FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 27, 2007

Contacts:  Morgan Devlin  
Newport Restoration Foundation
401-849-7300 x14

Salve Regina University Presents Archeological Discoveries from a Newport Restoration Foundation Property

Have you ever wondered what it life was like for an eighteenth-century merchant in Newport?  Students in Salve Regina University’s Cultural and Historic Preservation Department found clues to that question during a recent excavation of the Clare Burdick House, owned by the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF).  The students, along with department chair Professor James Garman, will present the results of their research on Wednesday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. in Wetmore 116 on the Salve Regina campus.

The presentation will cover several important aspects of recent excavations in the yard of the Clarke Burdick House, located at 415 Thames Street, which now serves as the NRF Museum Store.  Several unexpected archaeological deposits were associated with Thomas Richardson, a prominent Newport merchant who is believed to have lived at the site between about 1750 and his death in 1786.  Artifacts also suggest an intriguing link with British troops who occupied Newport during the Revolution. 

Students will report on several categories of artifacts, including tin-glazed earthenware, tobacco pipes, Chinese porcelain, and other objects of daily 18th century life.  Professor Garman will provide an overview of the history of the site and discuss how the Richardson occupation was investigated through remote ground sensing efforts.

The presentation is free and open to the public.  For further information, please call Professor James Garman at 401.341.3127

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Morgan Devlin
Marketing & Public Relations Manager
Newport Restoration Foundation
51 Touro Street
Newport , RI 02840
(401) 849-7300 x14
www.newportrestoration.org