Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18CA203 MD Route 404 Site A
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
MD Route 4 Site A (18CA203) is a multicomponent site with Late Archaic through Late Woodland occupations and a historic refuse scatter. It is situated on a bluff on the southern bank of Watts Creek in Caroline County. There is some evidence from historic maps that the area was a low knoll prior to historic grading activity. A tributary of Watts Creek, forms the eastern boundary of the site. Plowzone is present across most of the site. Soils in the area are predominately well-drained Sassafras loamy sand. The site measures about 61 m long by 37 m wide.
Phase I investigations at the site were conducted in mid 1998. The Maryland State Highway Administration had proposed improvement of Route 404 south of Denton, Maryland. The improvements included re-engineering the two-lane undivided roadbed into a dual lane divided highway. The primary goals of the Phase I survey were to assess ecological and historical factors affecting the presence and interpretation of archeological sites within the project area, to locate evidence of potentially significant archeological sites, and to define approximate limits of any such sites with respect to project actions. The project area was divided into 7 sections (Sections A-G). Shovel test pits (STPs) were excavated at 20 m intervals. All excavated soils were screened and all artifacts were retained except for coal, slag, and modern plastic fragments which were weighed or counted and discarded. Site 18CA203 was identified in the southern portion of Section C in the project area. The site was defined by 10 STPs.
A total of 42 prehistoric artifacts were collected at the time of the Phase I study. There were 34 pieces of debitage (5 jasper, 9 chert, 20 quartz) and 5 tools (1 broken quartz point, 1 thumbnail scraper, 1 biface, 2 flake tools). Two other lithics were battered rocks. There was 1 ceramic, a cord marked and quartz tempered sherd. The character of the lithic assemblage indicated that tool maintenance, rather than tool production, occurred at the site. The site likely represented the repeated use of the location throughout the prehistoric period. It was suggested that the single ceramic sherd indicated occupation in at least the Late Woodland period.
In addition to the prehistoric deposits, 2,748 historic artifacts were also recovered. There were 2,698 activity items; large quantities (n=2,694) of button blanks were recovered from a few shovel tests (STPs 23, 85-88). These represented secondary trash disposal from a button factory that formerly operated to the west of MD 404. The buttons probably dated to the 1930s or later and the deposit was not considered potentially significant. The 4 other activity items included 2 fragments of lamp glass, 1 clothespin spring, and 1 rubber wheel from a toy. There were 14 architectural items (5 brick fragments, 3 shards of flat/window glass, 1 wire nail, 1 cut nail, 1 screw, 1 bolt, 1 piece of tarpaper, and 1 fragment of an asphalt shingle. A total of 31 kitchen-related items were found (11 bottle glass fragments, 3 creamware and 4 redware sherds, 7 metal can fragments, and 6 oyster shell fragments). There were 4 miscellaneous items (3 pieces of plastic and 1 piece of cloth). The single tobacco item was a cigarette filter. No early structures were located within the site area and the materials may represent secondary refuse disposal from another nearby location.
Site 18CA203 was identified as having potential for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and further evaluation studies were recommended. Therefore, Phase II archival research was begun in December 1998 and fieldwork was conducted in early 1999. Anticipated impact to the project/site area included grading of the proposed additional traffic lanes, construction of a bridge over Watts Creek, and some earthmoving activities related to the establishment of drainage control features. The goals of the Phase II investigations were to establish the site’s boundaries, integrity, and research potential, to evaluate the chronological and functional profiles of the site in order to evaluate it within the models of settlement and subsistence patterns established for the Delmarva region, to determine the site’s eligibility for listing on the National Register, and to make recommendations for mitigation or avoidance if it is found eligible.
Field investigations involved re-establishing the original Phase I testing grid locations. A 5 meter grid was then placed over the area within the originally identified site boundaries. When it became obvious that the site extended much further than originally anticipated, the outer grid interval was widened to 10 meters. A series of 58 shovel test pits (STPs) were excavated across the grid. A total of six 1 m² test units (TUs) were then excavated at the site. All excavated soils were screened through ¼” mesh hardware cloth and all encountered artifacts were retained. Cultural features were bisected and excavated; most features were fully excavated. Soil samples were collected from features for flotation.
