William M. Kelso, C.B.E., Ph. D., F.S.A. (born 1941), often referred to as Bill Kelso, is an American archaeologist specializing in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

's colonial period, particularly the Jamestown colony.

Personal life

A native of Lakeside, Ohio, Kelso earned a B.A. in History from Baldwin-Wallace College, an M.A. in Early American History from the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

, and a Ph.D in Historical Archaeology from

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

Career

He has served as director of archaeology at Carter's Grove,

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

, and Poplar Forest, as well as Commissioner of Archaeology for the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission. During his time at Monticello, he was one of the first to make early colonial slave life the focus of archaeological research. Currently he serves as the Director of Research and Interpretation for the

Preservation Virginia Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities was the United States' first statewide historic preservation group. In 2003 the organization adopted the new name APVA Preservation Virginia to reflect a broader focus o ...

Jamestown Rediscovery Jamestown Rediscovery is an archaeological project of Preservation Virginia (formerly the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) investigating the remains of the original English settlement at Jamestown established in the Virgin ...

project.

Rediscovery of Jamestown

In 1994, Kelso began directing excavations on

Jamestown Island Jamestown Island is a island in the James River in Virginia, part of James City County. It is located off Glasshouse Point, to which it is connected via a causeway to the Colonial Parkway. Much of the island is wetland, including both swamp and ...

at the behest of Preservation Virginia. It was not long before the Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists uncovered the footprint of the fort's southern palisade. His 2004 book includes an in-depth study of the features uncovered during the excavations.

Published works

*''Kingsmill Plantations, 1619-1800: Archaeology of Country Life in Colonial Virginia.'' Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1984. *(with J. Deetz) ''Archaeology at Monticello.'' Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002. *(with B. Straube) ''Jamestown Rediscovery: 1994-2004.'' Richmond: APVA Preservation Virginia, 2004. *''Jamestown: The Buried Truth''. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2006.

Awards

In 2007 Kelso received the J. C. Harrington Award, presented by the

Society for Historical Archaeology The Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) is a professional organization of scholars concerned with the archaeology of the modern world (15th century-present). Founded in 1967, the SHA promotes scholarly research and the dissemination of knowledg ...

for his life-time contributions to archaeology centered on scholarship. In July 2012, as a result of his work on

, he was awarded an honorary knighthood as

Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, whom he had escorted during her visit to Jamestown in 2007.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Baldwin Wallace History: Bill Kelso
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelso, William College of William & Mary faculty 1941 births Living people College of William & Mary alumni Emory University alumni Baldwin Wallace University alumni 20th-century American archaeologists 21st-century American archaeologists People from Ottawa County, Ohio Historians from Ohio