Week 1: September 12, 2011
by Sandra and Allison
On September 12, we had our first meting for ARCH 1900 – Archaeology of CollegeHill. The course is an advanced seminar in archaeology where we will be excavating at the John Brown House located at 52 Power Street in Providence,Rhode Island. The class met in Rhode Island Hall where we were introduced to Professor Jessica Nowlin and our graduate TA, Müge and learned a bit about their archaeological experiences. We also introduced ourselves to the class, which turns out to be a mix of archaeology and outside concentrators, allmotivated by the hands-on learning experience this course offers. Everyone seemed super excited about the prospect of completing archaeological fieldworkand learning about archaeological methodology and we were anxious to getoutside and survey the land.
Prior toour first meeting, we were assigned several readings from the 2008 and 2009 John Brown House Archaeological Reports. We were fascinated by the legacy of John Brown House and the detailed genealogical history. Hence, our focus forthe first portion of the seminar was the historical background of the House, which was integral to our understanding of the cultural, economic, and socialdimensions of the land on which we would be conducting archaeological fieldwork. We analyzed early maps from the 19th and 20th centuries and reviewed the convoluted story of the changing ownership of the land. We also evaluated the excavation strategies and techniques of previous years and briefly discussed some of the findings. The geophysical magnetometry survey that was conducted onthe property also offered insight on the patterns of magnetism in the soil andgave us some ideas of where to begin units.
Following this introduction, the class walked to the storage shed and carried the equipment to the John Brown House. After setting down our tools, we were given a brief tour of the property and walked through potential units for this season. The class decided to open three units this year, Unit 11 located on the Western side of the property along Benefit Street where two parallel walls have been discovered (the site was excavated previously). Unit 13 is located on thenorthern end of the property along Charlesfield Street. This unit is between two previously excavated units where the Hale Ives house is said to be located. Unit 14 is a brand new unit this year at the southeastern side of the property where a fountain is ostensibly located. An anomaly was discovered on the magnetometry survey that is thought to be the fountain.
It was decided that Unit 11 would be re-excavated from last year where the wall was discovered. While the other groups were planning where to dig, Unit 11 was shoveling backfill from last year. There was a mishap with the group and sometree roots were destroyed in the name of archaeology, but eventually Unit 11 members located the 2mx2m from last year. It did not take long after the members started to dig in the right location for them to see the tarp that waslaid down from the previous excavation. In the end, the members hope todiscover the wall’s foundations and potentially open another unit to discover more about this mysterious wall.
Previous digs along Charlesfield Street hoped to unearth a foundational wall of theHale-Ives House, which was demolished in 1926. Since no wall has been discovered, Unit 13 was mapped out about halfway between the two past units. According to historical documents and maps, the foundational wall should be located somewhere in the vicinity. This group set up a 2mx2m square and then began to clear away the branches. They also labeled the unit and first context and photographed the topsoil.
Unit 14 will be opened on apparent location of the fountain. Before the group began to measure the unit, they used a total machine to impose a grid on the site (x, yand z coordinates) and create a topographic map of the area where they will dig. The total machine was placed directly above a datum, which is used as a reference for spatial measurements. Although the process took a while and they were unable to map out a specific area, the group enjoyed learning about the machine and the process of mapping potential digs prior to excavation. Introductory readings further detailed these surveying processes.
Week 2: September 19, 2011
by Sandra and Allison
This week, the class met at the John Brown House. After arriving, we were ushered into the back main entrance where we were greeted by Dalila Goulart, the Education and Visitor Services Manager. After walking through the small giftshop we then sat down to watch a short documentary on John Brown and the hishistoric house. After the film, Dalila informed us that we were sitting in the outhouse that was originally on the property. The room we were located in wasone that stored wood for the house and it was 5 bays long. Each of the rooms ofthe house has a fireplace so you can imagine how much wood was necessary.
A large carriage was also located in this room that is known as the Washington Chariot, that President George Washington rode in when visiting Rhode Island in 1790. Made in 1782, it is the oldest American-made vehicle in existence and was useduntil 1950 by the Brown family. Original busts of Hades and Persephone from Versailles were also housed in the room.
