2023 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)

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.

Starting Monday April 3 we were in the field at the James Swann Site unless it is raining or ... 
see  Investigating James Swann Site

Cleve & Steve bottle fragment

On May 22 CCASM members Linda, Elsie, Peggy, Kathy, and Carol were joined by Malinda to finish washing artifacts from the blacksmith site "bottle dump" and to continue washing the artifacts being recovered from the Swann Site. Actually Peggy brushed, rahter than washed, any metal artifacts we found in the bags.
We chose this amber colored bottle fragment as the artifact of the day.  The fragment was embossed with the letters "CLEVE & ...  / NOVEMBER 8TH 92 / MARCH 4TH 93".  There was another another amber colored bottle fragment with a rooster on it.  It turns out they were part of the same bottle.  During Grover Cleveland's 1892 Presidential campaign, amber barrel half-pint and pint flasks were produced to promote Cleveland (Cleve) and Adlai E. Stevenson (Steve).  The rooster was the symbol for the Democratic Party in some Midwestern states.  These bottle fragments were found in the North Port Tobacco blacksmith "bottle dump".

Sontag & Sons cup

In the morning of May 8, while the others were helping with a school group tour, Mary, Denise, and Claudia worked in the lab at Burch House.  After lunch they were joined by Elsie, Linda, Malinda, Carol, and Esther.  Some worked on the Maxwell Hall artifact bags.  Others worked on washing artifacts from the barrel found in the fireplace area of the Swann Site.  And the rest worked on washing artifacts from the "bottle dump" at the blacksmith site.  These latter two sites are both in Port Tobacco.
We chose these porcelain cup sherds from the blacksmith site "bottle dump" as the artifact for the day.  The maker's marlfound on the bottom of the cup was used by the Sontag & Sons porcelain factory from 1887 to 1902.  The factory was in Tettau, Bavaria, Germany.

Bottom Tool for
Anvil Hardy Hole

 

Similar Bottom Tools
as well as Top Tools

On May 1 the Swann Site was too muddy for us to dig.  Before lab CCASM members Linda, Elsie, Ned, and Denise assisted Esther with visits by an elementary school group.  Later at Burch House CCASM members Mary, Linda, and Denise were joined by Claudia to wash, sort, and bag the last of the artifacts from Maxwell Hall.  Other CCASM members Peggy, Ned, and Elsie were outside brushing rust off of metal artifacts from the Port Tobacco North blacksmith site.  After lunch Ned and Esther bailed out the water in the Swann units and may have added more black plastic to keep some other parts of the site dry for this weekend. 

And once again the artifact of the day came from the blacksmith site. It is a bottom tool that inserts into the square hardy hole in an anvil.  It is often used with a handled and matching top tool to shape tenons to a round shape.  It could still be used after light cleaning.  Ned provided a photo of two similar bottom tools that fit in the square hardy hole of anvils plus a top tool without handle and one that has a handle.

Esther had met with those in the Citizens Academy to get their input in how to better interpret, advertise, and show Black sites, cemeteries, and artifacts. She presented their suggestions to the CCASM volunteers during lunch at Burch House.

Thanks to Ned and Else for info (merged) and to Ned for photos.

Brass Object

March 27 we were once again at Burch House.  Ned, Elsie, and Denise (in the morning) worked outside removing what rust they could from the Port Tobacco North artifacts.  And among all the rusty artifacts they found the artifact of the day - this unidentified brass object.  It looks like there may have been a belt used to turn something that is now broken off.

Inside Linda, Claudia, Carol, and later Denise and Elsie worked on finishing up the washing of the artifacts recovered from around the Maxwell Hall House and started on sorting and bagging of the artifacts in the screen.  

Sorting using new
Light Stand

 
For those of you who have been to Burch House you will know that our lab room has one small window, no overhead lights, and just a couple of desk lights.  So sometimes sorting is a little difficult.  Now thanks to the light stand that Doug, one of our members, made that is no longer the case for at least one work station.  Doug also made the drying screen in the picture. 

 
 
March 20 while most of the volunteers were in the field at Maxwell Hall Equestrian Park, Linda and Claudia were in the lab washing oyster shells recovered from in front of Maxwell Hall (the house).

On March 13, a dreary Monday, we stayed inside and took inventory.  Ned and Peggy inventoried shovels and other field supplies that were kept in the Stagg Hall storage building. 

Embossed Glass Bottle Sherds

Linda and Claudia inventoried bags and lab supplies at Burch House.  Afterwards they started sorting and bagging the North Port Tobacco artifacts with the benefit of the better lighting in Burch House. Our lab has only one small window.  A simple fix was to upgrade the bulbs in the lamps to led ones.  A better fix was when Doug brought us a stand he had built to hold another light we had.  This really allowed us to see the artifacts in the tray. 
We choose these two pre-WWI glass bottle sherds as the artifact of the day.  One is embossed with "PATENTED" and "SEP ..... II".  The other is embossed with "SEPT.19.& NO".

