Dig at Road Widening Site Uncovers History

  

MIDDLETOWN, Del. (AP) - April 10, 2007 -- An excavation along Choptank Road is giving archaeologists a glimpse into the lives of tenant farmers who worked the land more than a century ago.

During the federally mandated dig at the site of the state Department of Transportation's Choptank Road widening project near Middletown, workers have found the foundation of a farmhouse. They've also found objects ranging from an ax to a Sears catalog.

Department of Transportation archaeologist David Clarke says road projects are usually engineered around areas like this. But he says that wasn't possible in this case, so a Philadelphia firm is excavating the entire site.

University of Delaware professor Lu Ann DeCunzo calls the artifacts found fascinating and revealing. She says they're correcting misconceptions about the daily lives and buying habits of tenant farmers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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