Next weentered a display room where Dalila explained the history of maritime trade of goods such as molasses, sugar, porcelain and slaves. Most notably, she told the story of The Sally slave ship where 109 slaves died before reaching the Caribbean. The room also contained “anonymous” letters written between John Brown and his brother Moses in regards to slavery and the slave trade (Moses was a Quaker and an abolitionist). The letters were published in the Providence Gazette.
After our tour of the display room, we ventured into the butler’s pantry, which Marsden Perry renovated and added in one of the first general electric refrigerators and heating trays. This room also housed embossed chinaware and intricate centerpieces and serving dishes.
Throughout the tour we were shown many rooms, which all featured duplicates of the original wallpaper John Brown purchased from Zuber in France which is still inexistence today (see http://www.zuber.fr/). The informal dayroom, where wife Sarahspent her mornings, hosted the exact duplicate of the squirrel wallpaper that they adored. John Brown enjoyed squirrels due to their characteristic hardworking and busybody personalities much like his own. Also in the room was a dark wooden cabinet with nine shells engraved in the detailed woodwork, which was and still is a rarity.
Other rooms we toured included the dinning room, the formal sitting room, and the nursery where one of their daughters lived with her children. The nursery hadvery interesting children’s toys and furniture. Across from that room is the“sick” room where many family members were nursed and cared for. This room alsoincluded a “necessary chair” and a day bed.
Next to the nursery was the master bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom is newer, part of Marsden Perry’s renovations from 1902 and was beautiful! There is a sunken tub, a needlepoint surround shower, a heated sink, and a toilet with the tank located behind the wall. The tiled walls also feature Sapphic paintings fromFrance.
Also on the third floor is a room that contains the original flooring from the 1788 completion of the John Brown house.
The tour concluded with a QA session where we unearthed the mysteries surrounding the house and the slave trade. The generous tour provided to us, on behalf of the Rhode Island Historical Society, informed our future excavations and provided a rich historical background essential to our overall understanding of the John Brown House and property.
Week 3: September 26, 2011
By Kaitlin East
September 26, 2011 was the first full day of excavation at the John Brown House for the Archaeology of College Hill class. It was determined that work would continue on Unit 11 and Unit 13, while it further investigation would be carried out for a possible third unit.
In the area of the proposed third unit, the total station was employed to relate points in space to the map of the magnetometer results in an attempt to locate an anomaly seen on the map. It was realized, however, that a tree which had grown up since the occupation of the site by the Brown’s and has obstructed access to the area of the possible anomaly.Because of the need to respect the wishes of the staff of the Rhode Island Historical Society and the need to take practical limitations into consideration, excavation will not be possible in that area at this time.
Unit 11 continued to be unbackfilled. After locating the right area in the last excavation session, work could begin in earnest. The reason for the reexamination of this unit is to attempt to determine a year for the construction of the wall. By digging down to the level of the wall and possibly below it, stratigraphic relationships between it and any datable artifacts found in lower levels can be explored. The unit had been uncovered the previous years, and so it was only necessary to remove the backfill in order to expose the features which were covered by a tarp. As a result, shovels were used for most of the work and sifting of removed debris was not necessary, however trowels and brushes were used as the team got close to the tarp and feature beneath it. By the end of the day the team had dug down and exposed the tarp that covered the wall features and the unit was brought down to the level it had been at the end of last year’s field season. However, the digging cut into an unexplored area of the site and so a new unit was set up to include the expansion. The unit was measured and strung out and is now 2m x 3m. Excavation is expected to continue in a more systematic way in the following weeks now that the backfill has been removed and will focus on both the new 1m x 1m unit that was set out as well as exploring lower in the original unit.
At Unit 13, a 2m x 2m unit along Charlesfield St, new pictures were taken of context 74, which consisted of the topsoil and sod and contexts sheets were filled out recording soil color and texture, as well as the location of the unit, and the weather conditions of the day.This area is being investigated, in hopes of uncovering and dating a possible foundation wall of the demolished Hale-Ives house that is believed to be in the area as a result of historical maps.
