Amazon.com description: Product Description: In the 17th-century St. Mary's City was Maryland's first capital and a proving ground for ideas that helped to shape American democracy. Today it is one of the finest 17th-century archaeology sites in the nation. This publication reveals what archaeologists and historians have learned about Maryland's colonial past by studying stains in the soil, excavated household objects, court records, inventories, and other evidence. Generously illustrated with color photographs of artifacts found at the site.