The Texas Historical Commission (THC) has extended an opportunity for Rice University students to gain practical experience in archeology at the Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site. This initiative is part of an ongoing partnership between THC and Rice University, providing hands-on training for students enrolled in the advanced archeological field techniques class.
Joseph Bell, executive director of THC, emphasized the significance of this collaboration: “The partnership with Rice University has had a profound impact on the THC and the institution. Archeological studies are core to our mission of preserving the past for future generations. We are always happy to open our sites to research to help further our understanding of the real places that tell the real stories of Texas.”
Students from Rice University's ANTH 362 class will focus their excavation efforts on "Structure 7," a single-room building identified by its brick foundation discovered in 2023. The project aims to uncover details about the structure's function and compare it with other structures on the site's "Picnic Loop."
The practical experience commenced on January 25 and 26, with additional excavation dates set for February 1 and 2, February 8 and 9, February 22 and 23, and March 1 and 2. The public is encouraged to observe the excavations from 9 am to 4 pm.
This partnership between THC and Rice University began in 2018, with previous student-led excavations taking place at Varner-Hogg Plantation in several years including 2020, 2022, and 2023.
Rice University's advanced archeological field techniques course offers students comprehensive training in fieldwork processes such as planning, surveying, excavation, artifact retrieval, processing, recording materials, study interpretation, culminating in a final report.
Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site is rich with Texas history spanning over more than a century. It showcases various historical enterprises like sugarcane production, cattle ranching, and oil drilling through its successive ownerships by families such as the Varners, Pattons, and Hoggs.
Across Texas' numerous historic sites managed by THC, visitors can explore diverse narratives that have shaped Texan history. These locations offer insights into Native American heritage, frontier forts, residential architecture from different eras along with social and political influences. More information is available at www.texashistoricsites.com.
