Processing Native American Site Artifacts - Part 2

Once the artifacts have been removed from the ground the work has just begun.  The artifacts have to be washed and later sorted, counted, and cataloged.  Only then can we begin to try to understand what they are telling us.

AT LAST!!  Tuesday Dec 10 Carol sorted and counted the remaining artifacts.  We still need to enter the information into the catalog (Excel spreadsheet).  So far over 11,000 artifacts have been entered into the catalog, and there are several thousand waiting to be entered.  Of these about 2700 were from the STPs.

Thanks to Peggy, Elsie, Joshua, Jim S, Barbara K, and Carol for all their work processing the artifacts from the test units.  

Also thanks to Elsie, Peggy, Steve, Rich, Joshua, Barbara R, Carol S, Barbara K, and Carol C for all their work on the artifacts from the STPs. 

Dec 5 Peggy and Carol processed three more bags.  Normally I don't include photos of artifacts, but we found what appears to be a stone bead.  If so, it is the first one we have found here.  For those familiar with the site it was near the bottom of Stratum 3 in Unit 2.  The artifact was placed inside a 1 cm square and photographed using a digital microscope.  We were unable to remove all the dirt.  Let us know what you think it is.  (Jim said it was probably natural, but he would need to see it.)

On Nov 21 Peggy and Carol finished three more bags.  We are getting there.  And we also took time to look at the fish.  Carol pointed out that the blue gouramis were in breeding colors.  Nice.

Elsie and Carol were at it again on Nov 7.  The clock had not been reset, and we stopped thirty minutes early.  But we still got a lot done and actually learned a little more about identifying flakes.

Elsie and Carol finished another three bags of artifacts on Oct 31.  And we finally got a photo of Elsie working.

Oct 24 it was just Peggy and Carol processing the artifacts.  We finished three bags, but there was plenty of time to watch the Canada Geese on the river.

Elsie, Peggy, and Carol continued counting and measuring the artifacts Oct 17.  Also we looked at a manual describing various lithics.  And there is always something interesting to talk about.

Oct 3 Elsie, Jim, and Carol were back sorting and counting artifacts that included a couple of projectile points as well as several mend-able pottery sherds.  Carol showed off her first attempt to make pottery - not that great.  But the pot had been made from clay obtained near the site and had been fired in an open fire.  

We have finished washing all the artifacts!!  At the Sept 26 lab Peggy, Joshua, and Carol washed all the remaining artifacts (in the 3 buckets shown with the Aug 22 lab).   We came up with a different way to wash all the fire cracked rocks found in the FCR feature. 

And here are the final artifacts that needed to be washed. 

On Sept 19 Peggy and Carol continued the work.  Of interest was a possible knife - quite nice.  And Peggy brought figs to share.

Everyone working in the lab Sept 5 got an eggplant to take home.  Just one of the perks of helping process the artifacts.  Also it's always fun to hear what everyone is doing (besides archaeology).  Jim, Peggy, Elsie, and Carol counted and weighed artifacts from six strata/levels.  The work progresses.

Partially Processed

Needs to be Washed

Finally on Aug 22 we finished presorting all the remaining washed artifacts.   Now we only need to count and weigh them (and maybe recheck the sorting).

Then we will still have a few more small bags to wash.  Not that much.  At least there will be no box flats on the floor to weave around while our company is here.

A photo of the artifacts we have already processed was not included, but there are four crates with bags of sorted, counted, and weighed artifacts from the test units as well as nine boxes of processed and cataloged artifacts from the STPs.

On Thursday Aug 8 Josh joined Carol and Elsie as we continued to work on the learning about the artifacts - especially about the pottery.

Carol and Elsie worked on the collection Thursday July 25.  We are now dividing the process into two parts.  Carol was doing the initial sorting and bagging.  Then Elsie did the final sorting, counting, and weighing.  It makes it seem like we are accomplishing more.  Also it turned out to be a better learning experience.

For the Saturday July 13 lab day see Washing Native American Site Artifacts

Thursday June 13 Peggy, Jim, and Carol spent one more morning sorting and counting one of the larger unit/stratum.  The number of washed artifacts that need to be sorted, counted, etc. has been greatly reduced and has freed up 'drying' space needed by artifacts yet to be washed.  We still have several buckets of artifacts that need to be washed.

I finally remembered to take a photo on a day that Elsie volunteered.  Thursday June 6 Elsie along with Jim, Josh, and Carol processed artifacts.  It took us a little while to get back in the swing, but we ended up completing four unit/stratum.

Peggy and Carol were back at it on May 23, but this time they were sorting and counting the artifacts.  They were able to process two unit/stratum.

On May 16 once again it was just Peggy and Carol.  We were able to complete one of the larger unit/stratum as well as Feature 2 (upper level). 

Jim, a new CCASM member, joined Peggy, Josh, and Carol in washing artifacts on May 9.  We washed the artifacts recovered from Unit 10,  the unit we had excavated in a new area, in order to get a better feel for that area.  And we had time to wash artifacts from several other unit/ strata.  Also it was interesting to share stories of far away lands.  Later while moving the washed artifacts, I discovered one partial fish scale.  Due to the soil acidity, we have not been finding much faunal material-maybe one or two shells.  

On April 25 we washed several unit/strata that had fewer artifacts.  Elsie, Peggy, Josh, and Carol got a lot done.  It seemed to go faster than previous times.  (For some reason I keep forgetting to take pictures the days Elsie volunteers.  Maybe next time I will remember.)

It was just Peggy and Carol on April 4.  (I had forgotten to update the dates until late Wednesday.)  Even so we were able to complete all of Unit 2, stratum 2.  We are still working on the strata where the washed artifacts needed two "drying" boxes.  

On Thursday March 28 Elsie, Peggy, Josh, and Carol worked on Unit 2, stratum 2.  It took almost four hours to sort and count all of the artifacts in this stratum.  However, part of the time we were actually trying to learn more about identifying the various artifacts.

At some point the artifacts that are washed need to be sorted, counted, and weighed so they can be cataloged.  On Thursday March 21 Peggy, Josh, and Carol worked on one stratum - Unit 5, stratum 2 - and after about three hours they almost finished.   There were hundreds of flakes.  Of course, there is always time to check things out.  Josh matched a point tip from this unit/stratum with a base from Unit 4, stratum 2.  The northwest corner of Unit 4 is the southeast corner of Unit 5, so the units are close.

Peggy, Elsie, and Carol continued washing artifacts on Thursday Feb 28.  It's interesting to get a better look at what is being found even though it does take a long time to wash all those flakes.

On Thursday Feb 21 Peggy and Carol started washing the artifacts recovered from the excavation units.  Bags from three of the nine unit/strata were washed.  The boxes in the picture contain the washed artifacts from one stratum.  One box only contains fire cracked rock.  The other box has the pottery sherds, projectile points, and other lithics including lots and lots of small tertiary flakes.