Although much is known from the documentary record about Andrew Jackson, written sources are largely silent on the details of everyday life within the plantation community. Ten years of archaeological investigation have provided detailed information on everyday life within the slave community at The Hermitage.
Archaeology offers a first step in accurately restoring the plantation landscape.
Archaeological excavation includes many tasks including site survey, hand excavation of entire house foundations, soil screening, recording findings and washing and cataloging artifacts in the lab. These efforts have revealed extensive information on nine slave households from three different areas on the property. Thousands of fragments of animal bones from the slave households reveal that everyone at The Hermitage, including the Jackson family, ate large amounts of pork, with more limited quantities of mutton and beef. A surprisingly large number of slave possessions have also been unearthed. In the summer of 1997, work began to excavate in and around the original Hermitage cabins.