With the preparation finished,Ground Penetrating Radar was employed in the area to attempt to discover any anomalies beneath the ground surface and so direct the excavation in the most promising direction. The radar is being used even though the magnetometer had already been employed to gain a more nuanced and detailed picture of the anomalies present in the area. The instrument was dragged across the ground in 40 meter lengths at 25 cm intervals that traversed that entire end of the site. The instrument made large swings around trees as they can cause severely distorted images on the radar as a result of magnetic images coming from both roots and branches.
After the GPR survey was completed excavation began. Soil was removed in about 5 cm depths and sifted over a tarp. Because this first layer consists of topsoil, it is full of roots that are incredibly difficult to remove. As a result, the digging was slow going,revealing only small parts of the underlying soil along the edges of the unit. Next week, once the initial layer has been cleared it should be easier going and excavation may continue more quickly.
Week 4
Unit progress this week was substantial. There were a few students who came early and worked for an hour before class started in order to get more work done, and this proved successful as it gave everyone a good impetus to work hard for the rest of class. Just before class started, too, a good condition 1944 penny was found in the sifters at Unit 13, a very nice find indeed. At the start of the official class time, we all gathered around and looked over the GPR results, which clearly show a surface level "gravel path" shaped anomaly which extends straight through Unit 13 (previously known as Unit 14, changed to correct numbering) and also the wall structure of what is presumably the Hope Ives house further east. In an effort to focus the attention on these anomalies and better understand the structure around the Hope Ives house, the unit originally destined to look after the fountain was moved to the other end of the yard and put to work on a 1mx3m plot that cut straight through the wall (straight-edged anomaly) presented through GPR. After everyone started by helping to lift the water-filled tarp off the top of Unit 11, groups spilt out. Sandra, Brian, and Ian took over this new Unit 14 and deftly measured, recorded, and then dug down to a level of approximately 5cm below the surface. Most of the resulting dirt and root clods yielded few interesting finds, but in the lower levels a number of white pottery sherds were discovered. For the first day on a new unit, this was an astounding success.
Unit 13 also made quite a bit of progress this week as well. Starting with the penny, it pushed further down to below the root level and in so doing found a number of glass pieces, an aluminum can top, and a number of other minor finds (such as shards of brick). A few centimeters below the surface, the soil composition changed drastically to a more gravely texture in about half the unit and a new context was set out, drawn, and entered in the Total station; it is in this new context, on the surface, that a rusted nail was found.
Significant progress also occurred in the area of Unit 11 as well. The additional 1mx1m box added to the unit to make it a clean 2mx3m was uncovered and slightly lowered, but there is still quite a bit of work necessary to reach the base level of the rest of the unit. Through brute force and sweat, the topsoil was removed and the base level of this box was shot in to the Total station. Further digging after this data entry revealed a new context, which the group plans to break into next week. Most of the finds were wall construction materials of one sort or another -- brick and mortar, all the way down.
Overall, the progress this week was very promising and it certainly seems like all the groups are making substantial progress with their various units. Next week is being missed due to class recess, so our next time to dig is actually on the Saturday of Parent's Weekend at Brown, an afternoon session on the weekend which has historically been a time when huge amounts of work gets done. If all goes well that week, along with the high productivity during the October 3 field day it seems as if we are doing very well this season.
Week 5: October 15th and 17th, 2011
By Hannah Sisk
Much progress was made this past week. After missing class last Monday because of Fall Weekend, several members of the class came out on Saturday to volunteer at Community Archaeology Day. It was a glorious fall day, and we were joined by parents, volunteers and passer-bys, eager to try their hand at digging and learn about what we were doing. Several graduate students from the Institute also came and helped out, resulting in a lot of excellent excavation work,moving the project along rather nicely. Unfortunately, because of the number of volunteers, only Units 13 and 14 were opened on Saturday; Unit 11 remained closed until Monday, when we had more people to help bail out the large amounts of rainwater that covered the tarp.
