Archaeology in Jug Bay Complex

Stephanie Sperling

At the October 8 CCASM Zoom meeting Stephanie Sperling provided an overview of the archaeology in the Jug Bay Complex on the Patuxent River.  Although she concentrated on results from seven pre-contact sites, she also covered various historical components of four sites in the area. The pre-contact sites ranged from the Pig Point site occupied over thousands of years with three main excavation areas to the small Swann Island site where a few shovel tests indicate a Late Woodland occupation.  At two of the sites - River Farm and Billingsley - ASM conducted Field Session in which several CCASM members had participated.  Mount Calvert was also the site of two ASM Field Sessions back in the late 1990s.  Really interesting presentation.

Stephanie is the Senior Archaeologist at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

 

Just to see a snapshot of those listening to the talk -
Doug always has the most interesting background.

Attendance: 8

Updates from the Field

On September 10 CCASM conducted their first Zoom monthly meeting.

James Gibb

Archeological volunteer activities in Charles County were put on hold in March.  However, archaeologist Jim Gibb (sometimes by himself and other times with a very small group of people) was able to go out into the field.  At the September meeting, Jim provided updates for two of these projects. 

Cadaver dogs were used at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, MD, to locate the 1685 grave of Thomas Frances and a grave marked with "A.S." that make have been in the nineteenth century Sellman Cemetery.  It was hoped the dogs might also located graves of enslaved people or tenants that had worked there. The dogs did find several locations that could be unmarked graves.   Remote sensing was used around these locationa.
For more detailed information, check out  SERC-Hunt for Historic Graves

 

Jim and a small crew completed a Phase III investigation at the Mill Branch Crossing Site in Bowie that is destined to be developed.   Several buildings and other features were revealed.  This was the location an in-tact mid-18th-century (1720-1770) plantation called Amptill Grange. But the Amptill Grange tract goes back to 1670.

Jim is the owner of Gibb Archaeological Consulting and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

Normally we try to show a photo of those in attendance.  This time we can only show the Zoom photos even though some photos show the ceiling rather than the person.

Attendance: 12

2020 'Virtual" Workshop in Archeology

Due to the limitation of public access and closure of state buildings, the Workshop in Archeology was not held on March 28th as originally planned.  Instead, Maryland Historical Trust staff coordinated with the Archeological Society of Maryland as well as the originally scheduled speakers to present this "virtual" Workshop in Archeology for 2020. 

The Workshop lectures as well as opening remarks from ASM President  Don Housley are available on-line at    https://mht.maryland.gov/archeology_workshop.shtml.

Lectures include

• Priestly Plantations: What We Know (and Want to Find Out) About the Archeology of Jesuit Sites in Maryland  (40 mins)
  Laura Masur, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, the Catholic University of America
  
  
• "A bleak, barren sand beach":  Recent Investigations at Point Lookout Light Station (50 mins)
  Rob Wanner, Archeologist and GIS Technician with EAC/Archaeology, Inc.
  
  
• Cobble Reduction and Tool Production from Late Archaic through Late Woodland at the Elkridge Site  (38 mins)
  Bob Wall, Lecturer in Anthropology, Towson University
  
  
• "The once great plantation is now but a wilderness":  Archeological Research at the Josiah Henson Site  (23 mins)
  Cassandra Michaud, Senior Archeologist, Montgomery Parks (M-NCPPC) – Planning & Stewardship Division
  
  
• Archeology at the Cloverfields Site   (40 mins)
  Zachary Andrews, Crew Chief, Applied Archaeology and History Associates, Inc.

Celebrating July 4th 2020

Celebrating July 4th in 2020 is a little different than previous years.  Last year CCASM was at an Independence Day event at Smallwood Retreat. 

We created a number of activities for the event.  Even though we can't meet in person, we can share one of the activities - a broken Betsy Ross Flag "plate" that could be mended.  It had been broken into thirteen pieces.

Here are the pieces that you can print, cut out, and try to put together, and also what the mended plate looks like.

 

New CCASM Board Members (June 2020 - May 2022)

The newly elected CCASM Officers and Members at Large for June 2020 - May 2022 are

• President                   Carol Cowherd
• Vice-President          Patricia Vazquez
• Secretary                   Douglas Zabel
• Treasurer                   Elsie Picyk
• Members at Large    Michael Creveling,  Peggy Knoernschild

They would definitely appreciate your ideas and your support in implementing those ideas.