Making History, Uncovering History: Davidson Day AFAR and the Adam Spach Rock House

During the 18th century, the Moravian settlement was founded on a stretch of land from modern-day Bethania to Winston Salem, North Carolina. The Moravians were a group of settlers from Ancient Bohemia, where the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany are today. The Morovians fled central Europe because of religious persecution and initially settled in modern-day Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Around 1754, a group of the settlers moved to modern-day Winston-Salem. One of the settlers who relocated was a man named Adam Spach; he founded the Friedberg Moravian Church in Davidson County, North Carolina. In 1774, to act as a defense against Native American attacks, he built what is now known as the Adam Spach Rock House. He often held church services in his home, and he became an integral member of the local Moravian settlement. Today, the house is a historically significant landmark for our state.

The Adam Spach Rock House is owned by the Wachovia Historical Society, which plans to transform Wachovia into a historical park so that others can learn about the history of our beautiful state. However, to do so, the state requires the Wachovia Historical Society to work with the State Historic Preservation Office to preserve the land’s history as they develop it. In order to begin the process of transforming the land and Adam Spach Rock House into a historical site, first, the Wachovia Historical Society and State had to perform an impact survey to see if anything was buried under the land. They used ground penetrating radar (GPR) to survey the land for any anomalies below. GPR is a non-destructive technique that uses electromagnetic waves to create images of anomalies underground; it’s used to map out buried structures and artifacts before excavating. Many anomalies were detected on the site, and this tool helped us determine where to set up dig units on the site. After the anomalies were detected, the Wachovia Historical Society hired the Environmental Research Group to excavate the land. The Environmental Research Group focuses on preserving the environment while learning about different cultures through archaeology.

Jim and Christy Pritchard are Davidson Day parents, have worked on AFAR’s Belize project since 2007, and work for the Environmental Research Group. Upon being hired by the Wachovia Historical Society and State, they recommended that the Wachovia Historical Society’s Board allow Davidson Day’s AFAR students to work alongside them and turn the project into a field school. After getting approval from the State Archaeology Department, Mr. Saunders and his AFAR students were told the great news.

“We are committed to creating public education and outreach opportunities. The Adam Spach Rock House project is an exciting chance for us [the Environmental Research Group and AFAR] to support a state and privately funded park development while at the same time honing our archaeological fieldwork skills and achieving our historic preservation goal,” the Pritchards said. The Pritchards have shown a dedication to our community and provided the chance to educate our students on the histories of other cultures. 

Our site team included five archaeologists from the Environmental Research Group: Jim and Christy Pritchard, Michael Cresswell, Vanessa Mirro, and Rachael Smith. From Davidson Day, thirteen students were accompanied by Mr. Saunders, Mr. Sturm, and Mr. Palmer and his family. 

When asked why he decided to join our group on the project, Mr. Sturm eagerly said, “I love seeing history come alive on these excavations with AFAR. You’re always surrounded by professionals, and I always feel like I learn so much from them each time I join a project. As a former history teacher, there’s an excitement to try to connect with and discover the past! I also love joining the students. These projects are such unique opportunities to be a part of, and I love seeing students take part in the excitement! I feel like each student takes something meaningful away from each project, and it’s always so fun to be a part of it.”  

Our project began on Friday, November 15th. We met with the archaeologists from the Environmental Research Group and were briefed on the project and the history of the land. On Saturday morning, we walked the site to learn more about the units, paired up, and began working. We learned the best techniques for digging up the soil without damaging or missing artifacts, how to use the sifts, how to take proper notes, and how to set up a unit. Some groups met with members of the Wachovia Historical Society, and we all met with Assistant State Archaeologist Kim Urban. She explained the work it takes to set up a project like this and how excited she was to see students work on a site for the first time in our state. She shared she was happy to have us there to spread more awareness about archaeology. Sunday morning we went back to the site to finish our units before returning back to Davidson Day.

For the first time in our state’s history, students were able to take part in an archaeological dig, making it a great accomplishment for AFAR and Davidson Day. For some students, this was their first dig with AFAR; for others, it was their last. Sophomore Duncan Ashe IV said, “It was a really great experience, and archaeology is hard work, but I have more appreciation for that kind of field world.” For all of the students involved, it was a memorable and unique experience that they’ll never forget.