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Markham Museum - New Archaeology Lab
On February 15, the new Archaeological Lab officially opened to the public who will be able to view the artifacts uncovered during the 2009 excavation, and learn about the archaeological process and the value it can bring to the historical record. In July 2009, construction began on the new collections building at the Markham Museum. This new $9 million facility and landscaping project will position the Museum as a major attraction for Markham and beyond.
An archaeological assessment for the new collections building construction resulted in a fully monitored excavation of the area under the supervision of professional archaeologists. During the excavations, approximately 12,000 shards of pottery were uncovered in a small area of the site that had not been disturbed by earth movement. Typically, the company that conducted the work, Archaeological Services Inc. (ASI), would take any excavated material to their labs and submit a final report on their findings to the Province. The museum that houses the collection would have no part in processing the material. However, a unique partnership between the Markham Museum and ASI has resulted in the new Archaeological Lab, headed up by a trained staff person at the Museum. Eight museum volunteers have also been trained on how to properly clean and prepare the artifacts.
