CCASM and other Monday volunteers are working with Esther Read to continue the investigation of the James Swann Site that is now owned by Charles County. James Swann was a "free man of color" (believed to be Native American) that acquired land in Port Tobacco in 1840's and operated a tavern and oyster house in the village for almost twenty-five years.
Check Public Archaeology Lab Days post for weekday schedule.
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| Tobacco Pipe Bowl Fragment |
Monday November 24 was our regular day to be at Port Tobacco, and everyone was at the Swann Site. It was one of those nice days to be outside. Linda, Denise, and Carol along with Esther troweled most of the two plow scars in the northwest unit. It was Linda's first time to trowel, and her plow scar had nails, window glass, white ceramics, as well as a tobacco bowl fragment that we chose as the artifact of the day. This fragment would have been from on early nineteenth century tobacco pipe. (Sorry, the only examples I found had additional molded decorations around the top.)
The other plow scar didn't have any nails but did have window glass, bottle glass, and a number of fire cracked rocks. We also found some flakes in both plow scars. Malinda, Kathy, and later on Linda screened, and they could tell you more about what was found.
November 23 was another Public Archaeology Sunday at the Swann Site. It was supposed to be a Public Archaeology Weekend, but it rained on Saturday. It started off hazy but then the sun came out and it was really nice. We continued to work on the current northwest unit to take it down to subsoil. Some of our regular volunteers - Denise, Carol, and Linda - were joined by a new person volunteering - Stephen. Esther showed Stephen how to flat shovel, and the two of them provided lots of soil for the rest of us to screen. The largest piece we found was this kick up from a olive green wine bottle. So it was designated the artifact of the day.
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| Wine Bottle Kick Up |
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| Looking for Artifacts |
October 25 and 26 was another Public Archaeology Weekend at the Swann Site and the weather was great. It was a little chilly but great for being outdoors. Esther continued working on a recently opened unit on the northwest of the area. If you noticed the disconnect between this statement and the picture from June 29, that is because when more people are in lab than in the field (e.g. Aug 11 and Sept 29), the field information is included with the lab post.
Linda, Elsie, and Carol were there both days to screen and look for artifacts, and there were lots of small artifacts. On Sunday Linda found the "artifact of the day. It was a decorated white tobacco pipe bowl with a Fleur-di-lei or a cross(?).
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| Looking for Artifacts |
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| Decorated Pipe Bowl Fragment |
June 28 and 29 was to have been a Public Archaeology Weekend at the Swann Site, but the weather didn't cooperate. It was too hot. We left early on Saturday and Esther cancelled Sunday. Saturday morning wasn't that bad. Ned, Denise, Linda, and Carol joined Esther on Saturday June 28 at the Site and cleaned up the floors of several units to get a better idea of what was going on in the units. Even though we weren't removing that much soil, we still found small fragments of ceramics and glass.
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| Cleaning up floors |
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| Screening what was found |
Thanks to Ned for sending additional photos.June 9 we returned to the Swann Site after taking time off for the ASM Field Session at Maxwell Hall Equestrian Park. We started cleaning up the floor in three units as we try to follow up on possible post holes for a building. Denise, Carol, Cal, and Esther troweled in the shade of tent. Cal indicated he may be joining us more often. Linda, Malinda, Kathy, and ChiChi screened in the shade of the trees. Kathy had invited ChiCHi to visit with us, and ChiChi volunteered to help. It's always interesting to meet new people and to introduce them to the site.
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| Those Troweling |
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| Those Screening |
Monday May 19 was a beautiful day to be in the field at the Swann Site. We were even serenaded by a Orchard Oriole. Esther continued excavating Unit 13. Elsie, Claudia, Kathy, Carol, Linda (morning), and Claudia (afternoon) screened and looked for artifacts. The artifacts today were similar to what we found last week, but there were also nails and possibly more flakes.
Monday May 12 was a great day to be in the field at the Swann Site. Denise shaded by a canopy shoveled soil from the new unit while shaded by the tress Elsie, Kathy, Linda, Malinda, and Carol screened the soil. Since this was in the plow zone, we found smaller fragments -- bricks, ceramics (various types), glass (olive green and clear), bifaces, flakes, and fire-cracked rocks.
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| End of Day- Folding up Screen |
The Public Archaeology Day planned for May 4 was cancelled due to rain.
Thanks to Denise and Elsie for the info.
Monday April 21 Denise, Malinda, Kathy, and Carol were in the field at the Swann Site with Esther. Denise opened up a new unit, and at some point during the day everyone got a chance to help screening. Carol did a profile drawing of the north wall of one of the units. Kathy got to hold the stadia rod for Esther as Esther shot in the coordinates of the various units.
Finally a nice day so we could be in the field at the Swann Site. Monday April 14 Elsie, Carol, and Malinda joined Esther to start cleaning up units that had been under black plastic since last fall. We cleaned up walls in three units and lightly troweled another unit so it could be photographed. We are getting ready for a Public Archaeology Weekend May 3-4. In this area we are chasing post molds/holes for a possible early post-in-ground building.
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Investing the James Swann Site -2024
Investing the James Swann Site -2023
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