1985 Field Session at Popes Creek

This year's theme for Maryland Archaeology Month is "Partners in Pursuit of the Past: 50 Field Sessions in Maryland Archeology".  The theme is highlighting the those involved in the Fields Sessions sponsored by the Archeological Society of Maryland(ASM) and the Maryland Historical Trust (previously the Maryland Geographical Survey Department of Archaeology). 

Five of the Field Sessions (three sites) investigated were in Charles County: 1985 (Popes Creek); 1988, 1989 (Chapel Point); and 2008, 2009 (Port Tobacco).  Let's look at each of these sites starting with Popes Creek.

Popes Creek(18CH74)
The Popes Creek Site is an Early Archaic through Late Woodland site containing a large shell midden and a late 19th century lime kiln.  The site and its deposits were described by William Henry Holmes in 1907. 

In 1985 ASM and the Maryland Geographical Survey Division of Archaeology (MGS) conducted a ten-day Field Session at the site with the investigation led by Joe McNamara.   Forty-seven 1m x 1m contiguous excavation units in two areas of the upper terrace were excavated.  

Since we are highlighting partnerships, here are some photos of people participating in the Fields Session.  (Sorry, can't identify the people in the photos.  Can you?  Remember it's 1985.)

Source: MHT Office of Archeology

Source: MHT Office of Archeology

Source: MHT Office of Archeology

Source: MHT Office of Archeology

Source: MHT Office of Archeology

To see an overview of all Field Sessions - https://mdarchaeology.github.io/Annual-Field-Sessions/
(Note: only forty-nine are listed since the fiftieth is to be some time this year -hopefully.)