Archaeology at SPRT's Tales and Ales

One of the activities at the "Tales and Ales" event held by The Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco Saturday evening October 1 was an archaeology activity for kids.  Five CCASM members participated.  Linda organized the event and was really good at interacting with the children.  Doug, Mary, Carol, and Gary helped.  Several young people really got into the activity with one girl even requesting to flat shovel.  And a number of adults also stopped by with one offering to help with screening.  

Using Sifter Screen

Some washing what they had found
and  others shoveling

Using Roller Screen

A little of everything

Esther Read was the Principal Investigator (PI ) for the archaeology activity.
Thanks to Joyce Edelen for the photo with all of us in it.

Fireldwork in Port Tobacco

Esther Read suggested we start investigating a small piece of wooded land in Port Tobacco that was next to a dropoff.  It was uncertain what would have been at that location, and there was no documentation of previous investigations on the site. 

So on Monday May 9 instead of having lab we gathered our equipment and went to the site.  After clearing off the fallen branches and debris that had been thrown on the site, we put in three STPs that we back-filled before we left.   We mostly found brick, mortar, and slate.  Of course, this is just the beginning.  There will need to be other STPs dug, but the artifacts recovered need to be processed and additional historical research is needed.

Volunteers included Malinda along with CCASM members Denise, Kathy, Linda, Ned, Peggy, and Carol.

Helping with Geophysical Survey at Port Tobacco

Archaeological field work does not always involve digging.  Sometimes it means moving lots of magnolia branches so the area beneath the brush pile can be surveyed with ground penetrating radar (GPR).

Doug, Linda, Mary, Carol, Jim, Esther, and lots of magnolia branches that were moved

On Saturday February 5, a really cold day, work began on new geophysical surveys around the Port Tobacco Village.  Tim Horsley of Horsley Archaeolgical Prospection was contracted to do the survey, and members of CCASM were able to observe and to offer some help on Saturday and Sunday.  The surveys include a magnetometer survey and a GPR survey.  One of the larger tasks where we could help was dragging lots of magnolia branches and debris (from the big winter storm) from an area in front of the Courthouse that needed to be surveyed.  

Tim Horsley doing GPR Survey

CCASM members participating for at least one of the two days were Doug, Linda, Mary, Elsie, Carol, and Jim.  Jim brought his equipment to map the sites, and Esther Read was the Principal Investigator.

The Port Tobacco Great Mill

Donald Zimmer with
Paula and Bob Sorrells

At the January 9 CCASM meeting Donald Zimmer shared what he has learned about an early eighteenth century mill near Port Tobacco.  This included information about different types of water mills in Maryland as well as information from land deeds that helped identify the location.  The  mill was somewhere on the property of Bob and Paula Sorrels.  Don and the Sorrells enlisted the help of Steve Lohr who found a brick foundation corner.  The investigation is continuing. 
Paula and Bob brought some of the artifacts recovered as well as displays of what has been done.  And as with many of his research projects Don created a painting.  This time one of the forgotten mill.

Finding the Elusive Mill; The First Finds

Big Discovery: The Mill Stone

Attendance: 25

Geopyshical Archaeology at Port Tobacco

February 22-26 under a contract with Charles County, Dr. Tim Horsley of Horsley Archaeological Prospection, LLC investigated parts of Port Tobacco using geophysical methods. This was a professional project but CCASM members were able to help lay in lines and get a chance to experience what was involved.

The magnetometry survey was completed the first day.  (It was a long day.)  The area being investigated included the front yard of Stagg Hall as well as the lot across the street to the south.  As you can see even the road between was investigated.

It took three days to complete the ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey - mainly because of the rain.  There were two half days when the rain called a halt to things.

And we also had to deal with the wind.  In addition to making us cold, it kept blowing the tape on the road. But we came up with a way to keep the lines on the road straight.

Now we just have to wait for the report.  It won't have all the answers, but it will give us a lot of clues to what is happening in the ground.

CCASM members that helped included Mary, Evelyn, Denise, and Carol.  And Charles County Archaeologist Esther Read was in charge. 

