably know that the Wentworth House does not stand on its original foundations in Rollinsford. After the house was moved to Dover, MA in 1936, the land it had stood on passed out of the family’s hands.

ARCH is pleased to announce that, with the kind permission of the current property owner and in partnership with Strawbery Banke Museum, we will conduct an archaeological excavation and field school on the original site of the Wentworth House this June.

The field school will include two sessions:

Students may join the Field Session to excavate, identify artifacts, and lead tours and/or the Lab Session to process, catalog, and interpret finds.

FIELD SESSION: June 3-14, 2025
9 AM-4 PM in Rollinsford, NH

LAB SESSION: June 16-27, 2025
9 AM-4 PM at the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH

It is hoped that this excavation will shed light on the lives of both the free and enslaved members of the Wentworth household. Additionally, the field school, which will be led by archaeologist Dr. Alix Martin and Dr. Tad Baker, will give students hands-on training in field and lab methodologies.

Register online:

Space is very limited! Each two-week session is $500. You may register for one or both of the sessions. For more information and to apply, visit strawberybanke.org/archaeology

Funding for this important project was made possible thanks to the generosity of donors at the annual ARCH dinner and auction this past November.