Abby Ciarametaro Digs into the Full College Experience
Abigail Ciarametaro of Boscawen, is a full-time Social Science student at Manchester Community College, who participated in a hands-on archaeology project last summer that was featured on WMUR. “The Encounter Project” funded by the New Hampshire Humanities Collaborative brought students and faculty from the Community College System of NH and UNH together for four weeks to excavate around a historic home in Durham, NH.
Digging one foot down at a time, students unearthed hand-forged brick, German pottery from the early 1700s, animal bones, toys and other remnants from beneath former slave quarters at the home of General John Sullivan, who was appointed by President Washington.
“The deeper we went, the older it got,” Abigail said. Adding, “Holding an artifact is a powerful way to make a physical, emotional connection to the past; pulling up people’s stories from underground is a big part of history.”
Abby has always been interested in history and works as an educator at Mt. Kearsarge Museum on weekends, where she gives tours and attends different workshops. “My experience with The Encounter Project and the museum feel very connected,” she said. She’s also branched out to research on her own, using a metal detector to explore historic New England towns.
In addition to her internship with the Encounter Project, Abby actively participates in extracurricular activities at MCC, including competing in the ARCH (American Revolution and Constitutional History) Bowl, a Jeopardy-style competition with categories related to the American Revolution. She also traveled to South Dakota with MCC students and faculty to volunteer on the Pine Ridge Reservation over summer break.
Set to graduate in May, Abby has been accepted to New England College to earn her bachelor degree in History, and is looking forward to studying abroad in Ireland.