Charleston native Ashley Chapman found his passion for history and archaeology early in life, and he never wavered over a major at Carolina.
He is an archaeologist and the park manager at the Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site in Summerville.
“The Dorchester site is a time capsule of South Carolina history from the 1600s to the Revolutionary War,” said Chapman, who received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Carolina in 1987. “The village of Dorchester was founded in 1697 and prospered as a trade center. It was abandoned in the late 18th century, leaving behind one of the most complete archaeological records of Colonial America.
“The anthropology department at Carolina provided a phenomenal foundation for learning to manage archaeological resources, interpret the value of history, and how it all applies to tourism,” he said. “People want to know about themselves and must look at the past to do that. The Dorchester site does this so well. We make it as open as possible to the public with a program that transforms the site into a living classroom—on Saturdays, we offer visitors the rare opportunity to join park staff in hands-on archaeology.”
The Dorchester site is like “a candy store for historians and archaeologists,” Chapman said. The annual statewide archaeology conference will be held at the site in October.
<PREVIOUS PAGE |
