Introduction
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'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, and a Ph.D in Historical Archaeology from Emory University.
Career
He has served as director of archaeology at Carter's Grove, Monticello, 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 Jamestown Rediscovery project.
Rediscovery of Jamestown
In 1994, Kelso began directing excavations on Jamestown Island 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 artifacts 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.
- Grizzard, Frank E., Jr., and D. Boyd Smith. The Jamestown Colony: An Encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, 2007.
- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1379885/William-M-Kelso
- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6608615
Awards
In 2007 Kelso received the J. C. Harrington Award, presented by the Society for Historical Archaeology for his life-time contributions to archaeology centered on scholarship. In July, 2012, as a result of his work on Jamestown Island, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire to Kelso at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.