October 14, 2024

October CCASM Meeting

October 17, 2024 (7 PM)

Sites of Slavery, Resistance, and Freedom
in Nineteenth-Century Anne Arundel County

Join us to hear Jenn Babiarz present the findings of an 18-month study by the Lost Towns Project on the housing of enslaved and free-Black tenants in Anne Arundel County during the 19th century.

Jennifer Babiarz
                      Archaeology Lab Director and Historic Registrar for Anne Arundel County


We will have our regular meeting at the LaPlata Police Department.  People may also attend via Zoom.  The link will be sent to CCASM members who can not attend in person.  Non-members will need to email ccasm2010@gmail.com by October 16 to request the link.


Location: La Plata Police Department
, 101 La Grange Ave, La Plata, MD (map)
Parking is on the north side of the building (but not behind where the police cars are), on the street, and in the lot across the street.

Inclement weather policy: If the evening activities of the Charles County Public Schools are canceled due to inclement weather, CCASM meetings and/or activities will also be canceled or else be conducted via Zoom if a link has already been set up.
Call the 24-hour information line [301-934-7410 or 301-932-6656] to hear if there are any announcements. If there aren't any updates, then CCASM activities will proceed as planned.

 

2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Oct-Dec)

CCASM has been working with Charles County at the ongoing Public Archaeology Lab since 2015.  The lab is for processing artifacts recovered from various archaeology initiatives in Charles County -  including artifacts from investigations of sites on County properties, artifacts recovered from savage archaeology in the County, as well as artifacts recovered around the 1970's before the Port Tobacco Courthouse was reconstructed.  Esther Read is the archaeologist in charge.

Health precautions:  Following guidelines for Charles County. 

Location: Courthouse (2nd floor; use South Wing door) and Burch House (both inside and outside) in Historic Port Tobacco Village  map 

Note:  Public Archeology Days at Swann Site
(10am-3pm)

                      Saturday October 26 and Sunday October 27

 Next dates: 
  Note: depending on the weather, we may also be in the field on Mondays; 
            (we try to post the latest schedule as soon as we get it - may not get until Monday morning)

 
              Friday,     Oct 18   (10am - 12am) School Group from Ryan
            Monday,   Oct 21  (11am - 3pm) Lab at Port Tobacco and in field at Swann Site
              Friday,     Oct 25   (10am - 12am) School Group from Brown
           Weekend    Oct 26, 27  (10am-3pm) Public Archaeology Days at Swann Site
            Monday,   Oct 28   (11am - 3pm) Lab at Port Tobacco and
                                             (10am - 12am) School Group from Craik
        Wednesday,   Oct 30   (10am - 3pm) in field at Maxwell Equestrian Park


Last Lab date for 2024 (and Christmas Party) will be Dec 16.
Dates for School Visits 2024: Fri, Oct 18; Fri, Oct 25; Mon, Oct 28; 2025: Mon, Mar 17; Fri, Apr 4; Mon, Apr 7: Fri, Apr 11; Wed, Apr 23;

Various Bottle Finishes

 

At the Monday October 14 Lab it was just Linda and Jadyn.  We bagged dry brushed items from last week and washed items from the Courthouse box (1970s Port Tobacco artifacts).  We chose these glass bottle fragments with different finishes as the "artifact" of the day.

Thanks to Linda for the photo and the info.

Buckle

Monday October 7 while several of the regular volunteers were in the field, Linda, Claudia, and Jadyn were at Burch House sorting and bagging the artifacts that were washed last week and then dry brushing the remaining metal artifacts.  We chose this sturdy copper alloy buckle as the artifact of the day.  It was with the other artifacts recovered during the 1970s excavations at Port Tobacco but that's all we know.  So it is listed as Port Tobacco, no provenience.

Thanks to Linda for the photo and the info.

