Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18AG44 Wallizer
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
This site was investigated along with three other sites in the area, all of which would be impacted by the proposed alignments for US-48, the National Freeway (modern US I-68), in Allegany County. It is located on a colluvial toeslope and a floodplain of Murley Branch at an elevation of approximately 222 meters above sea-level. Soils are classified as Buchanan very stony loam on the colluvial slope and as Philo silt loam and Pope silt loam on the floodplain. Phase I and II work indicates that the site was used as a short term campsite or base camp in the Early Archaic, Late Archaic, and Middle Woodland. Around AD 1200-1300, it was occupied by a horticulturally based group who located a village on the floodplain. The time of village abandonment is unknown. It was determined eligible for inclusion on the NRHP in 1988.
Phase II testing of the site involved both controlled surface collection of the plowed and washed colluvial slope to determine site boundaries. Posthole test pitting was used along several transects extending out from the colluvial slope onto the floodplain and other areas of the site. Material to the north was very thinly scattered along the plowed strip; therefore, an arbitrary break was made at a point of low artifact density and a second site (18AG60) was defined. As many as 40 artifacts were recovered from the posthole pits, indicating an extremely high density of artifacts. Midden and feature fill were also identified. Excavation units were opened up in areas of the site where artifact densities were the greatest (based on the surface collection and posthole tests). These were divided into 5 units. Units 1, 2, 3, and 5, were isolated 1 X 1 meter test units, while Unit 4 was actually a 1 X 5 meter trench excavated in 1 meter square segments. Nine features and numerous artifacts were identified.
Feature 1 (from test unit 5) lay just below midden deposits and consisted of a dark brown silt loam with minor amounts of yellowish brown silty clay loam extending to about 15cm deep. Abundant charcoal, bone, shell, and other artifacts (many limestone-tempered sherds) were recovered in the Feature 1 fill. Two radiocarbon samples were submitted from charcoal that lay at or near the bottom of the feature (see above). Features 2-7 were associated with Feature 1. Two and three are probably associated backfill. Features 4, 5, and 8 are postmolds just below Feature 1, and Feature 6 is a postmold extending through it. Feature 7 was a shallow (1-7 cm) disturbed interface between feature 1 and the sterile subsoil.
Feature 9 (from test unit 4) is a dark elongate trench-like stain running northwest to southwest. Charcoal, bone fragments, and fire-cracked rock were visible on the feature surface. Artifacts recovered from the feature include 26 sherds, 3 hammerstones, an anvilstone, 75 flakes and shatter, and 299 bone and shell fragments. Several possible postmolds were encountered, but were not excavated. Two radiocarbon samples from this feature returned modern dates indicative of plowzone contamination.
Ceramics recovered from the site consisted primarily of limestone-tempered pottery (70%) similar to the Somerset series at the Gnagey site (36SO55), a Monongahela village in Pennsylvania. Other varieties included unknown temper (19%), shell-tempered (8%), and other crushed rock (3%). 1165 pieces of pottery were recovered, 724 of which were classified as sherdlets (smaller than 1.2 cm2). 416 body sherds and 25 rimsherds were recovered. Surface treatments were predominantly cord-marked and smoothed-over cord-marked sherds. A ceramic pipe stem was recovered from Feature 1.
Several diagnostic projectile points were recovered and are detailed above. In addition to the points enumerated above, one elongated triangular point, one Steubenville/Fox Creek point, a quartzite Bare Island point, 2 side-notched points, 4 atypical triangular points, and 11 fragmentary points were found. Other flaked tools include 2024 pieces of debitage, 38 retouched flakes, 4 drills, 2 linear flakes or blades, 33 “other” bifaces, 5 hammerstones, and 1 anvilstone. Blood residue analysis was conducted on 10 bifacially flaked tools, one of which tested positive for the presence of hemoglobin and another produced a possible reaction.
668 bone fragments, large quantities of shell, and 1 bone projectile point make up the faunal assemblage. Most of the material came from the feature fill and surrounding areas. Many of the bones were burnt. Large mammal remains were most abundant. Elk remains consisted of a vertebral fragment and a molar; 64 bones were speciated as white-tail deer. Other species include raccoon, groundhog, gray squirrel, chipmunk, wild turkey, eastern box turtle, soft-shelled turtle, toad, mouse, vole, and catfish.
3 historic artifacts are mentioned in the site report, two rifle/musket flints and 1 coal clinker.
Flotation samples were taken from all 9 features, but only yielded five charred seeds. Only one of these (a pennyroyal seed) is native to the Americas. 61 small fragments of hickory shell, 21 fragments of black walnut, and 92 unidentified nutshell fragments were also recovered at the site.
Testing at the Wallizer site indicates excellent preservation of features below the plowzone in the floodplain, as well as a small strip of buried A horizon dating from site occupation along a section of the stream bank.
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