Another good example of Historical Archaeology being able to provide much more information than documentary sources is the realm of African American archaeology. A great deal can be learned about the daily lives of African Americans in rural and urban settings through the turn of the century and often into at least the 1930's. I personally worked on a project in Roanoke, Virginia involving the Historic Gainsboro Neighborhood. The phase III excavations were mostly limitted to the area where the Burrell Pharmacy had once operated. The other areas which were slated to be destroyed by development were deemed "inconsequential". Even the pharmacy site was originally written off by the powers that by as not having the necessary research potential. A few of the more interesting things which were never recorded in the historic record were discovered during the analysis of this site's artifacts. During the period of the pharmacy's operation, most professional doctor's and pharmacists had realized that "patent" medicines were not good medicine and were often harmful. Even though Dr. Burrell was a practicing medical doctor, as well as a pharmacist, his pharmacy was well stocked with most of the popular "patent" medicines available on the east coast. We also foudn evidence of the wide variety of prescriptions and medicines which he mixed and concocted in the pharmacy. Although it could have readily been assumed that medicines were mixed in the pharmacy, no records exist of what was available in this pharmacy. In fact, no records exist from any of the businesses which operated in the Davis Hotel building. Even in the relatively modern and sophisticated City of Roanoke at the turn of the century, many lives and neighborhoods went mostly undocumented. And, unfortunately, many of the present day developers and public officials would rather that this would remain the case. Often, there is as little truly known about historic sites as there is about prehistoric sites. Michael F. Barber ([log in to unmask]) Preservation Technologies, Inc. P.O. Box 921 Salem, VA 24153 (703) 375-3128