Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18AN408 DCC 2
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The DCC 2 Site (18AN408), or Edwards Site, is the archeological remnants of a Late Archaic base camp, and a series of Early, Middle, & Late Woodland short-term resource procurement camps near Crownsville, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The site is situated on two adjacent spurs in an upland area at the head of an unnamed tributary to the South River. The western part of the site was a plowed field at the time of its discovery, while the eastern part was in secondary growth woods. Soils at the site are Collington series sandy loams.
The site was first identified in 1976, during a Phase I survey conducted in the potential corridors of what would eventually become I-97. The site was recognized because of the portion of it in the plowed field. Plowed fields and other exposures (tree falls, road cuts, etc.) were the primary focus of examination during the I-97 survey. In addition, small test pits (probably STPs) were dug in most of the areas inspected on foot. The Edwards Site was described as a temporary campsite, which yielded 1 Brewerton point, 1 Rossville point, 1 side-notched point, 5 bifaces/biface fragments, 78 flakes, and 18 broken cobble fragments. Raw materials include primarily quartz, with much lesser amounts of quartzite, rhyolite, and chert. When it became apparent that a more western highway corridor which came closer to the site was preferred, the decision was made to return to 18AN408 and carry out more intensive work.
Researchers returned to the site in 1979 and excavated two 60 X 60 cm test units in an effort to gain a better understanding of the site stratigraphy and integrity. One test unit was situated on each of the upland spurs, about 87 m apart. Soil was hand trowelled and sifted through hardware cloth. The test units yielded identical profiles (a typical Ap-B-C) and artifacts were recovered both in the plowzone and in the B horizon. The presence of artifactual material below the plowzone indicated that the site might have undisturbed cultural deposits. Accordingly, Phase II investigations were recommended for 18AN408.
The artifact assemblage collected during the 1979 excavations included 1 Piscataway point, a retouched flake, 27 other flakes, 7 chunks, 82 pieces of shatter, a metal fence staple, 3 nails, 3 tin-glazed earthenware sherds, 1 salt-glazed stoneware sherd, a porcelain sherd, and 9 pieces of unidentified clear glass. All of the historic materials were recovered from the plowzone.
Phase II investigations at the Edwards site were carried out intermittently from late May to the end of October, 1982. The work entailed several different strategies: controlled surface collection, shovel test pits (STPs), 1 X 1m test squares, and augering. A total 140 STPs were excavated in the wooded portion of the site, each measuring approximately 35 cm in diameter. All STPs were dug to sterile subsoil and all excavated soils were screened through hardware cloth. In the portion of the site that was an agricultural field, controlled surface collection was utilized. After plowing, harrowing, and several heavy rains, the field was divided into 3 X 3 m collection units (1,576 units total) and subjected to multiple walk-overs. All artifacts except coal (which appeared to be from modern field dumping) were collected.
Based on artifact density maps generated by the above two procedures, and on the depth of the A horizon as determined by STPs and selected augering, five 1 X 1 m test units were dug. Two were situated in the wooded area and three were situated in the plowed field. These units were excavated by removing the plowzone as a single unit, then excavating the E horizon in arbitrary 5 cm levels, unless the horizon was very shallow, in which case it was excavated as a single unit. Finally, each unit was 5 cm into the sterile subsoil. All soil was sifted through hardware mesh and all cultural material was retained. Samples of the soil were taken at 10 cm increments from the sidewalls of the two test squares in the woods for pedological analysis.
The Edwards site appears to consist of several overlapping loci of prehistoric occupation beginning during the Early Archaic and continuing through the Late Woodland, with most activity occurring during the Late Archaic, ca. 4000-1000 BC. The tool assemblage is dominated by projectile points, but also includes knives, scrapers, a graver, 2 hammerstones, and a cobble chopper. The range of debitage at the site (flakes, cores, and shatter) is evidence for on-site tool manufacture from the locally available quartz and quartzite. There is some pottery present but in very small amounts. No bone material was recovered, but conditions are poor for bone preservation in the acidic, sandy soils of the site. The overall assemblage suggests a hunting and gathering function for 18AN408.
The Edwards site was most likely used as an upland hunting and gathering station by prehistoric groups oriented toward the South and/or Severn Rivers and estuaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Review of diagnostics from the site show that the periods of most intense occupation were the Late Archaic and Terminal Archaic. There is also evidence for its use as a campsite throughout the Woodland. The archeological remains of these various occupations are broadly dispersed. In recent times, the site has been disturbed through plowing and erosion. The evidence for erosion is in the thin A horizon on the crests of the spurs, the thicker A horizon on the slopes, and a ridge of accumulated sandy soil along the current field edge. This reworking of soils has contributed to the horizontal and vertical dispersal of artifacts. Root and rodent activity have also contributed to the instability of the cultural profile. It is believed that the preponderance of sub-plowzone artifacts recovered can be attributed to these natural processes. The testing failed to locate any notable concentrations of artifacts either horizontally or stratigraphically, which would suggest good preservation within a particular area of the site. No cultural features were identified.
Prehistoric artifacts recovered during Phase II work at 18AN408 in 1982 include a bifurcate base point, 7 Vernon points, 6 Piscataways, 5 Bare Island points, 2 Normanskills, 1 Clagett point, 1 Lamoka-like point, 1 Koens-Crispin, 2 Brewerton side-notched points, 1 Brewerton eared point, 2 untyped stemmed points, 2 Orient Fishtails, 1 Dry Brook, 1 Savannah River, 2 Calvert points, a Meadowood point, 3 Selby Bay points, 2 Jack’s Reef corner-notched points, a Late Woodland triangular point, and 15 unidentified points. Also recovered were 42 bifaces, 32 cores, 24 modified/retouched flakes, 2,251 other flakes, 229 lithic chunks, 506 pieces of shatter, 10 Marcey Creek sherds, 1 Accokeek sherd, 1 Pope’s Creek sherd, 18 Mockley, 1 Townsend sherd, 1 Potomac Creek sherd, 5 Moyaone sherds, and 15 unidentified prehistoric ceramic pieces. The lithic raw materials utilized include (in descending order of importance) quartz, quartzite, rhyolite, chert, silicified sandstone, and jasper.
In spite of the dispersal and disturbance, the site is still an important source of information in terms of its contribution to the overall settlement system of prehistoric occupants. The range of artifacts, types of lithic materials, and chronological indicators provide evidence for site function, group mobility, and indirectly, climatic changes and population shifts through time. In the absence of buried, undisturbed remains, questions such as these can most effectively be addressed by delineating the site and taking a systematic sample by controlled surface collection or by systematic test excavations. Since a large systematic sampling has already been completed as part of the Phase II investigations, the site’s research potential has likely been exhausted. The site should not be considered a significant archeological resource.
|
