Having Tea Among the Excavations?

Not all of our volunteering at the Burch House involves digging and screening dirt.  May 27 everyone participating was treated to Tea by CCAS member Jane Keller.  Jane not only provided tea made in her great-grandmother's tea kettle, she made scones (real ones), cookies, and cucumber sandwiches.

Attending the ASM 2010 Field Session

The Archeological Society of Maryland (ASM) 2010 Field Session was held May 14-24 at the Smith's St. Leonard Site located at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in Calvert County.  This site is the home lot of a tobacco plantation occupied during the first half of the 18th Century.

This was a great opportunity to dig, screen, and wash artifacts in the field as well as to meet others with an interest in archeology.   Also several special workshops were offered.  For more about the Field Session see 2010 ASM Field Session

Belinda

CCAS member Belinda Urquiza is shown screening at the Field Session.

On Tuesday MAC Lab Conservator Nichole Doub conducted a workshop on how to lift artifacts in the field.  Below Nichole is watching CCAS member Carol Cowherd and ASM member Susan Bocci lift a flat object they have backed to keep the object together.  Also pictured is Carol holding up a broken flower pot that she and Susan have bandaged.

Carol, Susan, Nichole
Carol

Elsie

On Wednesday MAC Lab Director Dr. Patricia Samford conducted a workshop on identifying Colonial and Post-Colonial ceramics.  CCAS member Elsie Picyk is holding a piece of edged creamware during the workshop.

Washing Artifacts at Port Tobacco Restoration Society Market Day

On May 15 members of CCAS washed artifacts discovered during the recent excavations at the Burch House.  Jim Gibb and Scott Lawrence of PTAP provided the equipment and also helped with the washing. This was part of the first Port Tobacco Restoration Society Market Day.

Carole, Carol, Elsie, Cathy, Jane, Dan

Pictured above are CCAS members Carole Raucheisen, Carol Cowherd, Elsie Picyk, Jane Keller, and Dan Keller along with Cathy Thompson, Charles County Preservation Planner.  CCAS member Steve Lohr also participated.

Learning to Identify Flakes

At the May 11 CCAS meeting, Dr. James Gibb presented "A Workshop on Stone Tool Making".   Below members and guests are learning to identify different types of flakes.  We tend to recognize projectile points, but we also need to be able to recognize the flakes created when a projectile point was made.