Mary and Carol inventoried bags, cataloging supplies, and miscellaneous items in the lab area on the second floor of the PT Courthouse.  Interestingly there is a carriage with Sarven Patent hubs on the  second floor.  Ned was able to identify our unidentified Feb 28 artifact as part of a carriage fifth wheel.

Part of Fifth Wheel

Carriage

Although Esther was in the field at Maxwell Hall on Monday March 6, the lab was open.  Linda, Mary, Peggy, and Carol were joined by Danielle, an ASM Certified Archaeological Technician (CAT) program candidate.  One of the requirements to earn the CAT certificate is to volunteer at least 40 hrs in the lab, and Danielle is volunteering at various labs around the state.  It was another beautiful day to work outside.  We continued processing rusty iron artifacts, and we were able to finish washing the last of the artifacts recovered from over the forge at the North Port Tobacco Site.  Interestingly among all the shells and artifacts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we found fragments of a tin-glazed cup that was manufactured much earlier - before mid-eighteenth century.  There were four sherds with the larger one having the cup shape, and there were five pieces of glaze.  An ointment jar would also have that shape. We chose these sherds as the artifact of the day.

Tin-glazed sherds
and tin glaze fragments

Processing artifacts outside

Possible Lever
or Hopper Part

On Monday February 27 the lab was full.  Ron, a new volunteer,  joined Malinda, Kathy, Linda, and Carol washing and/or dry brushing artifacts inside Burch House.  Also inside Denise and Mary sorted and bagged the washed artifacts.  Elsie and Claudia worked outside brushing dirt and rust off of the metal artifacts.  Ned and Peggy joined them outside later in the afternoon.  Once again we choose a rusty artifact for the artifact of the day.  We aren't sure what it is.  We think it may be part of a lever, although a Facebook comment indicated it might be part of a hopper that is used to distribute seed.

On Monday February 13 Linda and Mary volunteered in the lab rather than being in the field at Maxwell Hall.  Linda cleaned oyster shells and glass while Mary sorted and bagged artifacts, mostly glass, that had been washed the previous week.  We didn't come up with an artifact of the day.  Maybe next time.

 

Sarven Patent Hub

Although Monday February 6 was overcast, it was still a good day for the Lab to be outdoors.  Ned, Elsie, Peggy, and Claudia worked outdoors  behind Burch House with some brushing off dirt and rust off artifacts and others brushing oyster shells or washing artifacts.  Denise, Malinda, and later Carol worked inside sorting and bagging any dried artifacts or else washing some of the really dirty artifacts.  All these artifacts were from the North Port Tobacco site.  Once again we chose one of the artifacts that Ned had identified as the artifact of the day.  The artifact of the day was this Sarven Patent Hub.

 

Shaft Coupling

Monday January 30 was one of those days that it's great to be outdoors - sunny and not too cold.  So we held the lab outdoors at Burch House and worked on artifacts recovered from the North Port Tobacco site.   Claudia brushed dirt off oyster shells while Peggy wash the other. non-metal artifacts.  Denise, Elsie, Ned, and Carol  brushed dirt and some rust from artifacts in one of the buckets.  We chose this carriage shaft coupling as the artifact of the day.  Ned identified it from an old Sears Roebuck Catalog.

Removing dirt from artifacts

Lots of food

Instead of lab on January 23 we had a party - a belated Christmas Party.   Esther brought the pizzas, and everyone else brought pot luck dishes.  Lots of food and a nice time to be together.

Ironstone Sherds
(Makers Marks)

Cast Iron Stove part

Monday January 9 was the first lab day in almost a month, and everyone seemed ready to come back.  First, we had to put up the Christmas decorations and throw out the dried up greenery, but then we got to work on the Port Tobacco Barn artifacts.  The site will now be referred to as the North Port Tobacco Site and has site number 18CH998.
(see Fieldwork for Village of Port Tobacco Green Parking Lot)

Denise, Linda, and Malinda worked inside Bruch House sorting the artifacts that were in the drying screens.  We chose these ironstone sherds with makers marks as the artifact of the day.  The Johnson Brothers mark dates from 1883-1913 and the Alfred Meaker mark is pre-1897.

It was a beautiful day to be outside.  Elsie, Claudia, and Mary dry brushed fragile oyster shells and washed other artifacts recovered from over the forge area.  
Ned, Peggy, and Carol dry brushed at least one bucket of rusty iron artifacts, and Ned attached flagging tape with possible id to those artifacts that he could identify.  In addition to a hub and bearings and possible carriage hardware, there were some cast iron stove pieces including a foot and what we think may be part of a stove door.  So maybe we have two artifacts of the day.

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