2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Sep) --2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Apr-Jun)  --2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-Mar)
2023 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec) --2023 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2022 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec) --2022 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Feb-Jun)
2021 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Mar-Dec)

2020 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Sep-Dec) --2020 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-Mar)
2019 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jul-Dec)   --2019 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2018 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec) --2018 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2017 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec) --2017 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2016 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec) --2016 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2015 Public Archaeology Lab Days

 

Volunteering for Maxwell Hall Grant Archaeology - Continuing

The Friends of Maxwell Hall received a grant titled "Maxwell Hall: Discovering and Raising New Voices".  The goal was to learn more about the African/African American experience at Maxwell Hall. The first half of the project is archival and landscape research headed by Esther Read. The second half is a community outreach to locate descendants of those who lived and worked at Maxwell Hall in an effort to tell a more complete story and to build relationships with the community. 

Esther completed the interim archaeology report in May that also included identification of Native American sites.  In September she received the permit that allows surveying.  So the archaeological work on the grant continues.

CCASM members are providing volunteer hours for the archaeological part of the grant.  Volunteer hours count as an in-kind match ($29.95/hr).

Locations: Maxwell Hall Park Equestrian Area
                 
Hughesville, MD (but near Benedict,MD)  map

                  
Next dates:  Check Lab post

Monday October 14 we continued to work in the same area as last week.  Esther ran lines to several new points.  In the morning Denise and Mary dug (mostly Denise dug and Mary screened) several STP's.  A lot of rusted metal from a collapsed building, a few pieces of glass, and one ceramic was uncovered. After lunch Esther joined in the fun and helped to dig additional STP's in a wooded area. We finished the day by driving around the fields to check on the status of the soybean crop.  Not ready to harvest as of now.
The weather was delightful and the soil was easily dug, so a good day in the field.
Thanks to Mary for the info.

Monday October 7 was another beautiful day to be in the field.  Denise, Mary, Elsie, and Carol volunteered with Esther to dig four more STPs at Maxwell Hall Site 4.  This involved Esther and Denise cutting paths to the STP locations.  Each STP had at least one historic artifact.  There were lots of pieces of rusty barb wire as well as an early whiteware ceramics sherd, an oyster shell, and nails.  We even found some English ivy.  Esther reminded us this was where all the daffodils were last spring - another landscape feature that would indicate a residence in the area.  A 1930s aerial shows a building in this area.  Esther thought we should call it the the "Daffodill Site".

Starting to clear a path
into the brush
    
Screening
  
More Screening



 Thanks to Esther for the additional photos and info.

Finally a nice day to be in the field even if it did get cut short by rain.  Monday September 23 Denise, Elsie, Carol along with a new volunteer Jordan joined Esther in the field at Maxwell Hall Site 4.  We dug five STPs and found nineteenth century artifacts in one.  

Documenting
Screening and finding
no material culture artifacts
 
Wednesday July 10 was a hot day (mid to upper 90's).  Even so, Linda, Doug, Denise, and Mary joined Esther to continue walking the field that we had started last week and to continue surface collecting.  Several more artifacts were found including the base of a very nice projectile point and a piece of worked rhyolite.
Thanks to Linda and Mary for the info.

Wednesday July 3 was a nice enough day (not too hot) for Esther and CCASM members Denise, Linda, Doug, and Ned to be in the field at the Equestrian Park.  The farmer had disced the wheat stubble and completed planting soybeans with a drill in the fields on the Red and Blue trails.  Linda, Doug, and Denise walked parts of two of the Blue Trail fields that had been planted after the rain.  Nothing was found in the first field, but we found some shell pieces, a couple of flakes, a possible piece of pipe, and two pieces of ceramics in the second one,
Thanks to Ned, Denise, and Linda for the info.

After a number of months we returned to the Equestrian Park on Wednesday May 29.  Mary, Gary, and Ned joined Esther at an area on the Red Trail.  We dug four STPs in the morning.  Then We explored a continuous shell midden along the shores line with Esther wading in the water and Mary walking the upper bank.  Gary and Ned set flags at 100 ft intervals to indicate an area to be explode in the future.

