Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18AN580 Koppers East
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The Koppers East site (18AN580), or Lutkefedder 2, is an apparent Early & Late Archaic lithic scatter and short-term use camp located in the Harmans/Arundel Mills area of northern Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The site is situated on a small knoll with gently sloping sides that descend to ward streams on the south and east. At the time of the site’s discovery, it was situated in a hay field. The property was plowed at one time, but was subject to deep plowing. The primary vegetation during prehistoric times likely consisted of hardwoods such as oaks, sweetgum, and yellow-poplar. Soils at the site are well-drained Rumford loamy sands.
The site was first identified during a Phase I survey conducted in 1985 and 1986. The field project was carried out along three proposed alternates for the expansion of MD 100. The various highway alternatives would span the roughly 7.5 miles between MD 3 and US 1, passing the Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport. Since the highway improvements would receive state and federal monies, the mandates of the NHPA act and related state legislation required the fieldwork.
The field methods involved an initial ground reconnaissance of the three highway alternates to locate above ground structural remains, eliminate low probability areas from the testing strategy, and better determine moderate to high probability areas requiring further investigation. Low probability areas included steep slopes, industrial or residential disturbances, and wetlands. The remaining moderate to high probability areas were grouped together to form survey tracts and they were subjected to surface collection in areas of exposed ground surface and excavation of shovel test pits (STPs) to located buried archeological deposits. The STPs were approximately 35 cm in diameter, with depth varying according to soils in the specific area. The fill from each STP was examined (but not screened) for artifacts and the stratigraphy was recorded.
STPs were excavated just to the south of the site, but no STPs were excavated at 18AN580. Rather, the site was discovered through surface collection. Even though surface visibility was only around 1%, a quartz biface, a quartz graver and scraping tool, 9 quartz flakes, and six pieces of coal ash were recovered. The site was estimated to be roughly 30 X 15 m in size. Based on these findings, Phase II testing was carried out in 1987.
The 1987 Phase II work was also related to the MD 100 highway expansion project. At 18AN580 the Phase II fieldwork entailed the excavation of 678 STPs and ten 1 X 1 m test units. The shovel tests were placed at 3 m intervals along transects 3 m apart. Each was excavated to sterile subsoil (generally 50-60 cm below surface) and screened through hardware cloth to recover artifacts. Artifact finds were then mapped and the data was used to inform the placement of the 1 X 1 m units.
Eight of the formal test units were placed in a central concentration of artifacts, while the other two were placed next to two STPs that had produced biface fragments, but were outside the main concentration. The test units were excavated in natural levels, except where natural levels exceeded 10 cm in depth. In the latter case, arbitrary 10 cm levels were used to subdivide the natural levels. All soil was screened through hardware cloth. Upon completion of each level, the unit was recorded on standardized forms, drawn, and photographed. Profiles were drawn documented upon completion of each full unit.
No cultural features were encountered during the Phase II excavations at 18AN580. A probably tree fall was noted in one unit. The test units usually had three relatively distinct stratigraphic levels and ranged in depth from approximately 30 to 70 cm with most between 50 and 60 cm deep. The vast majority of material, from both STPs and formal test units came from the plowzone. A substantial amount of historic material was also recovered thoughout all units.
Prehistoric artifacts recovered during the Phase II operations in 1987 included a rhyolite Kanawha stemmed point, a quartz Late Archaic stemmed point, a possible Late Archaic argillite side-notched point, 5 other bifaces, 3 cores, 2 utilized/retouched flakes, 615 flakes/flake fragments, 18 pieces of shatter, a tested cobble, 3 pieces of fire cracked rock, an anvil/nutting stone, an unidentified fragment of modified stone, and 48 shell fragments. A number of historic artifacts were also recovered, but this (for the most part) appears to be 20th century discard from a nearby farm, highway maintenance debris, and discard from passing automobiles. Thus, the historic materials are not included in the tables above. Based on these findings, no additional research was required and the highway project proceeded without further consideration of the site.
The site was revisited in October of 2005, during a Phase I reconnaissance survey for a planned development project. The work was conducted on a parcel known as the Harman’s Road Property. At the time, a housing developer was seeking to subdivide the parcel to construct a new residential development. The archeological investigation was undertaken in compliance with Article 26, Title 3-109 of the Anne Arundel County Subdivision Regulations as requested by the Anne Arundel County Department of Planning and Zoning. This legislation calls for the consideration of archeological resources as part of the subdivision permitting and review process.
Phase I work in 2005 entailed initial pedestrian reconnaissance, followed by shovel testing. A grid of 20 STPs was laid across the field that the site was known to be located in at 20 meter intervals. Two of these STPs yielded prehistoric cultural materials, which prompted the excavation of a further 19 radial STPs ( at 5 meter intervals) in order to delineate the perimeters of the site. The STPs measured approximately 35 cm in diameter and extended at least 10 cm into undisturbed natural subsoil. All excavated soil was passed through hardware cloth to ensure uniform recovery of cultural materials.
Although a substantial amount of the site appeared to have been destroyed during improvement of a nearby road, 18AN580 was re-located. A total of 18 prehistoric artifacts were produced, including flake fragments, shatter, and worked cobbles. None of the material was diagnostic and it was all recovered from the plowzone.
The main concentration of the site was small and very intensively tested during the 1987 Phase II study. Despite this intensive testing the site did not produce any features. This was probably due to the fact that the site was never intensively used, or was never used as a long-term camp. While a fair number of prehistoric artifacts were found at the site, these were mixed with significant amounts of historic material, even below the plowzone. Most of the prehistoric material is restricted to the plowzone, in any case. Having no features naturally detracts from the site’s potential for further research. Site 18AN850 does not appear to have the potential for revealing more information than has already been gathered during the various field projects that have taken place.
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