The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology | Jefferson, Thomas
Jefferson, Thomas (1743–1826) [Bi]. Born in Shadwell, Virginia, USA, Jefferson trained as a lawyer but was also a committed amateur archaeologist. He was Governor of Virginia between 1779 and 1781 before becoming a member of the House of Congress. In 1784, he excavated a burial mound on his estate in Virginia in order to establish its age and cultural affinities. The work was carried out very scientifically, with careful observation and an understanding of stratigraphy; it was reported in 1801 in Notes on the state of Virginia (London: John Stockdale). In 1799, when he was President of the American Philosophical Society, he circulated a letter to members enjoining them to make accurate plans, drawings, and descriptions of ancient remains. Jefferson was the third President of the USA, in office 1801–9. In retirement he founded the University of Virginia.[Bio.: K. Lehmann-Hartleben, 1943, Thomas Jefferson, archaeologist. American Journal of...
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