Always paths to clear
Stopping for a photo

Thanks to Mary and Ned for the info and thanks to Mary for the photos.

Monday November 6 we returned to the Equestrian Park.  The farmer had just harvested soybeans in part of a field that supposedly had an early colonial building.  CCASM members Ned, Peggy, Linda, Elsie, and Carol along with two repeat volunteers Doria and Melaney joined Esther to surface collect for part of the day.  We only found two small bricks, but only a small part of the field had been harvested.  The field was continuing to be harvested while we were there.  After lunch we walked the bluff and on the shore.  Esther found at least two new shell middens, and Linda recorded the locations.  

Surface Collecting
Recording shell midden location

But the most interesting thing found were two U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey Reference Marks that had fallen down onto the shore of the  Patuxent..  They were labeled Fodder No. 1 and Fodder No. 2 and were dated 1943.  Two reference marks are needed to determine a boat's location on the River.

Geodetic Survey Reference Markers.

Thanks to Ned for the additional photo and for the photos of the markers.


Monday October 23 we were able to finish surveying this site (18CH101).  CCASM members Mary, Peggy, Denise, Elsie, Ned , and Jim continued digging STPs today.  There were three teams - Elsie and Denise; Peggy and Jim; and Ned and Mary (although Mary helped Esther part of the time).  We did some additional STPs in the road where it bends along the Patuxent and out on the field's edge.
Thanks to Ned for the info and photo.

Monday October 16 was another beautiful but cooler day to be in the field.  CCASM members Mary, Linda, Peggy, Denise, Carol, and Ned joined Esther at the site to dig nine additional STPs.  After laying out the grid we divided into two teams with Ned assisting where needed, especially when the digging through the root filled soil became difficult.  The STPs did start to define the edges of the shell midden with some STPs having essentially no shells and at least one having a buried layer of densely packed shells.  A small amount of worked lithics were recovered.

On Monday September 19, a beautiful day to be in the field,  CCASM members Elsie, Mary, Linda, Pat, Carol, and Ned joined Esther to dig shovel test pits (STPs) at the Chalk Point Site in an area above where a shell midden had been found on the shore.  We dug eight STPs and found lots of shells in at least three of them as well as a small amount of worked lithics.  

Laying out grid
STP Team A
STP Team B
STP Team C

Documenting
Shells from STP

Thanks to Ned and Pat for the additional photos.

For archaeology done during the initial part of the grant
Volunteering for "Maxwell Hall: Discovering and Raising New Voices"

2024 ASM Fall Meeting

On Saturday October 12 the Eastern Shore ASM Chapter hosted the 2024 Archeology Society of Maryland, Inc Fall Meeting at Chesapeake College in Queenstown, Maryland.

The Fall Meeting started with the Annual ASM Business Meeting that included the results of the ASM Elections-- Valerie Hall, President; Katharine Fernstrom, Vice-President; Ethan Bean, Membership Secretary; Pat Melville, Secretary; Krista Morris, Treasurer; At-Large Trustees: Julia Berg, Lynne Bulhack, Brent Chippendale, Jim Gibb, Don Housley, and John Newton.

The following recognitions were made at this meeting.

  • Dr. Julia King was awarded the 2024 William B Mayre Award for her outstanding contributions to Maryland archaeology.  Dr King was not able to attend.  So be sure to congratulate her when you see her.

  • Kim Malinowski became the 20th ASM Certified Archaeological Technician (CAT) graduate.
    Congratulations, Kim. 

One of the highlight of the ASM meetings are the talks. 

  • Hunting for the 'Maryland Monster’: Update on the 2024 Annual Field Session Investigations of the Home of Col. Thomas Cresap   
       Zachary Singer and Katie Gill

  • Reimagining Hemsley's Cloverfields    
       Willie Graham

  • The Archaeology of the Birthplace of Harriet Tubman,    
       Aaron Levinthal

  •  Frederick M Stiner Memorial Address
    The Pocomoke Indian Nation
        Norris "Buddy" Howard

Two  CCASM members attended the meeting.

