University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Poster Gallery
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Creation Date
Spring 2023
Major
Environmental and Applied Geology, and Anthropology
Department
Geosciences
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Haley Cabaniss
Mentor Department
Geosciences
Abstract
White Hall State Historic Site, the former home of prominent abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay, is an important historical landmark in Madison County, Kentucky. Before Cassius Clay and his wife, Mary Jane Warfield Clay, built White Hall, Clermont stood in its place. Cassius Clay’s Father, Green Clay built Clermont in the late 1700s. The 2,000 acre estate included not only the house but all the facilities needed to be self-reliant. Cassius Clay inherited the mansion when Green Clay passed away in 1828. While much is known about the Clay family history, little is known about the 100+ enslaved people the Clay family owned including where their living quarters and burial sites were located.
We will review high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), infrared imagery (IR), and current maps to look for anomalies on the surface that may suggest the location of a feature such as the foundation of a building that is no longer there. When suspect locations are identified, we will utilize a technique in Geophysics called ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to identify any subsurface structures. This non-invasive tool is ideal for this type of work because it will not disrupt the site. GPR data can be collected for a large area in a relatively short amount of time compared to invasive archaeological methods. We will make educated interpretations of the anomalies found when using the GPR. The research may be useful for future investigations at the site by EKU archaeologists, geophysicists, and possibly historians.
