For four weeks this summer, a professor and seven students have been scraping at layers of earth, sifting dirt and uncovering brick structures, animal bones and, recently, deposited artifacts like plastic and carpet at what they believe is the site of the 19th century Hayes sugar house on Avery Island.

This is the seventh summer field school University of Louisiana professor Mark Rees has led, the second at Avery Island, at the request of historian Shane Bernard.

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BY MARY CATHARINE MARTIN
THE DAILY IBERIAN