 ------------------------------------------
Charles County's PowerPoint slides for Meeting-


October 8, 2024

2024 Charles County Holiday Tour

The 2024 Charles County Holiday Tour will be December 7-8.   Four sites in the Historic Port Tobacco Village are participating in the event on Saturday December 7.  (Link to information on other sites will be posted here when available.)

Burch House

Saturday, Dec 7 10am-4pm)

Be sure to stop by Burch House in the Historic Village of Port Tobacco to enjoy Christmas decorations from a simpler time.  You can make a Christmas ornament to keep or to hang on the tree, learn about the history and archaeology associated with Burch House.  Don't forget to visit the Archaeology Lab to learn about archaeology and see some of the tools archaeologist use.  There will be cookies.  Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc (CCASM) members will be staffing Burch House during the event.   


To learn more about Burch House check out Archaeology Lab at Historic Burch House.
 
Location of Burch House
in Village of Port Tobacco



October 2, 2024

2024 Fall School Visits

With the new school year once again there are Charles County School trips to Port Tobacco. All of the trips include tours of the One-Room School House conducted by the Retired Teachers.

But second graders also get a chance to come to the Port Tobacco Courthouse and be introduced to archaeology.  Esther Read, Charles County Archaeologist, and CCASM members work with the students.  After an introduction to archaeology (normally given by Linda), the students are divided into two groups with one group washing artifacts for about ten minutes while the other group mends ceramics.  Then the two groups switch.

Wednesday October 2 was the first school visit for this year.  There were sixteen second graders from Malcolm Elementary School.  Linda, Denise, Claudia, Elsie, and Esther worked with the students.
Thanks to Linda for the info.



September 30, 2024

2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-September)

CCASM has been working with Charles County at the ongoing Public Archaeology Lab since 2015.  The lab is for processing artifacts recovered from various archaeology initiatives in Charles County -  including artifacts from investigations of sites on County properties, artifacts recovered from savage archaeology in the County, as well as artifacts recovered around the 1970's before the Port Tobacco Courthouse was reconstructed.  Esther Read is the archaeologist in charge.

Here is what we were doing the third quarter of 2024.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Base of Mold Produced Bottle
There was a full lab on Monday September 30 with a lot of different activities going on.  Linda, Elsie, and Denise gathered materials and filled water bottles to use with the second graders that would be coming to Port Tobacco on Wednesday.  Evie, Claudia, Malinda, Jadyn, Jordan, and Carol did some washing and some bagging of artifacts from the the 1970s Port Tobacco excavations as well as from the more recent Swann site.  The artifact of the day was from the 1970s excavations, but not from BF1.  It is the base of a post-bottom mold produced bottle from late 1850s to 1890.  Check out https://sha.org/bottle/mouthblowndating.htm#Question%206

At the Monday September 23 Lab Mary, Linda, and Jadyn sorted and bagged 1970's artifacts (mostly bones) while several of the other regular volunteers were in the field at Maxwell Hall.  The artifacts were from a numbers of sites including some with an LT designation that had been collected in 1973.  (Now we need to find out where LT is?)  We did not find a bone artifact that was interesting enough to be the artifact of the day.
Thanks to Linda for the info.

Two-tine Fork
On Monday September 16 four people were in lab at Burch House and two members were with Esther in the field.  Linda and Evie washed the artifacts excavated from the plow scars this past weekend and then helped Malinda and Jadyn who were processing the ca 1970s Port Tobacco artifacts.  The latter included Lots of bones as well lots of metal artifacts.  It was one of the metal artifacts that was chosen as the artifact of the day.  The artifact of the day is this decorated bone handled two-tine fork.
Thanks to Linda for the photo.


Pocket Knife
Denise was the only one at lab on Monday September 9 since everyone else decided to be in the field.  She bagged several interesting metal artifacts from BF1, but we chose this rusty bone-handled pocket knife as the artifact of the day.  Although the rust had caused the knife to break apart into several pieces, the main part with the blade (rusted shut) was still intact.  It was stored in a bag and may have been in one piece when it was recovered.  If air and moisture are present, rust keeps forming and causes an object to disintegrate.
Thanks to Denise for the photo.