Five cultural features were identified during the Phase II testing. Feature 1 was identified in TUs 2 and 3. The feature in TU2 contained a series of 22 small round soil stains and in TU3, 15 soil stains were encountered. After excavation, 23 of the 37 stains were reliably determined to be postmolds. They were of various shape, size and depth, and some of the stains might have represented two superimposed postmolds. Feature 1 was tentatively identified as the postmolds from a circular prehistoric structure. Features 7-9 were encountered below the subsoil in TU5. They were 3 parallel shallow trough features, although Feature 8 appeared to cut through Feature 9. Feature 10 was also located in TU5. It consisted of a series of 5 postmolds identified directly beneath Feature 8. Feature 10 was identified at the top of the subsoil (below level 2). Feature 9 and Feature 10 were interpreted as possibly associated with a prehistoric structure or a post in ground feature. Feature 10 was left in situ as it represented a probable structural feature in an undisturbed context.
A total of 509 prehistoric artifacts were retrieved during the Phase II study. There were 391 pieces of debitage and 7 cores. There were 62 tools (1 sandstone point loosely identified as a possible Early Woodland type, 3 tested pebbles, 7 retouched flakes, 41 utilized flakes, and 10 biface tools). There were 7 fire-cracked rock fragments. The lithics, when sorted by material type, indicate utilization of predominately local raw material sources (4 argillite, 4 chalcedony, 59 chert, 2 hornsfeld, 119 jasper, 244 quartz, 8 quartzite, 6 rhyolite, 12 sandstone, 4 slate). A total of 42 ceramic sherds including 1 rim sherd were identified including 11 crushed quartz tempered, 1 quartz and sand tempered, 3 shell tempered, 23 crushed rock tempered, and 4 unidentifiable sherds. Of those, 14 were identified to a type: 6 Wolfe neck, 1 Hell Island, 1 Townsend, 1 Ware Plain, 1 Accokeek, 3 Minguannan, and 1 Mockley. The majority of the ceramic assemblage was located in the plowzone.
A total of 1,234 historic artifacts were also retrieved from the site. An additional 218 button blanks were collected and added to the activity items in the table above. The other 68 activity items included 48 fragments of lamp glass, 1 rubber hose fragment with metal clamp, 1 clothespin, 1 possible fragment of wire fence, 3 rubber auto parts, 13 oil can fragments, and 1 glass candle holder. There were 167 architectural items including 99 brick fragments, 15 window glass shards, 1 wrought nail, 1 cut nail, 2 wire nails, 4 unidentified nails, 1 spike, 20 mortar fragments, 2 plaster fragments, 2 bolt/screw, 1 nut, 2 miscellaneous hardware, 4 linoleum pieces, and 13 asphalt shingle pieces. A brick structure and a partially dismantled brick barbeque were located on the site, which could account for the brick. Also, a number of collapsed or decaying outbuildings were located on the perimeter of the site which could also have contributed architectural materials to the assemblage. There was 1 clothing item (a white glass button with pie crust pattern). There were 620 kitchen-related items including 336 bottle glass fragments (mostly 20th century), 27 jar fragments, 4 table glass fragments, 44 ceramic sherds (26 redware, 3 refined earthenware, 1 semi-porcelain, 1 stoneware, 9 creamware, 3 whiteware, 1 buff ware), 1 glass measuring cup fragment, 93 can fragments, 35 possible can fragments, 1 pull tab, 3 plastic bottle caps, 1plastic cup, 2 metal caps, 1 beer can, 17 animal bone fragments, and 55 oyster shell fragments. Much of the historic assemblage, mostly recovered from the surface in the area of TU5, suggested mid-20th century farm perimeter dumping, or possible disposal of unwanted or abandoned items from an older house before demolition or removal. There were 157 miscellaneous items including 11 unidentified metal fragments, 1 unidentified buckle (material and function), 46 pieces of plastic, 51 coal/charcoal/clinker fragments, 12 asphalt fragments, 14 pieces of concrete, 4 pieces of Styrofoam, 2 pieces of foil, 1 piece of synthetic fiber, 5 fragments of wood, 9 unidentified can fragments, and 1 unidentified object. There was 1 personal item (a mirror fragment). There were 2 arms-related items (.22 caliber casings).
Based on the results of the Phase II investigations at site 18CA203, it was determined that the prehistoric component of the site was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D. Recovery of features from the undisturbed portion of the site may allow reconstruction of the activities carried out at the site. The presence of structures (base on the posthole features) could provide a basis for estimating the size and structure of settlement. Furthermore, the site is located on the opposite bank of Watts Creek from site 18CA205. Site 18CA205 also has Archaic and Woodland period components, which suggested the possibility that the occupants of the two sites were in contact with each other. If the two sites represented settlement by different groups in the prehistoric periods, significant information on settlement and political structures could be gained. The historic component of 18CA203 was considered to have no in situ integrity and no research potential and was therefore not considered eligible for listing on the National Register. Data recovery was recommended for the undisturbed portion of the site if it could not be avoided.
