Maryland Archeology Month

-April 2008-

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Archeology in Annapolis

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Archeology Gallery

Headless Royal

Headless Royal

The pipeclay statuette was recovered in two pieces in adjoining test units from a large filled pit feature (Feature 12) at Site 18ST704 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River. This statuette, 5.82 in. (14.8 cm) in height, holds in his left hand an orb with cross, and wears the ermine robe of a British monarch. He is dressed in early to mid-seventeenth century style armor, and holds a short sword in his right hand.

The statuette is nearly identical to another example, preserved from shoulders to feet, recovered from excavations of a pit (with sixteenth - early eighteenth century artifacts) at "Canute's Palace" in Southampton, England (Platt and Coleman-Smith 1975:Cat. No. 1959), although the English piece is less than half the size (3.86 in [9.8 cm]) of the one from Site 18ST704. Another example of similar type, but only preserved from the just above the knees to the feet, was recovered from 1690-1730/60 "garden soils" at Portergate, Norwich in England (Margeson 1993:219); this fragment measures 2.09 in (5.3 cm) in height, and appears to be of similar size to the example from NAS Patuxent River.

Unfortunately, the absence of the head from all three examples precludes a definitive identification of the monarch. Charles I is a possible identification because of the period of the armor (although such armor also appears in tin-glazed depictions into the early eighteenth century). Another possibility is that the figurine may be a royalist depiction of Charles II, prior to his ascending the throne in 1660. It has been suggested that had the person represented already ascended the throne he would likely be holding the royal scepter rather than a fighting sword (Horne 1999: personal communication). Because of the Catholic faith of the Sewall owners of the property during this period, James II also appears to be a possibility.

By Dr. Michael B. Hornum, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc.

Note: Archaeological collections from Charles' Gift and other NAS Patuxent River sites are curated at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. Interested researchers from the public are invited to contact the Federal Curator at 410-586-8589 for more information about accessing these collections.

A complete archeology report is available, click here.

For a historian's perspective on a possible identity of the Headless Royal, click here.