Investigating the James Swann Site - 2025

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.

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.

Wine Bottle Kick Up

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(?).

Looking for Artifacts

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.

Cleaning up floors

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.

Those Troweling

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.

End of Day-
Folding up Screen

Saturday May 3 was the first of two planned Public Archaeology Days at the Swann Site.  This coincided with the annual Port Tobacco Market Day held in front of the Port Tobacco Courthouse.  Esther Read, the archaeologist in charge, removed the bulkhead between several existing units and cleaned up the units by troweling.  Elsie and Denise got to screen the soil and to talk to visitors.  Four or five groups of visitors came over from Market Day for a tour of the site and to see what archaeologists do.  At the end of the day we covered the units with new black plastic to protect them until we can come again.
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.

 

----------------------
Investing the James Swann Site -2024
Investing the James Swann Site -2023

Thomas Mayr and Henry Sturdy Collections

Andrew Webster

At the November 20 CCASM Meeting Drew Webster talked about the Thomas Mayr and Henry Sturdy Collections that archaeologists with Anne Arundel County and the Lost Towns Project are processing.  So far, the team has identified around  one hundred registered archaeological sites represented in the collection, and looking at another hundred sites that may be unrecorded. 

The Thomas Mayr Collection is a large artifact collection representing decades of work by avocational archaeologists Thomas Mayr and Henry Sturdy.  Thomas Mayr collected large number of artifacts from a few sites in Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties.  Henry Sturdy collected a few artifacts from a lot of different sites including some in Charles County.  Drew asked for help in trying to identify some of the Charles County farms mentioned, and Ned, one of our members, indicated he could help.  

Andrew Webster is an archaeologist with Anne Arundel County and the Lost Towns Project.  His official title is Preservation Stewardship Program Manager for Anne Arundel County's Cultural Resources Section.

Although Drew presented via Zoom, seven members and two others met to listen to the talk at the Community Center.  Drew and four others were on Zoom.  This was our first time having a speaker via Zoom without Jim being in the room.  It actually worked quite well.

A positive for meeting in person is getting to talk with each other.  It turns out that the two visitors had property in Charles County and were finding artifacts eroding out of the bank.  So we spent a good deal of time looking at pictures and hearing about what they were finding.  Unlike many "collectors", they were photographing (think GPS location) and documenting what they were finding and also had contacted the MAC Lab.    

Some of those attending in person

Attendance: 14  (5 via Zoom)

Returning to Rich Hill - 2025

In 2021 a mid-nineteenth century Corn House was to be moved to Rich Hill, a historic property owned by Charles County, and we had to find an area away from the house where there were no artifacts.  Rich Hill-2021  We found that area and the Corn House was moved.  However, while looking for an area with no artifacts, we also found an area with artifacts - mostly nineteenth century.  This appears to be the location of a cabin. 

In 2025 Esther Read along with CCASM members and other volunteers returned to that site at Rich Hill to learn more about who might have occupied this cabin that was far from the main house but close to an old road.  If none of the artifacts found date after 1865, the cabin could have been a slave cabin.  If a number of artifacts found date after 1865 the cabin could have been used by former enslaved people but may also have previously been a slave cabin.  The Historical Society of Charles County has created a booklet "Say Their Names" with the names of all the known enslaved people associated with Rich Hill.

--------

Monday was a beautiful day even though it was somewhat chilly.  So, of course, we were outside at Rich Hill.   Esther continued to trowel the unit down while Elsie, Denise, Claudia, and Ned screened the soil looking for artifacts.  We did find more fragments of bricks and ceramics.
Rich Hill was open, and several of us went inside where Ned pointed out plans/progress for the various rooms.  Also Mike Mazzeo and Mary Pat Berry talked with Esther about the location for the proposed "ghost" slave cabin. 

Thanks to Ned for the photos.

Monday October 27 Esther continued digging the unit another couple of inches.  The soil was like concrete.  Elsie, Denise, Claudia, and Malinda screened and found ceramics, nails, and other artifacts similar to those previously found.  Ned brought some tools to help with the hard soil.  Then Ned and Malind walked the site.
Thanks to Elsie for the info.

Artifacts found

Monday October 20 was a beautiful day to be outdoors.  Linda, Elsie, and Carol joined Esther to open a unit in the area where the artifacts had been found in 2021.  We only removed one level and it did have artifacts - lots of whiteware including some transfer printed,  glass,  American stoneware, bricks, coal, and even a flake.  Remember we were in a plowed field and everything in the plow zone would be mixed up.

Screening and Digging at Rich Hill