On March 7 Jim Gibb returned to the site and used his transit to obtain the coordinates for the various points that Tim had identified with yellow plastic stakes and flags.  Mary assisted him by holding the stadia rod.

Charles County Archaeology Program

Esther Doyle Read

At the October 11 CCASM meeting Esther Doyle Read started by giving us an overview of the various aspects of the new Charles County Archaeology Program.  But the majority of the talk was about two sites on which many of those attending had volunteered.  First, Esther gave an update on the salvage archaeology at the Simpkin Coatback Site - what the archaeology is telling us and how this relates to what the building is telling us.  Next she revisited the Port Tobacco site and talked about re-imagining the Port Tobacco landscape.  Recently she has learned about an advertisement for a malt house and kiln in Port Tobacco in the 1740's.  So there's much more that can be learned about Port Tobacco.

Esther Doyle Read is the County Archaeologist for Charles County as well as an adjunct professor in the Ancient Studies Department at University of Maryland Baltimore County.

If people in the photos look a little wet, that is because the rain from Michael arrived in Charles County about an hour before the meeting.  There was a lot of rain, and still sixteen people came out.

Attendance: 16

Public Archaeology at 2017 Port Tobacco Market Day

Saturday, May 20 was the 8th Port Tobacco Market Day, and once again Charles County sponsored a public archaeology event in front of  Stagg Hall in Historic Port Tobacco.  This was a continuation of the excavation of a half unit that contained part of the foundation of an earlier building that had housed a print shop in the nineteenth century. 

Experienced CCASM members Evelyn, Elsie, Jeanne Marie, Steve, and Carol assisted Charles County Archaeologist Esther Doyle Reed.  At least four other people joined us in screening the artifacts.  And, of course, numerous people stopped by to see what we were doing.

During the morning we chose an early nineteenth century green edged rim as the artifact of the day.  This was found inside the building.  But in the afternoon we recovered at least three early nineteenth century wine bottle bases with kick-ups outside the building.  We also removed lots of mortar and some bricks from the building.  And, yes, we continue to recover printer type.
    

Excavating the Half-Unit
 

Artifact of the morning-
green edged rim

CCASM Table
 

CCASM also had a "public awareness" booth that included the display "Looking at Water's Edge in Charles County. 

We would like to thank Evelyn for providing the photos

Landscape and the Imagined Past

Esther Doyle Read

At the April 13 CCASM meeting Esther Doyle Read recounted how the Port Tobacco landscape she first saw in the 1980's is a stark contrast to its historic counterpart.  Even the current landscape does not reflect the historic Port Tobacco.   Esther continued with how recent archaeology as well as efforts by Charles County are trying to provide visitors to Port Tobacco more clues to this historic counterpart. 

In addition to describing the public archeology that has been done at Stagg Hall in Port Tobacco, Esther also described what has been done at Rich Hill since the last public archaeology done there in 2015.  The archaeology is beginning to tell us how the different occupants of the property changed the landscape of Rich Hill.

And then Esther indicated the next public archaeology days - March 23 at Rich Hill and May 6 at Stagg Hall.   Esther will be the archaeologist in charge of the public archaeology.  (Check out future blogs for more information.)

Esther Doyle Read is a Professor at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as well as the Charles County Contract Archaeologist.

Intent on hearing Esther's Talk

In addition to the talk, Mike Mazzeo gave us the first look at the panel "Port Tobacco on the World Stage"  that  has images of early artifacts recovered in Port Tobacco but that were made throughout the world.  The panel is to be installed at Stagg Hall and was funded by CCASM member Elsie Pyck in memory of her late husband George.  Sorry, no picture, but be sure to stop by Stagg Hall to see the panel as well as all the changes that have been made there.

Attendance: 13

CCASM at Port Tobacco During Governor's Tour

CCASM was at Port Tobacco during Governor Larry Hogan's tour of the Village on Sunday, February 28.  One major objective for the tour was to highlight the proposed plans Charles County has for promoting Port Tobacco as a tourist destination.  A part of that plan includes archaeology, and CCASM was asked to help with that aspect of the tour.

