National Trust's effort to enhance the reputation of St. George's as a unique historical landmark, is its creation of an archaeological museum in the downstairs, former cellars of the Tucker House museum.

It is hoped the new museum will be opened this summer.

National Trust fund raiser, Mr. Daniel Blagg, who is also director of development resources, is excited about this latest project which has been funded by a gift from Mrs. Collins Outerbridge.

"The idea of an archaeology museum is completely new for Bermuda and we believe it will be very popular. And I think it emphasises our commitment to making St. George's not only a beautiful place, but a very interesting place to visit. The more people can find to do there, the more people will visit the old town,'' he says.

Now, co-ordinator of the Archaeological Committee, Mrs. Linda Abend, is appealing for more volunteers to assist in the exciting, but painstaking mission of (literally, at times) uncovering and then putting back together the jigsaw puzzle of Bermuda's past.

"It took us six weeks to dig through the layers of earth in the old Tucker cellars -- and then about two years to clear up the site, sort out the artifacts that we had found, wash them, catalogue and to cross-mend,'' she explains. Cross-mending is the process by which shards, or fragments are pieced together.

When the house on Water Street was built in about 1711, says Mrs. Abend, the grounds stretched all the way to the harbour and, as was the custom of the day, goods from incoming ships were placed immediately in the cellars and warehouses under the main living area.

It was in the summer of 1988 that the National Trust and Colonial Williamsburg, from Virginia, joined forces to conduct a series of excavations beneath the earthen floors of these cellars. At the time, there was no thought of a museum, but the work was undertaken in an effort to make a comparative study of the lifestyles of two prominent Bermudian brothers: Henry Tucker, who lived in the house named for him from 1775 to 1807 and St. George Tucker, who left Bermuda to become a leading lawyer in Williamsburg.

Not only was the dig able to reveal much fascinating information about the early history and lives of those who lived in the house, but also threw new light on details of daily life in 18th century Bermuda and Virginia and how those lives compared with those of Europe and the New World.

The objects, many of which were small fragments of ceramic ware and glass, were researched and by studying historical records and documents, such as wills, estate inventories and even newspaper advertisements, the volunteers have been able to accurately pinpoint the dates of manufacture and country of origin. Not surprisingly, most of the artifacts were imported from England and Europe.

The type of ceramics, glass and silver so far uncovered, says Mrs. Abend, indicate that, even in the early 18th century, the Tucker family was wealthy.

The archaeological group has also discovered that, by the late 18th century, Bermuda was, in colonial terms, what she describes as a mercantile giant.

"Some of the beautiful things that came to Bermuda were trans-shipped but a remarkable quantity was retained in Bermuda. By researching the objects that were dug up, we have established that because the Tucker House revealed such a wide range and quality, with far more variety than in similar digs in Virginia, we can be confident that Bermuda seemed to have been richer and more sophisticated than its counterparts in the US.'' The discovery of a blue, hand-painted Pearlware dish, for instance, can be dated at 1782, when this particular type of ceramic ware first came on the scene and its quality suggests that only well-to-do people could afford to buy it.

There is also a buttermilk-coloured condiment dish and the archaeologists have determined that this creamware came out in 1762.

Recent historical research has concentrated on the letters of Mrs. Henry Tucker who, with her husband and nine children, lived in the house from 1775 to 1807. Tiny details about daily life can assume a sudden importance when that home becomes a museum. It was through her letters, for instance, that it was found the dining-room had been wrongly designated -- that has now been corrected.

It seems specially appropriate that it is the Williamsburg Archaeological Committee that is assisting in the Tucker Museum project. The connection between the communities goes back to early colonial days and was cemented by the fact that a branch of the Tucker family was established in Virginia.

It is the correspondence between Henry and his brothers, particularly the prominent lawyer, St. George Tucker, that forms the main source for the wealth of information about this remarkable family, their role in the American Revolutionary War and the detailed sociological data on life in Bermuda and the US colony in the 18th century.

Mrs. Linda Abend asks that anyone interested in assisting with the archaeology project (either in practical terms or with historical research) telephone the National Trust headquarters at Waterville, telephone 236-6483.

DIGGING UP HISTORY -- Mrs. Linda Abend holds an 18th century cross-mended condiment dish which will go on display in the new Tucker Archaeological Museum.