Friday's excavation

Today we began removing the midden in Anne's area. With the high organic and artifact content and of the feature we decided to take a soil sample and then water screen the remaining sediment. In that water screen we recovered fish scales and turtle scutes, animal remains that aren't usually recovered by traditional techniques. In that feature we also uncovered a furniture pull, the handle for a drawer.

In Pete's Native American area we finally defined that brick and mortar rubble feature from last year. During that cleanup we recovered some Wheildon Ware, an ugly ceramic type that dates to around the 1770s. From the plowzone of that area we recovered our first piece of possible colonoware, pottery made of local raw materials in a fashion that mimicks European wares.

Scott's cemetery area continued to stupify us with the numerous features and different soils. Jim and I aren't in agreement with our interpretations of that area. Tomorrow we will get to reooen last year's units in that area to better understand it.

Tomorrow is both the ASM board meeting and ASM barbeque. We will be opening a new area by Pete's Native American area and reduce our efforts in the cemetery and church areas. Cone join us if you can!

-April
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April M. Beisaw