Southern Miss Archaeological Field School Exploration of Biloxi, State History

Students taking part in the University of Southern Mississippi's Archaeological Field School in Biloxi are revealing an important period of the state's history and gaining valuable experience by examining the remains of a French colonial settlement and cemetery.

The Moran site, located near downtown Biloxi, was included in a French immigration initiative when Biloxi served as the capital of the Louisiana colony from 1720-23. Recorded observations of skeletal remains at the site date back to 1914, but the area only became fully accessible for exploration following Hurricane Katrina.

"History lays buried beneath our feet at this site," said Dr. Amy Young, associate professor of anthropology at Southern Miss, who, along with colleague Dr. Marie Danforth, is leading the school. 

Southern Miss has conducted a field school at the site for the last three years.

"What's special about this is that it's a major part of Mississippi's history that doesn't get as much attention as the Civil War, so it's an opportunity to enlighten people about the state's past," said Danforth. 

Danforth, a professor of anthropology at Southern Miss, said an examination of ship records and other evidence show that immigrants coming to the area were up against extreme odds, including poverty and disease. Many fell ill during the voyage from Europe from a variety of illnesses.

"Five to six people a day were dying, so there was something affecting them, and most likely it was infectious diseases such as malaria or yellow fever," she said. "They were dropping like flies."

Once they arrived, they encountered a lack of land suitable for farming and little support financial support from France presented additional challenges to the settlers. Frequent storms, including hurricanes, added to their difficulties. Eventually, the capital of the French colony would move to New Orleans.

The project has been ongoing since late May and concludes this week. Participating students gain valuable, hands-on experience in the principles of archaeological excavation, recording, and burial recovery and analysis by working the Moran site.

Barbara Hester of Gulfport, a graduate student in anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology, said up to 29 burials have been discovered and more may be found as the dimensions of the site are determined.

The team is also looking at the potential for finding artifacts from an area depicted on a map dating back to 1722 as an African habitation at the back bay of Biloxi. This area could have been home to the first generation slaves brought by the Europeans. The same map also shows an area west of the settlement where the proposed Fort Louis was to be constructed. Groundwork for the site was undertaken, but the fort was never constructed.

Hester said the property where the historic Dantzler home stood before Katrina, adjacent to the Moran site, will also be explored as part of the project. "We're trying to see if there are other residents in the area that would give us permission to probe their property for more artifacts," Hester said.

As a coast native, Hester feels strongly about the importance of what is found at the Moran site. With few landmarks remaining after the destruction brought by Katrina, the significance of the settlement and cemetery site has increased, and she hopes it will be preserved as a reminder of the heritage of the area.

"When you look at the coast, you see that the impact of the storm is going to be with us for a long time," she said. "Many of our landmarks are gone. This site is the roots of our history."  

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Southern Miss students participating in the university's Department of Anthropology and Sociology's Summer Archaeology Field School examine the remains of a French settler buried in Biloxi, Miss. The settlement dates back to the early 1700s when Biloxi was the capital of the Louisiana colony. (Southern Miss Marketing and Public Relations photo by Steve Rouse)

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Rev. Henry McInerney, pastor of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Ocean Springs, blesses the site of an early French settlement cemetery Tuesday in Biloxi where University of Southern Mississippi students are participating in an archaeology field school. (Southern Miss Marketing and Public Relations photo by Steve Rouse)

For more information on this project, online visit http://www.usm.edu/antsoc/anthro/research/index.htm.