Summary

The 2023 issue of The Tiller focuses on batteau history, preservation, and living tradition in Virginia. Highlights include Bill Trout’s “How Do You Spell ‘Batteau’?”, a study of historical Virginia usage; William Dowd’s account of building the Buffalo River in Amherst County; Harrison Biggs’s conservation-science analysis of the James River Gundalow excavated in Richmond; Brian Coffield’s investigation of a mill pond boat in Fluvanna County; and Will Smith’s essay on recovering artifacts from the 1983 Great Basin dig.

Tags

James River batteaux; Virginia canal history; Great Basin artifacts; James River Gundalow; James River Batteau Festival; Bill Trout; Richmond archaeology; batteau building; Fluvanna County; Amherst County

Notable People
Ralph Smith; Will Smith; Bill Trout; Brian Coffield; William Dowd; Harrison Biggs.

Notable Places
James River; Richmond; Amherst County; Lynchburg; Fluvanna County; Scottsville; Bremo; Maidens Landing.

Featured Topics
VCNS leadership and preservation priorities; the spelling and historical usage of “batteau”; building the Buffalo River; conservation science work on the James River Gundalow; identification of a small mill pond work or ferry boat; recovery of 1983 Great Basin artifacts; JRBF 2023 photo coverage.