2018 Preservation Matters

Charles County Planning and Growth Management has just published the 2018 Preservation Matters Newsletter, an annual publication celebrating Charles County's Historic places.

 Click to see newsletter

To entice you to look at the newsletter, here is a list of the articles included in the newsletter.  Three of the articles relate to archaeology.

• Mount Hope Baptist Church: A Day of Collaboration and Rediscovery by Ruby Thomas and Meagan Baco
  (Correction: It was volunteers from Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc including CCASM member James Gibb who recorded the actual locations that did the archaeological survey of the Carroll Cemetery.  Esther Read was in charge.)
  
  
• The Warehouse District: The Rise and Fall of Hughesville's Loose-Leaf Tobacco Markets
  
  
• Hughesville: A commercial and Tobacco Marketing Center by Nicole Diehlmann
  
  
• From Riverside Village to Upland Camp and Back: Native Americans of the Terminal Archaic Period by James G Gibb
  
  
• Epp Farmstead: Germans Homesteading a Charles County Farm by James G Gibb and Sherri Marsh Johns
   
  
• Zekiah Valley: Preserving Rural Heritage
     
• Preservation Awards 2018 Recipient
      
• Finding Port Tobacco by Esther Doyle Read

2019 ASM Field Session - Billingsley

From May 24 through June 2 the Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc (ASM) along with Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) were at the Billingsley Site (18PR9) in Prince George's County Maryland for the 2019 Field Session.   Matt McKnight, Chief Archeologist at MHT, and Stephanie Sperling, Senior Archaeologist at Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, were  the principal investigators.

The Billingsley Site (18PR9) dates to the prehistoric and contact periods.  It is depicted on Augustine Herrman's 1670 map as a Native American village named Wighkamameck.  The site is also mentioned in the Proceedings of the Maryland Assembly on May 23, 1674, as the last known home of the Patuxent Indians. 

Multiple units were opened in three locations where the Magnetic Susceptibility Meter had indicated high readings (anomalies).  One unit where the Meter had shown little or no anomalies was also opened as a "control".  The soil was initially screen through 1/4" mesh screens.  To try to recover smaller artifacts every tenth bucket of soil was water screened through 1/8' mesh screens.  A good deal of fire cracked rocks were recovered.  Here are just three of the other artifacts recovered.  (The black chert point was unique.)

Points

Accokeek Sherd

Since it was quite hot, all the units as well as the screening areas were covered with tents to try to keep the people in shade.  The photo below shows the site early on.  The tent farthest back is the lab tent.  And the two individuals on the far right are the principal investigators - Stephanie in the blue shirt and Matt wearing a red bandana on his head.

The tents indicate the units, the screening areas, and the lab at the site

 On two days a drone took photos of the site.  (Thanks to Roy Brown for the drone photo.)

Drone ascending

Other activities going on during the Field Session

• Spencer Geasey Memorial Lecture
  ( 2 concurrent events at Mount Calvert Historical and Archaeological Park )
  --Behind-the-scenes Tour of the Mount Calvert Grounds and Museum Exhibits with Kristin Montaperto
--Archeological Overview of the Patuxent River's Jug Bay Area from pontoon boat with Stephanie Sperling 

• Saturday Lunchtime talk
  “Artifacts Are Not Wild Onions” - Rico Newman, member of the Choptico Band of the Piscataway Conoy tribe talked about humanizing the things we find on American Indian sites
    
• CAT Survey Workshop
  Learning to use the Magnetic Susceptibility Meter and to help ground truth results using Shovel Test Pits 

At least three CCASM members attended for one or more days.

In control Unit

Water Screening

Using Magnetic Susceptibility Meter

CCASM is a chapter of ASM.

Serenity Farm Burial Ground and Potluck Supper

Lots of Food

CCASM's third Potluck Supper was held Sunday May 19 at the Harvest House on Serenity Farm.  It's always fun to have an excuse to get together and to eat.  And there was a variety of food - all quite delicious.  Despite the hot weather Sunday there was a nice breeze on the porch of Harvest House.

Meeting on the Porch

After we finished eating, the annual CCASM business meeting was held.  At the end of the meeting one member, Evelyn Wenzel, and one former member, Barbara Kane, were recognized for their contributions to CCASM.

Serenity Farm Burial Ground

The meeting was followed by a walk up the hill to see the Serenity Farm Burial Ground where twenty-three African Americans were buried between 1780 and 1810.  At the January CCASM meeting Franklin Robinson had told us about the Burial Ground and the archaeology done at the site.  Franklin was happy to announce that the film “Remembered by the Wind: The Slave Graves of Serenity Farm" has recently been released.

CCASM would like to thank Franklin Robinson, the owner of Serenity Farm, for allowing CCASM to have their meeting at Harvest House as well as for the opportunity to visit the Burial Grounds.
 

Attendance: 10

2019 Port Tobacco Market Day

Saturday, May 4 was the Port Tobacco's Tenth Annual Market Day in Historic Port Tobacco Village.  Numerous vendors of crafts, foods, and plants as well as several non-profits including CCASM had tables at the event.  Next door at Stagg Hall the Piscataway Conoy Tribe had a number of displays celebrating "We Are Still Here".

Market Day is a always great day for talking to people about archaeology.  CCASM had displays and an activity to share with people stopping.  Also people told us about the artifacts they have found on their property.  And during the whole day musician were performing on the Courthouse steps near our table.

Thanks to Elsie and Carol for representing CCASM.

Burch House on Charles County House and Garden Pilgrimage

Saturday April 27 was the date for the 2019 Charles County House and Garden Pilgrimage, and it turned out to be a beautiful day.

This year Port Tobacco and nearby locations were highlighted, and Burch House was one of the houses on the tour.  The exterior of the house was freshly painted. The house was decorated with floral designs provided by the members of the Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco under the guidance of Joyce Edelen.

CCASM hosted Burch House during the Pilgrimage.  We were able to tell visitors about the history of the house as well as about the archaeology done prior to the last addition while they enjoyed looking at the house and its floral arrangements.

Thanks to CCASM members Linda and Denise as well as to Esther Read for interacting with the 105 visitors that came to Burch House on Saturday.

Joyce with flowers

    More photos to come.