Processing Artifacts from Native American Site in Charles County

At last we have finished the processing of the artifacts in the Shovel Test Pit (STP) phase.   On January 31  Peggy, Josh and Carol finished processing the artifacts from the one unit that was west of the road.

Carol has entered all the data into the Excel spreadsheet, and Jim has input the location of all the STPs into Auto cad.  Now we just have to come up with a plan for the next phase.  We need to start work soon since we will be losing access to the property.

Thursday Jan 17 Peggy, Carole, Carol, and Josh  finished sorting the last of the artifacts recovered from the site.  (Yea!!!)  Once these have been cataloged Jim will be able to determine where excavation units would be useful in helping us understand the site. 
(We still have a little more work processing the STPs and the one unit done on the west of the road, but no additional excavation is to be done in that area.)

Thursday Jan 10 Elsie, Peggy, Carole, Carol, and Josh were able to finish sorting, etc. three more transects.  Still three more transects and one excavation unit to go.

Saturday December 8 we finished washing all the remaining artifacts from the STPs.  Elsie, Barbara R, Peggy, Carol, and Josh all helped.  Josh showed us the information he had gathered about a "barn" site.   We even had time to start processing artifacts from one of the transects that had been washed in November.  We lost track of time and worked an extra hour.  And once again I forgot to take any photos.

Friday morning November 9 Elsie, Carol, and Josh finished washing the artifacts from the STP's that have been dug to date.  And there was still time to finished sorting, counting, and weighing all the remaining artifacts that were dry.  Carol got excited when she washed a really good example of a Pope's Creek pottery sherd.  The exterior was net-impressed and was decorated with two parallel finger swipes.  The interior was combed.  Here are some photos.  Click to learn more about Pope's Creek pottery

Pope's Creek - exterior
(net-impressed with finger swipes)

Pope's Creek - interior
(combed)

Thursday morning October 4 Carol S., Elsie, Josh, Peggy, and Carol continued with processing the artifacts from the northern site.  Then Wednesday morning October 10 Peggy and Carol worked on the artifacts and talked about identifying lithics and about bonobos. 

Friday morning September 28 we washed the last of the artifacts from the southern part of the site.   It only took about an hour to complete the washing.  So we pulled out all our cataloging stuff and began sorting, counting, and weighing the artifacts from the northern part of the site.  Once again I forgot to take pictures of those helping (Barbara K., Carol, Elsie, and Rich). 

The artifacts from the STP's dug in June were washed on Sunday August 5.  Thankfully we were able to be indoors.  Barbara K. Barbara R., Carol and Rich helped wash.  Below is a picture of Barbara R. holding up the last bag.  Now we just need to sort them.

The Last Bag (June) - Barbara R. and Rich

On June 23 we started sorting, counting, and weighing the artifacts.  All the STP's in Transect A were completed.  Since we completed digging Transect M the day before, we have a way to go.  I forgot to take pictures of those helping (Barbara K. Barbara R., Carol, Elsie, and Josh), but here are a few pictures of the sorted artifacts.

As many of you know a derecho went through Charles County early June 30, and many of us were without power (unless we had a generator).  So only Steve and Carol showed up to catalog artifacts. Since there was no air conditioning, they gave up around noon.  Even so they were able to complete the processing of three transects.  Also Carol found a fragment of what appears to be a soapstone bowl.

On July 8 only Steve and Carol showed up again but they were able to complete processing all the artifacts that have been washed to date.  We still need to wash about artifacts from four transects.

Adjahoe Site Registered

Carol, Rich, Edgar, Joshua,
Nevilla, Elsie

On January 25 CCASM members reviewed with Nevilla Ottley and Edgar Adjahoe the site information they had gathered for a ruin on the Adjahoe property.  Joshua Eller and Rich Gorski had mapped the ruin, and Joshua had submitted an archaeological site form to the Maryland Historical Trust.  The ruin was given site number 18CH820.  Elsie Picyk provided details from USGS maps and aerial maps dating from 1902 to 1981 that showed the buildings in the area of the site.  Carol Cowherd put together the information in a notebook that was given to the Adjahoes.

CCASM wants to help identify and register archaeological sites in Charles County.  This was our first one.

Viewing Site Form

Viewing Maps

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

War of 1812 at Nottingham

Mike Lucas

At the December 13 CCASM meeting Mike Lucas spoke about the Archaeology Project being done at Nottingham and how it relates to the War of 1812.  In the 18th and 19th Century Nottingham was a small village on the Patuxent River.  During the summer of 1814 the British spent the night at Nottingham on their way to Washington.  They also left behind a rear guard.  Mike showed slides of objects left behind by the British and found by the project.  He also showed us the results from shovel test pits that indicated where some of the houses in the village had been.  And he also shared some of the information gathered about local slaves that joined the British during the War.

This multi-year project was started by Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in October 2011.  There are plans to continue the work in 2013.   Mike Lucas is with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Prince George's County.  If you are interested in the project, you can contact Mike at Michael.Lucas@pgparks.com

Joshua Eller gave an update on the reconnaissance he and Rich Gorski did on a site near the Maryland Welcome Center.  Several members also provided historic information and photos they had gathered about the area.  Joshua will be preparing a MHT Site Form for this site to meet one of the requirements for ASM's Certified Archaeological Technician (CAT) program.  Several of CCASM members are in the CAT program, and three members have completed the program.

Also we 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.).  George won the sweatshirt that his wife Elsie is holding up in the photo. 

Attendance: 18

Finishing STPs at Native American Site

On December 2 CCASM members finished digging/screening STPs at the Native American Site near Bryans Road.  Yea! 

The day started out foggy but it turned out to be really nice.  We had enough people to have three crews.  CCASM members helping were Jim, Annetta, Rich, Steve, Barbara, Josh, Peggy, and Carol.  Scott Lawrence stopped by to help some and also to tell us about an interesting site he will be starting soon.  Although Jim had to leave at 2pm, Rich, Steve, and Carol were able to stay and finish the final six STPs. 

Now we just need to finish washing and cataloging the artifacts so Jim Gibb will be able to identify possible locations for excavation units.

Following are pictures from work done in September.
For more pictures and notes of work done on the site, see posting Investigating Native American Site

September 30 was another beautiful day for digging.  We had two crews and finished STPs for two additional transects on the northern part of the site.  One person even traveled from Gaithersburg to help.  CCASM members helping were Jim, Fran, Peggy, Steve, Josh, and Carol.  We still will need another day or two to finish the STPs.

Sunday (September 23) was a beautiful day to be outside, the first really nice day we have been in the field, and we finished the STPs for the southern part of the site.  We had two crews (Jim, Barbara R, Rich, and Carol).