2020 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Sep-Dec)

CCASM has been working with Charles County at the ongoing Public Archaeology Lab for a number of years.  The lab is for processing artifacts recovered from various archaeology initiatives in Charles County -  including processing artifacts recovered from savage archaeology in the County as well as those recovered in the 1970's around the Port Tobacco Courthouse.  Esther Read is the archaeologist in charge.

Health precautions:  Following guidelines for Charles County Phase 3 reopening.
Masks required.  Social distancing maintained.  Temperature taken before allowed to participate.  (Wipes, hand sanitizers, ... provided by County.)

Location: Courthouse and Burch House (both inside and outside) in Historic Port Tobacco Village  map

Next dates: 
Currently no public labs scheduled but independent work on projects can continue.

Although it was not a scheduled lab day Elsie, Linda, Mary, and Esther met at Burch House on Friday December 18.  There were washed artifacts still in drying trays that needed to be bagged.  Also Esther had finally received archival supplies needed to pack and store a collection of bottles and stoneware that had been donated by Scott Laurence a number of years ago and needed to replace the Hollinger archival cardboard boxes storing the 2007+ collection stored in the Burch House attic.  They were able to rehouse most of the artifacts in coroplast archival boxes.  Still a few more boxes to go.  Elsie and Mary took away all the cardboard for recycling.  A lot of effort had been made to address the mold problem at Burch House, and the removal of cardboard from the building was to help ensure it didn't recur.

Starting in December volunteers can determine which Mondays, if any, to continue to work on their projects.  Linda and Carol can continue to work on cataloging artifacts on the second floor of the Courthouse.  Elsie and Mary can continue to work on the 2007-9 excavation paperwork on the first floor of the Courthouse.  Julie and Denise can continue to work at Burch House either washing artifacts or working on the objects in the attic.  And as always, this is subject to change.

 

November 30 Carol and Linda continued to catalog ceramic artifacts from the North South Trench, but forgot to identify an artifact of the day.  Elsie and Esther worked on paperwork related to the artifacts from the 2007-9 Port Tobacco excavations -- so no artifacts to photograph.  

At the November 16 Lab Elsie and Mary worked on paperwork while Denise and Linda washed and sorted artifacts. 

They choose this interesting English Brown Stoneware rim that had been stamped with "WR" as the artifact of the day.  An English Act passed in 1700 during the reign of William III required vessels used for the sale of beer or ale to be stamped with an impressed "WR" mark to designate the vessel conformed to standard capacities--either a pint or a quart.

 

Rather than working in the Lab on November 9 we decided to continue work on mapping the Alexandria United Methodist Church cemetery (see Helping With "So As Not to Forget" Project - A Continuation )

On November 2 we divided into three groups.  For the artifacts from the 1970's Port Tobacco excavations Linda and Carol cataloged artifacts in the Courthouse while Julie bagged washed artifacts at Burch House.  For the boxes of artifacts from the 2007-2010 Port Tobacco excavations Mary and Elsie moved back and forth between the boxes in the attic of Burch House and Gibb's field notes in the Courthouse. 
For the artifact of the day we decided it was time for something that was not ceramic or glass and choose this nice gun flint.

October 26 Linda, Denise, Julie, and Carol along with Esther were back in the lab. Denise and Julie bagged artifacts in Burch House.   Linda identified and separated artifacts while Carol worked on the computer in the Courthouse. Plenty of space to social distance. We identified this finial from a teapot lid as the artifact of the day.

As an aside, the field notes from the work done in Area B Feature 1 (BF1) were found in a cardboard box off site.  (It's amazing what you find when you have to stay home and decide to clean out storage areas.)  Now we know the location of the different units within this feature as well as information on the levels within each unit.

Even though it didn't rain, the October 19 day in the field at Rich Hill had to be cancelled due to a cat and a broken little toe.

October 5 was a beautiful day to be outside.  Mary, Denise, Julie, and Elsie took advantage of that on their first day of actually working in the lab.  They washed artifacts on the picnic tables behind Burch House.  Among the artifacts washed was this 17th century Staffordshire slipware rim sherd with a scalloped edge.  It was found in BF1-2-6 along with other sherds including three 18th century  "Tortoiseshell" Whieldon ware sherds and three Buckley sherds.
Thanks to Elsie for the photo and the information.

September 28 Linda, Mary, Denise, Carol, and Esther continued getting ready to start up lab.  Additional deteriorating bags of artifacts were brought down from the Port Tobacco Courthouse attic.  The artifacts were put into more substantial bags and taken to Burch House where they will be washed.  We determined where we left off with the cataloging and set up two socially distanced workstations to continue cataloging artifacts on the second floor of the Courthouse.  We are now ready to start.

September 21 Linda, Elsie, Mary, Julie, and Carol met with Esther in Port Tobacco Village to get ready to start lab again.  With our masks on we divided into two groups to attack moving and cleaning chores.

Working with SRPT Charles County had addressed the mold problem in Burch House.  Also SRPT had had the interior re-plastered and painted.  In the process things in the archaeology lab had been moved.  These items were moved back.  Also the archaeology boxes in the attic were counted.  The mold could not be completely removed from the cardboard boxes, and the boxes will have to be replaced.

Also in order for there to be more room to social distance in Burch House, equipment used when in the field, e.g. shovels, toolbox, buckets, needed to be removed from Burch House.   The designated shed near Stagg Hall was cleaned out to provide a place for archaeological equipment.

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

Archaeological Signature of American Taverns

Laura Masur

At the December 10 CCASM Zoom meeting Laura Masur spoke about Beyond the Urban-Rural Divide: The Archaeological 'Signature' of American Taverns.  We normally expect a tavern site to have remains of drinking vessels – wine bottles, wine glasses, mugs – and loads of tobacco pipes.  But Laura described a project she worked on several years ago that made her rethink what to expect when digging a tavern.  She realized that what is found at a tavern site can depend on 
  - Time: Changes in material culture in material culture from 17th to 19th centuries
  - Location: Urban, rural, stagecoach route, fishing outpost, community center, ...
  - Specialization: Farmstead tavern, hosting guests, serving food, ...

What we normally expect to see at tavern site

Laura Masur is an Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, The Catholic University of America. 
Her current project is Priestly Plantations: An Archaeology of Jesuit Missions in British North America.  In 2021 she will be working at Webster Field (geophysical survey) and in 2022 plans are to work at Newtowne. 

A snapshot of a few of those listening to the talk -

Attendance: 12