Monday August 26 we all worked inside Burch House on artifacts from the ca 1970's excavations at Port Tobacco.  Linda and Claudia sorted glassware and Denise sorted a variety of artifacts .  Carol and Jadyn tried to identify animal bones as they sorted and later washed quite a lot of animal bones.  The artifact from the day comes from the glassware artifacts.  On first glance it looked like the base of a olive green bottle with a kick-up, but when turned over there is no kick-up.  The other side is completely flat.  Interesting.

Raised area inside
Opposite side
completely flat

Buckle fragment
Monday August 19 everyone was in lab working on artifacts from the ca 1970's excavations at Port Tobacco.  Inside Burch House Linda, Claudia, and Malinda sorted and started bagging a large collection of interesting glass fragments while Evelyn and Jadyn washed animal bones.  Denise, Mary, and Carol decided to wash artifacts outside with the majority of the artifacts being animal bones although Mary did wash some Late Woodland prehistoric pottery sherds and other non-bone artifacts.  
The artifact of the day was part of a decorative copper alloy buckle.  We chose this one artifact that was found in a bag of miscellaneous somewhat identifiable metal objects.


Monday August 5 was another hot day - so a lab day.  At Burch House Claudia, Malinda, Kyle, and Jadyn were joined in the morning by Linda and Linda's granddaughter Hadley in washing artifacts from the Swann Site.  Denise, Mary, and Carol were at the Courthouse sorting stoneware from Feature BF1.  Linda joined them in the afternoon. 

Small ceramic sherd
Monday July 29 was too hot to be in the field.  So everyone was in the lab.  Linda, Claudia, Kathy and Malinda continued to sort and bag artifacts from Swann Site Unit 10.  Esther spent time talking to the new volunteers (Evie, Jadyn, and Kyle) about the different types of artifacts we find and how to identify them.
Once again we chose a small ceramic sherd from the Swann Site as the artifact of the day.  This one was engine turned.  As you can see it was smaller than a push pin.
Thanks to Linda for the photo and the info.

Summer is a busy time, and Monday July 22 turned out to be a busy day for most of those who normally volunteer in lab.  The day started out with only Linda and Carol in the lab working on Swann Site Unit 10 Level 1 - Linda washing the remaining artifacts, and Carol trying to merge/separate artifacts from three trays/bags.  Before lunch Pat joined us and also talked about her recent archaeological volunteering on a site in Wales.  Elsie stopped by near the end of the day just to touch base.

Small ceramic sherds
Monday July 15 was too hot to be outside, so we were in lab but at two different Port Tobacco locations.  Over at the Courthouse work continued on sorting and cataloging artifacts recovered from BF1-BF during the ca 1970's excavations at Port Tobacco.  Mary and Linda were working on glass while Linda and Carol were working on ceramics.  There were hundreds of BF1-BF artifacts to be processed.  Note: We moved downstairs after lunch since the air conditioning upstairs wasn't working. 
At Burch House Claudia sorted and bagged artifacts while Kyle and Jadyn washed additional Swann Site artifacts.  We decided to feature a selection of small decorated ceramics as the "artifact" of the day.  Most are painted earthenware sherds.  The center piece is stoneware (Nottingham).

Worked Chert
Monday July 8 CCASM members Linda, Evelyn, Peggy, and Carol were at Burch House while four other volunteers were working with Esther to finish up at the Swann Site until it gets cooler.  After lunch they were joined by Denise as well as Kyle and Jayden who came in from the field (it was getting way too hot).  It was Kyle's and Jayden's first time in the lab.  We were all either washing or sorting/bagging artifacts from the Swann Site.  These artifacts included a lot of brick fragments and fire-cracked rocks as well as small pieces of ceramics and glass.  Even with all these artifacts it was hard to find one for the artifact of the day.  We finally chose this piece of black chert with interesting flake scars as the artifact of the day.

