While Boston’s history began many thousands of years ago, archeological investigations are a relatively recent development. Decades of professional and avocational archaeological work have revealed a complex narrative of Boston’s deep history that can only be known through archaeological investigation. City Archaeologist **Joseph M. Bagley** discusses the ins and outs of conducting an archaeological dig in Boston through the lens of recent excavations at Old North Church, the Seaport Shipwreck, and Malcolm X’s house.
City Archaeologist Joe Bagley has been a professional archaeologist since 2002. As City Archaeologist, Joe Bagley curates the 31 and counting archaeological collections currently housed at the City Archaeology Laboratory at 201 Rivermoor St. in West Roxbury, acts as the review and compliance agent for below-ground cultural resources in the city, educates the public in archaeology through a number of city programs, and manages Rainsford Island, one of the City’s most important historical holdings. With a decade of archaeological fieldwork on Native American and Historic archaeological sites throughout New England and years of dedicated research on the archaeology of Boston, Joe brings an expert knowledge of the entire human history of Boston to the City Archaeology Program.