Westport’s Underground History

at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery, 1 Partners Lane, Westport MA

Westport’s history stretches back nearly 12,000 years, even though much of the past is not readily visible on the ground surface today. In 2004, The Westport Historical Society funded a town-wide archaeological survey designed to collect information about known sites and to identify the types and locations of sites not yet documented. Since then, archaeological projects in town, advances in digital mapping, and collaboration with Wampanoag historians have added to the story of Westport’s deep past. Join Holly Herbster from PAL to hear about what archaeology reveals about Westport’s unique and diverse natural and social landscapes.

Holly Herbster is a Senior Archaeologist at The Public Archaeology Laboratory, Inc. (PAL) in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and has spent 30 years researching southeastern Massachusetts history. She was the lead archaeologist for the 2004 town-wide survey and has completed more than two dozen archaeological projects in Westport and the surrounding Bristol County communities.