Unit 13 continued work on context 77 (previously opened on 10/3/11). Between the hands of many volunteers, the NW triangular division where context 77 has been established was trowelled and sifted. A slate rock was uncovered, thought to possibly be foundation remains, though further work revealed that underneath the rock was dirt. A crescent-shaped iron object was also found in context 77;this was an exciting find and thought potentially to be a remain from window parts of the Hale-Ives house (similar pieces had been found in the area in past seasons before). Analysis later in the semester should yield some excellent results!
Unit 14 was worked on primarily by the graduate students, who continued the work (and context?) that the group had started on 10/3/11 – primarily clearing the topsoil and cutting away roots so that new contexts could be opened come Monday. No context form or report was filled out for this unit on Saturday
On Monday, the class met and dove directly into work on each of the units. It was a beautiful digging day! Unit 13 began work on context 78 (previously opened on 10/3/11)and shoveled and trowelled their way through the gravelly soil about 5cm down.They discovered a large amount of brick fragments, of which they took are presentative sample. They also found “a ton” of study nails, and a large curved piece of iron. They used the Total Station to record the position of this curved iron piece in relation to other known points in the unit. Finally, the Unit members believe that they have indentified a linear rock feature cutting diagonally across the unit. There are at least four large stones thathave been uncovered, lined up fairly straight. Further work next week may reveal whether this is a natural or intentional phenomenon.
Unit 14 opened two new contexts, 5cm down, on Monday. Context 80 extends just over 2/3’s starting on the extreme west side of 1x3m unit, while Context 81 consists ofthe remaining space (see photograph). Context 80, described as dark, moist, and homogenous. A large tree root, noted on their drawing, was later removed during the class period by a handsaw. Pieces of glass were also found, using trowelling, in this context. Context 81, characterized by patches of dry and wet soil, was trowelled as well. This area, too, was densely covered in roots,but they were small enough to be removed using the weed clippers. More glass was found in context 81, as well as white glazed pottery.
Finally, Unit 11 opened a new context, 79, again in the NW corner (1mx1m) of the unit. They primarily trowelled in the area between the two stone walls (evident, now, just under soil, showing that the parallel walls extend beneath the surface into the corner now being excavated). The nature of the soil (a gravelly fill in between the two walls) made it challenging to determine what was important. Some objects, such as full bricks and some rusty, iron nails, were left in situ; the Total Station was used to record the location two of the nails. The group also found some additional white, square tiles, as well as mortar remains. Small pockets of yellow/orange soil were discovered occasionally throughout the process, and samples were taken for evaluation later. Otherwise, the soil was incredibly rocky and gravelly. The excavators discovered that it continued forseveral centimeters below and worked down the corner a significant amount, making much progress, however frustrating it was because of all the gravel.
It is safe to say that the 2011 Excavation season at the JBH is well underway. Each Unit has made excellent progress and seems to have exciting and thoughtful strategies for the upcoming weeks. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a continuation of good weather and interesting finds!
Week 6
Due to the rain from the previous week, the soil was found damp. Weather conditions had been partly cloudy and a bit windy with a cool temperature. Though this week’s weather has been getting cooler and the sky getting darker earlier, all three Units had made excellent progress and had new discoveries of contexts or findings. And with only a couple of weeks left to excavate, some people were able to come early to get more work done.
Unit 13: has continued to dig out context 78 and was able to even it out. The context was filled with gravel and could possibly have a linear formation of large rocks. The excavators found nails and, one in particular, a very large nail, where the metal they had found last week was also located. The totalstation was used to locate and record this large nail. Aside from finding nails,they also have noticed a change of color in the soil. Another team, who also found similar soil stains, has already taken samples. Following this the team has moved from context 78 to context 77. Due to the difficulty of roots and big rocks, they made the decision to switch from shovels to trowels. Though they were not able to find any artifacts, they found two different contexts. By next week, the team will continue with their excavation to find out more about this new context.