 

Jim assisted by Maggie, a UMBC student, cleaned up the open test units in front of Stagg Hall.  Elsie, Julie, Peggy, and Carol were washing artifacts and sorting artifacts at Burch House.  Unfortunately the governor was running late and did not make it to Burch House, but he did stop at the excavation unit and see Jim.  Also Esther, Charles County's archaeologist, got to talk with the governor briefly.

Photos were provided by Cathy Thompson and Sheila Geisert.  

Port Tobacco Village Plan

Cathy Thompson

On January 15 Cathy Thompson shared with us what is happening in the Port Tobacco Historic District.  In 2011 Charles County Planning worked with various people and groups invested in the Port Tobacco Village area to come up with a plan or general direction for the area.  Cathy brought us up to date on what the County has been doing since then.  For one thing Charles County Tourism is planning to hire two part-time employees that will be on site three days a week.  Also the County has purchased Stagg Hall as well as some other undeveloped property in the Village.  Cathy also mentioned the organization TLC that helped the County to obtain grants, etc. for the purchases.

Cathy Thompson is the Community Planning Program Manager for Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management.

Before

During

After

Attendance: 22

Looking for George Atzerodt in Port Tobacco

Joe Gleason

The April 11 CCASM meeting was a chance to share information that might lead to identifying the Port Tobacco location of the carriage shop associated with George Atzerodt, one of the Lincoln assassination conspirators.

Jim Gibb

Joe Gleason showed a "new" photo of Chimney House, and also shared exerts from the transcripts of the trials of the Lincoln assassination conspirators.  Jim Gibb reviewed the archaeology that the Port Tobacco Project had previously done.  There was a lot of discussion, and three alternatives for the location were proposed. 

Here are links to two postings from the Port Tobacco Archaeological Project on the subject-

More on Atzeradt   Atzerodt Carriage House Suspected

 Attendance: 17

Remote Sensing at Port Tobacco

Peter Quantock

At the January 10 CCASM meeting Peter Quantock presented some of the geophysical results from the remote sensing he did in Port Tobacco in 2011.  Both magnetometer and ground penetrating work was done around the Courthouse.  Peter shared part of the results which showed the location of the Wade House.  Also in some areas he found evidence of several feet of sedimentation "hiding" any possible artifacts in the area.

Peter is completing his M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Denver.  The work done at Port Tobacco will be included in his thesis, and he will provide us a copy when it is complete.  Prior to his going to graduate school, many of us worked with Peter on the Port Tobacco Archaeological Project.

We also had a raffle for an ASM sweatshirt.  The money will eventually be used for CCASM to acquire a projector.  (We have a long way to go.).  Doug won the raffle. 

 Attendance: 22

18th Century Port Tobacco

Carol Cowherd

At the January 12 meeting Carol Cowherd talked about the search for the original 1729 layout of Charles Town, locally known as Port Tobacco.  This was in support of archaeology being done in the area.  Carol is the President of CCASM.

This was also our first time meeting at the Police Department.  We had plenty of room, as can be seen in the photos.  However, the parking lot indicated was also used by restaurant patrons.   For future reference, parking is also available on the north side of the building (but not in the back where the police cars park), and on the street.

Attendance: ~22

Open House and Village Ghost Walk at Historic Port Tobacco

On Saturday October 29 CCASM participated in the Port Tobacco Alliance Open House and Village Ghost Walk. Despite the cold and rainy weather we had a good time. The ghost walk was changed to ghost stories inside the warm Courthouse.
CCASM volunteers included Carol Cowherd, Jim Gibb, Rich Gorski, Barbara Kane, Steve Lohr, and Elsie Picyk.

Archaeological Artifacts

Jim with Burch House Artifacts

Steve with Civil War Objects

Children Activity - Archaeobotany

Barbara working with child

 Family working together

Ghost Talk

Elsie telling about the Cocking murders and lynching

Blue Dog Story (fuzzy)

Ghost of Tom Jones

CCASM Displays