Authors' Affiliations

Heather White, Department of Geosciences, College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Eileen G Ernenwein, Department of Geosciences, College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN.

Location

Culp Ballroom

Start Date

4-7-2022 9:00 AM

End Date

4-7-2022 12:00 PM

Poster Number

76

Faculty Sponsor’s Department

Geosciences

Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor

Eileen Ernenwein

Additional Sponsors

Andrew Joyner, Ingrid Luffman

Classification of First Author

Graduate Student-Master’s

Competition Type

Competitive

Type

Poster Presentation

Project's Category

Archaeology

Abstract or Artist's Statement

Carter Mansion is a well-known historic site in Tennessee. It is estimated to have been built in the 1770s and is believed to be the oldest frame house, a house with a wooden skeleton for the base, in the state. This house was built by John and Landon Carter, father, and son respectively, who were well known influential leaders of the Watauga Settlement in the late 18th century. Prior to their arrival, the area was home to Native Americans. The aim of this research was to perform a geophysical survey of a previously unresearched area of the site, providing guidance for future development of the property. A ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey was conducted with a GSSI SIR4000 with 400 MHz antennas. Previous research was able to identify both historic and prehistoric graves in other areas of the property. This project extends this knowledge and aims to determine if there are graves associated with the headstones of the Carters on the eastern margin of the property, thus enriching the history and prehistory of the site without disturbing the grounds.

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Apr 7th, 9:00 AM Apr 7th, 12:00 PM

Searching for Unmarked Graves at Historic Carter Mansion, Elizabethton, TN

Culp Ballroom

Carter Mansion is a well-known historic site in Tennessee. It is estimated to have been built in the 1770s and is believed to be the oldest frame house, a house with a wooden skeleton for the base, in the state. This house was built by John and Landon Carter, father, and son respectively, who were well known influential leaders of the Watauga Settlement in the late 18th century. Prior to their arrival, the area was home to Native Americans. The aim of this research was to perform a geophysical survey of a previously unresearched area of the site, providing guidance for future development of the property. A ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey was conducted with a GSSI SIR4000 with 400 MHz antennas. Previous research was able to identify both historic and prehistoric graves in other areas of the property. This project extends this knowledge and aims to determine if there are graves associated with the headstones of the Carters on the eastern margin of the property, thus enriching the history and prehistory of the site without disturbing the grounds.