Unit 14: had continued to work on contexts 80 and 81. Upon digging out context 80, they found many roots, but also found coal, pieces of glass,rocks and pottery sherds. During their dig, they noticed the soil to belighter, which also matched the soil in context 81 and making this a new context for the Unit. So they opened a new context, 83, a combination of 80 and 81. This new context was found to have many roots and gravel. The team has recorded their new context in their context sheets and by camera. This team has progress far and will continue to work hard in order to find the anomaly that was detected about 1m deep.
Unit 11: has continued to work on context 79. Their main goal for the day was to dig through this context and even it out with the Unit as a whole. Since it was one context, there were no major changes for the team to record, and so they were able to work in a faster pace. The context had a lot of gravel and encountered a few roots. The team found tile fragments, pieces of mortar,broken bricks, several rusted nails, and a small piece of iron. Two big findings came across their dig. One was some sort of large brick with a design on the sides and a hole that run through the middle lengthwise. The second finding was a fairly large piece of glass, about several centimeters long, with a greenish tint. Because of its size, it is surprising that it had not broken. By the end of the day, the context has been levelled, and next week the Unit excavators will each take a section so the Unit can be excavated as a whole.
Week 7
By Ian Brownstein
Conditions:
Over the past a week, a snowstorm had left the site cold and damp. The soil was harder and significantly colder than previous dig days. It was sunny while we dug, but the sun was defiantly setting faster than in previous weeks.
This was our second to last dig day so all groups we’re working hard to get the most out of there diminishing time on the site.
Unit 11:
The day began at Unit 11 by bailing water out of the excavated area. This was the first day that work was to be done on the portions of the unit dug out the previous year. The unit was divided into three new contexts (84-86) separated by the parallel walls which run through the unit. It was established that, from left to right, facing north, our contexts would be context 84 (the triangular area to the left of the first wall), context 85 (the area between the two walls, including where the team had been digging the past couple weeks), and context 86 (the triangular area to the right of the second wall). Before digging, the group measured and plotted the exposed stone walls onto a master drawing for the unit.
Context 84: This was the smallest context of the three and was triangle shaped. The day was spent trying to even the trench walls and cleaning the uncovered wall. Nails, mold, and some painted ceramics were found in this context. The ceramic had some sort of blue glaze on it.
(Unit 11, Context 84)
Context 85: This was the largest context and is located in-between the two walls of Unit 11. The irrigation pipe crosses the northern potion of this trench. The day was spent working down on trench and more building materials and rubble were found. It appears that there was some collapse of the two walls into this area.
(Unit 11, Context 85)
Context 86: This area had been covered by buried tarp last year so it was very compact and flatted. Due to the cold weather and the hard packed soil, shovel shaving had to be used to break up the tough soil. More of the sprinkler pipe was revealed during this portion of the excavation. Later in the day a towel and root cutters were used to level out the excavated section, mainly in the northern portion of the context. In total, this context was brought down approximately 10cm. A nail, some brick, and a few slivers of white ceramic were excavated in this context. Also of note, all the larger, "woodier" tree roots are a mysterious hot pink color. No plausible reason for this coloring could be determined.
(Unit 11, Context 86)
Unit 13:
Unit 13 continued working on excavating Context 82, which is characterized by outcroppings of large rocks which have been making the excavation of this area difficult. It is hard to tell if the large rocks we are finding are indicative of any human action or if they are just a random soil event, but because the excavators we’re unsure, they were careful to leave as many of the rocks in place as they dig around them.
Many interesting objects were uncovered in this unit. First, a few strange spots in the soil colored neon orange were uncovered and soil samples were taken. Multiple nails were also found. Context 82 has been almost devoid of bricks which is contrast to the large amount of bricks and brick pieces found it previous contexts. Also, the biggest artifact yet, a curved piece of iron that is probably about 6-8 inches long was uncovered. Its location was marked with the total station.
