Pamela Cressey

Areas of Expertise

Historical archaeology, community archaeology, preservation planning, urban development, African-American and Euro-American domestic life and material culture.

Dr. Cressey is a historical archaeologist specializing in community archaeology and preservation planning.

Current Research

To see Dr. Cressey's CV, click here.

For many years the City Archaeologist for Alexandria, Virginia, Dr. Cressey has directed a variety of activities to study and preserve that city. This includes excavations at a plantation site on Shuter's Hill near the George Washington Masonic National Memorial and at the Alexandria Freedmen's Cemetery.

Ongoing Projects

• Continued excavation at Shuter's Hill. Analysis and publication of materials from that site and others.
• Work on the Alexandria Heritage Trail, the Alexandria Contrabands and Freedmen's Cemetery Memorial Project, and related initiatives.

Education

Ph.D. 1985, University of Iowa
M.A. 1973, University of Iowa
B.A. 1968, UCLA

Publications

Books and Monographs

2009  Cressey, P.J. "The Archaeology of Alexandria." In Archaeology in America An Encyclopedia, Ed. F. P. McManamon. Vol. 1, p. 176-180. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

2005  Cressey, P.J., and M.J. Anderson. Alexandria, Virginia (Digging for the Past). New York: Oxford University Press.

2000  Bromberg, F.W., S.J. Shephard, B.H. Magid, P.J. Cressey, T. Dennee and B.K. Means. To Find Rest From All Trouble: The Archaeology of the Quaker Burying Ground, Alexandria, Virginia. Alexandria, VA: Alexandria Archaeology Museum.

1993  Cressey, P.J. To Witness the Past: African American Archaeology in Alexandria, Virginia. Alexandria, VA: Alexandria Archaeology Museum.

1989  Cressey, P.J. The Nineteenth-Century Transformation and Spatial Development of Alexandria, Virginia. Alexandria, VA: Alexandria Archaeology Museum.

1985  Cressey, P.J. The Archaeology of Free Blacks in Alexandria, Virginia. Alexandria, VA: Alexandria Archaeology Museum.

Selected Articles and Book Chapters

2005  Cressey, P.J. "Community archaeology in Alexandria, Virginia." In L.A. De Cunzo and J.H. Jameson Jr., eds., Unlocking the Past: Celebrating Historical Archaeology in North America. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.

Distinctions

Historian of the Year Award, Alexandria Historical Society, 1999

Classes Taught

To see syllabi, click on the course title.

Anth 3811/AmSt 3811: Historical Archaeology
Anth 3835/AmSt 3835: Historical Archaeology Field Program
Anth 6807: Public Archaeology

Last updated November 2, 2016