 

September 29, 2024

2024 MHT Workshop in Archaeology

The 33rd Annual Maryland Historical Trust Workshop in Archeology was held in Crownsville, MD, on Saturday September 28, and as its name implies this year there were a number of workshops. 

The keynote speaker was Dr. Stephen Brighton who is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Maryland.  Dr. Brighton talked about the Irish Diaspora in the United States, specifically in Texas, MD, and the archaeological investigations he is doing in rural Ireland.  The talk was entitled "Uncovering Hidden Worlds: The Science and Craft of Doing Archaeology".

Since this was a Workshop in Archaeology, the keynote address was followed by a number of workshops.  Since many were held concurrently, it was often a hard choice on which one to attend.

  • Conventional Documentation of Archaeological Resources: Recording Structures
    Troy Nowak    
  • The Basics of Survey and Mapmaking for the Avocational Archaeologist
    Matthew McKnight.     
  • Reading Historical Documents: Hints for Transcription
                
    Pat Melville.  
  • Perishables Revealed: Recording Textile Impressions on Potsherds
                
    Lynne Bulhack.   
  • An Introduction to the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) Library
     Lara Westwood
  • It's Not Just a Magic Box: Understanding GPR
                
    David Givens
  • Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) of Artifacts
                
    Scott Strickland   
  • CAT Workshop — Ethics & the Law in Archaeology - Parts I and II
    Zachary Singer and Stephanie Soder

CCASM Members


CCASM members attending included Peggy, Linda, and Carol.

CCASM is a chapter of ASM.
(Thanks to Pat M for taking photo,)

Click for program and more details about talks/workshops

 

September 21, 2024

Colonial Chesapeake Taverns

Rod Cofield

After a meeting hiatus for the summer CCASM met on September 19 to hear Rod Cofield talk about colonial taverns in the Chesapeake.  Rod shared historic documents that gave us a glimpse into taverns and tavern life in the Cheasapeke during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.  We learned the cost of various beverages and also that sharing a bed or stabling a horse actually cost about the same as a quart of cider, the cheapest drink, at one tavern.  It's always interesting to see actual ledgers associated with actual people.

 

Rod Cofield is the Executive Director of Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. 

This was our second hybrid Zoom/in-person meeting where the speaker also attended via Zoom.  There were a few hiccups at first, but then everything started working.  Thanks to Jim for using his account to set up the Zoom meeting.

Before the Meeting - Setting up and Catching up

Attendance: 15 (including 3 via Zoom)

 


September 16, 2024

Investigating the James Swann Site -2024

CCASM and other Monday volunteers are working with Esther Read to continue the investigation of the James Swann Site that is now owned by Charles County.  James Swann was a "free man of color" (believed to be Native American) that acquired land in Port Tobacco in 1840's and operated a tavern and oyster house in the village for almost twenty-five years. 

Check Public Archaeology Lab Days post for weekday schedule and Public Archeology days;

Monday September 16 Denise, Carol, and Esther returned to the site to continue toweling the plow scars in three units.  We are seeing several post mold outlines as well as what might be individual post holes.  Lots of possible scenarios.  We will just need to keep investigating.

The weekend of September 14 and 15 was a great time to be in the field.  On Saturday morning Carol and Esther were joined be Tiara, Ann, Kim, and Ella.  Tiara has volunteered before and helped Ann, Kim, and Ella open up a new unit.  Carol troweled while Esther drew unit profiles and talked to several visitors to the site.
On Sunday it was another nice day.  Tim joined Denise and Carol to trowel plow scars in hope the scars were obscuring other more interesting features.  Esther continued documenting - a never ending task.

Opening a new unit
(with three first timers)
Troweling plow scars
(and documenting)

Finally a day that was not too hot.  Monday September 9 Elsie, Carol, Malinda, and Jadyn were in the field at the Swann Site while Denise worked in the lab at Burch House.  Elsie, Carol, and Jadyn troweled while Malinda screened.  It was Jadyn's first time troweling.  The purpose of troweling is to help us see soil color changes in the floor of the unit, and this unit had a lot going on that we haven't figured out yet. Esther continued drawing profiles for previous units.  Documentation seems to be a never ending task.