(Unit 13, Context 82)
(Unit 13 iron artifact)
Unit 14:
Unit 14 dug pretty deep (about 10cm-15cm) today and found several small artifacts including glass, glazed white pottery sherds and nails. They sifted through a lot of soil this week and noticed that context 83 has a lot more gravel in it. There were several large roots in the western portion of the unit that we had to saw through. There was also a mysterious green fungus, which we originally thought may be percipated copper, found in a root cluster.
(Unit 14, Context 83)
(Unit 14, Green Fungus)
Week 8: Nov. 7th, 2011
By Valerie Bondura
Today was probably the last day of our excavations at the John Brown House. Since daylight savings time last weekend, it begins to get dark much earlier. The sun started setting around 4:30pm, which made it increasingly difficult to see any differences in soil color or detect any artifacts in our mesh sieves. By 5pm, we had to stop excavating all together because we simply couldn't see what we were doing anymore. Despite these setbacks in terms of sunlight, the weather was beautiful and everyone was extremely excited to excavate. We were all definitely feeling the pressure to get as much done as possible, since it seems unlikely that we will get back out into the field again. We were also joined by a few very welcome guests who provided insight and analysis whenever they possibly could. Even with all the work we got done, we all feel like there is so much left to do. Unfortunately, there simply isn't the time, but I think we should all be incredibly satisfied with what we have accomplished at the John Brown House in just a few short weeks.
Look how dark it is at 5pm!
Unit 11:
Unit 11 had an exciting last day in the field, for more reasons than one. Things looked promising as soon as they got down to the house and realized that for once, they didn't have to spend 15 minutes bailing water out of their unit like they usually do. Their unit (very conveniently) has 3 open contexts, which they had previously decided to divide up amongst themselves. This practical and efficient system means that one excavator is in charge of a single context. This has allowed them to get a lot of work done fairly rapidly.
Work was continued on context JBH84, located in the SW corner of Unit 11. It is defined by its dark soil color and its location just to the west of one of the primary linear rock (wall?) features found in Unit 11. Though the small size of the context and its proximity to the linear feature make evening out the unit very difficult, work on JBH84 has yielded a large amount of finds, and today was no different. A combination of trowelling and shoveling turned up a glazed, dichromatic, curved ceramic sherd.
The group did decide to open a new context, JBH87, in the SW corner of their unit, underneath JBH 84. They identified the new context because it showed a significant change in soil color from the context covering it, JBH84. This new context did not exhibit any change in soil texture and unfortunately, also did not contain any material finds.
Excavation continued on JBH85, which is defined by its gravelly, dark brown soil. It is the largest context in Unit 11, but the excavator, Susanna, was up to the task of as much done as possible in this large area. The context is located between the two parallel linear rock features and also contains a modern-era pipe running along the northern end of the context, all context characteristics that make excavating a delicate process. Trowelling proved the most efficient excavation method because of this and also because of the large amount of gravel (which is both difficult and really heavy to shovel out!). Object-wise, JBH85 continues to yield nails, bricks, and tiles.
Finally, digging continued on JBH86. This context is to the east of the easternmost linear rock feature and is characterized by being slightly rocky with dark soil. This context also contains part of the modern pipe that runs through JBH85. Today, Hannah, the primary excavator on JBH86, managed to dig out about 15cm, an impressive amount. She also found some exciting things, including what appears to be the bottom of a rum bottle! The object is black glass and circular and just the right size for a bottle bottom. She also found some ceramic pieces like the ones that Allison turned up in JBH84.
Unit 11 hard at work:
Unit 13:
Work on Unit 13 has been slow going. Unit 13 lost a man earlier in the season to pneumonia, so me (Valerie) and Katie have had to really push to excavate as much as the other units. Moreover, the root situation in Unit 13 is ridiculous. Every other unit has the same problem; apparently, the plants on the lawn of the John Brown House are very anti-archaeology, since their roots continue to grow every week (I swear), severely hindering excavation.
