The Gloucester Historical Society awarded this year’s $1,500 scholarship to Evan Cabral. The scholarship provides financial assistance to students third year or higher majoring in archaeology, anthropology or history. They must be from Gloucester or have close ties here.
Cabral is a 2022 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a double major in Archaeology and Anthropology. He grew up on Hatteras Island where his father, a National Park Ranger, instilled in him a love for nature, history, and museums at a young age.
As an undergraduate he attended a field school in western North Carolina, where he fell in love with identifying artifacts and cultural features, and the great community of like-minded individuals who love to learn more about the past.
After graduating from Chapel Hill, he went to work for the Fairfield Foundation as a staff archaeologist. Since he moved to Gloucester three years ago, he has worked on sites at Fairfield Plantation, Edge Hill House, Machicom-oco State Park, Timberneck House, Rosewell, Walter Reed’s Birthplace and Abingdon Episcopal Church.
Cabral enjoys interacting with the public at events like the Daffodil Festival and Mathews Market Days where he can show how archaeologists excavate and interpret artifacts and listen to everyone’s own experiences with artifacts.
“I learn more just by talking with the community members than they likely learn from me,” he said with a smile.
He recently started his Master’s in Anthropology program at William and Mary. He said he is excited to be working with Dr. Martin Gallivan who specializes in the archaeology of the Powhatan Chiefdom. Gallivan will be presenting a program to the Gloucester Historical Society on Oct. 26 on “The Oyster Revolution on the York River.” The program will highlight how indigenous communities pioneered oyster fishery management.
After graduating from William and Mary, Cabral plans to continue working as a professional archaeologist in eastern Virginia or North Carolina. The application process for next year’s award will be announced early next year.