Troweling
The lone screener

Although Monday July 8 was really hot, Esther with CCASM members Denise and Mary as well as two newer volunteers Kyle and Jadyn were in the field to get Unit eleven, Level 1 to a stopping point until the weather becomes less hot and we can work on the site again. They were able to finish cleaning up the level and straightening the sides by lunch time.  In the afternoon they decided to work in the air-conditioned lab.  Esther will still need to come out to do the drawings, probably in the mornings when it is not as hot.

Monday July 1 turned out to be a really nice day - much cooler than it had been in weeks.  So, of course, everyone decided to be in the field at the Swann Site.  Claudia, Linda, and Carol screened.  Initially Denise helped with the shoveling, and Ned helped wherever he was needed.  In the afternoon everyone ended up screening since there were so many buckets of soil needing to be screened. 

We found a number of small interesting ceramics but chose this dirty gray stoneware sherd as the artifact of the day.  Some of the glaze appears to be slightly brown.  We will need to wash it to see if it is glaze or just dirt.  (Update: after washing could definitely identify it as a piece of English brown stoneware.)

Stoneware Sherd
Looking for artifacts in the shade on a nice day
 
 
Monday June 24 was another hot and Esther decided to limit the number of people in the field.  CASSM members Ned and Mary along with new volunteers Kyle and Rosanna continued to work on the unit.  They started around 10 and stopped around 12:30 in order to take advantage of the cooler(?) temperatures in the morning.  Esther thinks one more day is needed to close the unit for the summer.

The temperature was predicted to be in the nineties on Monday June 17, so most of the volunteers decided to work in the lab.  Ned and Esther were joined by two younger volunteers, Kyle and Noah, who shoveled soil from the latest test unit in the morning.  Kyle’s sister took photos before helping Ned with sifting in the morning.  The soil had such hard dry lumps that it required frequent spraying with water so that hard lumps could be broken to go through the screen.  After lunch Kyle, Noah, Esther, and Ned all did screening.

Thanks to Ned for the information.

Even though we had just spent two days in the field, on Monday June 3 Linda, Mary, and Claudia volunteered with Esther at the site.  They were joined by two new volunteers--Rosanna and Kyle Swann.  Esther opened a new unit where the bottle seal had been found.  She thinks the seal may belong to Daniel St Thomas Jenifer.
At lunch time Ned dropped by.  He and Mary drove Claudia and the two Swann family volunteers to see Dr King's site at Chapel Point, and everyone got a tour of the site.
 
Glass Bottle Seal
Two Public Archaeology Days were held the weekend of June 1 and 2.  Saturday was a slow day since so many other activities were going on that day.  Still Ned and Denise enjoyed working with Esther on the site.  On Sunday Denise, Mary, Ned, Steve, Frank, and Carol volunteered.  During the day four members of the public joined us to help screen and even do a little troweling.  While most of us worked on two of the open units, Mary assisted Steve as he metal detected around the units looking for nails (iron). While verifying what had been detected, they found a wine bottle seal fragment.  The fragment had partial initials of "T" and "I".  So of course, it was chosen as the artifact of the day.  Now we need to research to find an individual living in or near Port Tobacco with those initials

What did metal detector find?
Just looking
That looks interesting

Metal Artifact
On Monday May 20 we continued working on the unit that had been opened on Sunday.  Claudia, Elsie, Mary, Kathy, Carol, and Malinda screened with Denise helping with the screening when she was not flat shoveling.  Esther finally got a chance to do the drawings.  We chose this metal object that was recovered from the new unit as the artifact of the day.  We do not know what it is, but it is interesting.  We also recovered a vareity of other artifacts - everything from small flakes to green edged ware rims.
Lots of screeners needed
Documenting Units

Public Archaeology was planned for the weekend of May 18 and 19.  The weather was not that cooperative, and we could not be out in the field on Saturday.  However, Sunday turned out to be a nice day to do public archaeology.  Steve dug (a lot) while Denise, Elsie, Doug, and Linda screened.  Visitors included Jesse Swann (who also helped the screeners)along with his wife and his daughter.  Jesse's family have a connection to the site.
(Thanks to Elsie for the update.)