Here I am battling some roots while my fellow excavators look on in horror at the root situation:
Unit 13 mostly focused on evening out context JBH82, located in the NW corner of the unit and separated from JBH78 by a linear rock feature that runs diagonally across the unit. This context, besides being physically separate from JBH78 by the linear rock feature, is also defined by mottled (light and dark) soil and the presence of several large rocks. These rocks make it really hard to use shovels to excavate this context, though we certainly tried to shovel as much as possible since it is the fastest method of digging. Trowelling and sifting was slow work, and we only excavated about 5-8cm further down.
Linear rock feature. JBH82 is the upper left corner, JBH78 is the lower right:
Despite all these difficulties, Unit 13 had an EXTREMELY productive day of digging. The sheer amount of objects found was incredible. It is very unfortunate that the unit only really began yielding notable finds at such a late stage in excavations. So many objects were found that Unit 13 designated two separate artifact bags, one for bricks and iron pieces (more durable objects) and another for ceramic sherds, glass, etc. (fragile things).
The ceramic pieces found in Unit 13, though small, are similar to those found in Unit 11. This interesting connection will be explored more in the lab, where we will hopefully be able to analyze the sherds to determine if they do, in fact, all come from the same time period or even the same manufacturer. JBH82 also contained a large number of iron objects. Some were small nails and screws, but others are large and as yet unidentified. All unique objects, i.e. those not nails or screws, had their locations recorded using the total station. One especially large iron artifact looked like it might have been a door hinge, but again, it was practically impossible to tell in the fading daylight. Moreover, all of the iron objects are seriously covered in rust, which makes it even more difficult to tell what they are.
Not everything was unidentifiable, though. Unit 13 had a truly amazing find in the form of a small iron crucifix. The shape is so easily identifiable that it is almost amusing, since no other finds have really been so obvious. The cross is perhaps 4 cm tall and has decorative circles incised on it. We all really look forward to getting a closer look at this cross in the lab.
The mystery of the neon orange soil that has been found in Unit 13 may have been solved. One of the archaeology professors who came down to observe excavation theorized that the neon orange soil is actually severely disintegrated brick. Much of the orange soil has been found near roots, which might indicate that some sort of reaction is occurring between the soil, the bricks, and the roots which results in this strange, chalky orange soil.
Unfortunately, Unit 13 did not have enough time to do any further work with context JBH78, which sits to the southeast of the linear rock feature. This is certainly disappointing, but JBH82 ended up yielding so many interesting artifacts that no one is too upset about not digging more in JBH78.
The Unit 13 team hard at work:
Unit 14:
Unit 14 has been all about digging deep. The three excavators, Sandra, Ian, and Brian, have really gotten their hands dirty and shoveled out an impressive amount of soil over the course of the semester. They were determined to find the anamoly that showed up during the ground penetrating radar survey that was done earlier in the semester. It appeared that the anamoly as located about 1m deep, so the group certainly had their work cut out for them. Moreover, their unit suffers from the same root problems as does Unit 13, making excavation hard work.
Unit 14 set out to continue work on context JBH83 through a combination of shoveling and troweling. The context is defined by the presence of both large and small roots as well as a dark, yellowish soil and gravel/small rocks.
They tried to tackle the entire 1m x 3m unit but eventually realized that there was no way they would be able to dig as deep as they wanted to if they tried to excavate everything. They decided to divide the unit in half and focus on only the westernmost part of it, since this is the area where the anomaly appeared to be located. This strategy proved vastly more successful, as they were able to get down almost 1m. Pulling out so much dirt meant lots and lots of sifting, but thankfully all that sifting paid off. Unit 14 found nails, ceramic sherds, bricks, and coal.
Brian looking for artifacts while sifting dirt:
Like in the other two units, the last day of excavation proved to be the most exciting one. As the sun was setting and it was getting progressively more difficult to excavate, Unit 14 felt their shovels hit upon something. They did as much as they possibly could in the fading light, determining that they had hit a large rock or brick structure running north to south along the western edge of their unit. It seems very likely that this is the anomaly that showed up on the GPR, since Unit 14 discovered the rocks or bricks at a depth of just about 1m, exactly where they thought they would find something.
Unit 14 is hoping to get back out into the field one more time before the units are backfilled. It seems like if future excavations are done at the John Brown House, Unit 14 should definitely be re-opened and continued by future archaeologists.
Week 9: November 14th, 2011
Despite previously thinking that we had finished excavating, it was decided to continue digging for one more meeting, then arrange an out-of-class time to get together to draw the units. Due to the length of time required to make final unit sketches, backfilling would be scheduled for our following meeting (11/21/11). That being said, since we were given one more day to excavate but had limited amounts of daylight, Jessica told us to “dig like your life depends on it.” Of course it would have been nice to have more time to further excavate the site, but several interesting finds this week capped off a very successful season at the John Brown House.
Unit 11
Excavation continued on JBH85, defined by its dark, damp soil with lots of gravel which made digging with a trowel the most efficient way to excavate. The largest context in the unit, JBH85 held a path between the two linear features in the unit. This week’s work saw the pathway become more visible as tiling was found along the path. Additionally, a more tiles, lots of mortar, a shell, a glass bottle top, and some strange ceramic (which may actually be bone) were found throughout the context.
Unit 11 at the end of the season.
Work also continued on JBH86, the northeastern most context in the unit. Despite exciting finds last week, this week’s finds were limited to numerous roots and worms which, the former of which slowed excavation on this final day.
Finally, Unit 11 continued to dig JBH87, the context they opened last week after noting changes in soil color in JBH84. While last week’s work on this context was fairly boring, the new context was considerably more interesting this week. In addition to gravel, and lots of roots, the group found lots of tile, two nails, and a piece of iron clustered close to the wall. These finds came while removing lots of dirt from along the wall, and reaching a good distance deeper on the last day of excavating.
Work continuing on JBH85 and JBH87
Unit 13
Continuing work on JBH82, Unit 13 started with shovels to try and excavate as much as possible on this final day. However, due to soil shifting from water in their trench, the excavators quickly recognized iron stains near the surface of the context and found an iron ring. While roots continued to be a problem, lots more iron was found after this initial piece. While most of these were unidentifiable chunks, an interesting linear piece, apparently fully intact was discovered. JBH82 also contained what might be a fish hook as well as a piece of glass.
Unit 13 at the end of the season
The group also worked on JBH78, a context which had received relatively little attention. Hoping to dig enough to find out what the linear feature in the trench actually was, excavation on this context yielded many nails, and lots of brick fragments from two different types of brick. Among these brick pieces, two large fragments were found late in the day that appear to have makers’ marks on them. Digging also uncovered some large rocks in the NE corner of the unit that may be in line with the SE corner, however, they are obstructed by the wall of the trench so drawing a firm conclusion is difficult. Moreover, after further examining the linear feature in light of continued excavation, excavators think it may be a product of excavation methods, not an actual feature. Since the excavation of JBH78 was relatively shallow in depth, it is impossible to tell if rocks continue below those that have been preserved as part of the ‘linear feature.’ That being said, excavation should continue in this area next year due to its large number of finds this year and to determine the presence (or lack thereof) of the linear feature.
Unit 13 and 14 bonding over a worm
Unit 14
Unit 14 at the end of the season
Unit 14 was excited by their finds late last week and were eager to start work on this final day. They began by cleaning up JBH83 in preparation to open a new context due to changes in the soil. While doing so, they discovered a large piece of stoneware that may have been used to connect male and female ends of pipes. However, the glazing on the object is atypical for this kind of connector, so further analysis in the lab is necessary before drawing any real conclusions.
Stoneware that may have connected pipes
After finishing JBH83, the group opened JBH88 which was defined by a dark grayish brown soil. As they toweled the new context, hoping to more clearly define the bricks and large stones discovered last week, the excavators struck iron. Digging the area, they unearthed a large pipe that ran into the ground and out the north wall of the trench. Further digging yielded an even more exciting find, as the group seemed to discover a cement or plaster floor. This could possibly be part of the foundation of the Hale-Ives house and seems to occupy a large part of JBH88. While complete excavation could not be done due to lack of light, these exciting finds suggest that excavation should continue on this unit next year.
The pipe and floor