Monday April 15 (Tax Day) turned out to one of the warmest days so far this year.  We decided to quit early when we finished the current unit rather than starting a new unit.  Denise dug and helped Esther as Esther troweled and completed the unit.  Claudia, Mary, Elsie, Linda, and Carol screened.  The screeners got the tent.

Screeners shaded by the tent
Lots of sun for those in the field

We returned to the site Monday April 8 and continued excavating the new unit.  It's amazing how many buckets of soil needing to be screened that one person digging can generate.  Denise did most of the digging while Esther cleaned up and documented.  Tim joined  CCASM members Claudia, Elsie, Linda, Gary, Mary, and Carol to screen.  With all the other historic and Native American artifacts we found another projectile point (Piscataway).

We stopped around 2pm to have a solar eclipse viewing party. Linda brought snacks.

Lots to screen.  Luckily there lots of
people here to screen
Taking a break or
giving the screeners a chance to catch up?

Sunday April 7 ten people (including six CCASM members and two of Esther's former students) joined Esther at the Swann Site for a Public Archaeology Day.  It was another beautiful but somewhat balmy day.  Excavation of the first level of the partial unit with a possible post hole was completed, and another unit to the south was opened.  We recovered historic artifacts - bricks, ceramics, glassware, pipe stems, rosehead nails, gun flint, ... and Native American Ceramics - fire cracked rocks, flakes, and one complete stemmed projectile point.  CCASM members helping were Mary, Elsie, Denise, Claudia, Carol, and Jim.

Checking out post hole/mold

How did one partial unit generate
so much soil?


Earthenware Sherd

 Whenever it is sunny and not too hot we plan to be in the field at the Swann Site on Mondays.  Monday March 25 was one of those days. Esther dug part of the west half of the open unit with a post hole.  The dirt kept Elsie, Denise, Pat, Carol, and Malinda busy screening until past our usual quitting time.   There were a number of historic and indigenous artifacts recovered in the screen- ceramics, glass, nails, brick, flakes,... 
We chose one of the larger fragments that was not a brick as the artifact of the day.  It was an early lead glazed red earthenware sherd.

More hands make screening go faster

Monday March 18 was a nice but windy day to be in the field.  Esther with help from Elsie continued excavating the partial unit and found two post holes.  In the morning Claudia, Carol, and Malinda screened while Ned cleaned off the area north of foundation in preparation for a future unit there.  In the afternoon Malinda joined Mary and Linda in the lab and Elsie helped with the screening.  We were finding historic and native American artifacts.

Trying to pry buckets apart
(Took a really long time)
Screening on a windy day
Clinched Rose-head Nail

 

Monday March 4 turned out to be another nice day to be in the field.  Ned with some help from Cal, a new Charles County Planning employee, excavated a partial unit on the west side of the open units to look for another post mold.  Claudia, Elsie, Linda, Carol, and Cal screened. 
We ended up choosing this clinched Rose-head Nail as the artifact of the day.  It is on a dirty overturned plastic bucket; the only light colored background we could find.

Ned starting partial unit
Screening
More Screening

On a beautiful Monday (February 26) several of us returned to the Swann Site to work on completing a unit while others worked inside in the lab.  Elsie and Mary worked with Esther to clean up the bottom of the unit so the features in the bottom of the unit could be documented.  Ned and Peggy helped but also worked on cleaning up the site for us to return soon.

Cleaning bottom of unit

Post mold excavated

Screening newly excavated dirt
into another completed unit

Thanks to Ned for the photos. 

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Investing the James Swann Site -2023