As avoidance was not a feasible project alternative, a data recovery program was initiated in September 2005. Several goals were to be addresses in the Phase III study: establish a detailed chronology for the site, attempt to reconstruct the local landscape and environment, determine the types of activities that occurred at the site, and assess the available evidence on subsistence strategies employed by the occupants. The investigations were limited to the limits of disturbance (LOD). The proposed road improvements were to impact the southern portion of the site, which was an open, grassy residential lawn adjacent to a driveway. A total of 24 test units (TUs) were excavated in 4 blocks. All units were excavated in arbitrary 5 cm levels within natural stratigraphy. On completion of the TU excavations, five 1 meter wide trenches were mechanically stripped of plowzone to search for features across a wider portion of the site.
Block 1 involved 8 TUs (1-8) in a 2x 4 m configuration, and was placed adjacent to the location of 2 contiguous Phase II units that contained postmolds. Block 2 involved 4 TUs in a 2 x 2 m formation and was located just west of the driveway. Block 3 involved 8 TUs in a 2 x 4 m configuration and was located near the estimated location of one of the Phase II units (TU5) containing postmolds. Block 4 involved 4 TUs in a 2 x 2 m formation and was located in the tall grassy field south of a wooded area and closer to MD 404.
Features were only identified in Block 1 and in adjacent Trenches 3 and 4. Feature 1 was identified in TUs 2 and 4 as a dark, irregular stain consisting of ash and dark brown sand with some mottling. The feature was basin-shaped in profile and measured 60 cm in diameter and 25 cm deep. A small number of prehistoric and historic materials were recovered from the fill. The feature was interpreted to be a recent historic fire pit or camp fire. Two possible postholes were identified in the northern portion of Trenches 3 and 4. Based on their shape and fill matrix, they were determined to be historic in origin. In addition, a recent historic bottle dump and a modern dog burial were encountered in Block 3. No other cultural features were identified within the Block excavations and no features were identified as a result of the mechanical stripping. Despite extensive trenching, the apparent postmold pattern revealed in Phase II investigations at the site was not relocated.
A total of 509 prehistoric artifacts were retrieved during the Phase III study. There were 412 pieces of debitage (147 jasper, 203 quartz, 18 rhyolite, 21 chert, 20 quartzite, 3 chalcedony) and 4 cores (2 jasper, 1 chert, 1 quartz). In all, 21 lithic tools were recovered including 1 argillite Susquehanna Broadspear point, 1 jasper Rossville point, 1 jasper Calvert point, 1 jasper Selby Bay point, 1 chert Perkiomen point, 1 unidentified point fragment, 4 biface tools, 10 modified and/or utilized flakes, and 1 tested cobble. Two fragments of quartzite fire-cracked rock were identified. There were 2 other lithic items including 1 sandstone pestle/hammerstone/anvil and 1 possible chopper. The raw materials present in the lithic assemblage represent primarily use of locally available materials with the exceptions of argillite and rhyolite which were not found locally. A total of 68 ceramic sherds were identified. There were 23 Rappahannock sherds (listed as Townsend in the table above), 3 Coulbourn sherds, 13 Accokeek sherds, 23 unidentified sherds with quartz temper, 2 unidentified sherds with chert temper, and 4 sherds with unidentifiable temper.
A total of 117 historic artifacts were retrieved during the Phase III study. The only activity items encountered (n=18) were button blanks related to the aforementioned nearby button factory. There were 24 architectural items including 8 brick fragments, 2 pieces of window glass, 3 wrought nails, 10 cut nails, and 1 bolt. There were 71 kitchen-related items including 5 bottle glass fragments and 1 table glass fragment, 45 ceramic sherds (6 creamware, 1 whiteware, 38 redware), 1 pull tab, 1 corroded metal blade, 5 animal bone fragments, and 13 cut animal bone pieces. Three pieces of coal were the only miscellaneous items. One white clay pipe stem fragment comprised the tobacco category of items and a single bullet comprised the arms-related group.
MD Route 4 Site A (18CA203) is a multicomponent site with Late Archaic through Late Woodland occupations and a historic refuse scatter. The artifact distribution at the site suggested stratified but collapsed prehistoric contexts. The recovery of historic artifacts from all levels within the units also suggested some mixing of contexts. The lithic artifact assemblage suggested that expedient stone tool manufacture was one of the primary activities at the site. Much of the debitage reflected late stage work such as biface manufacture and re-sharpening. It was determined that substantial intact deposits were not likely be located outside of the limits of disturbance at the site. The data recovery work mitigated the adverse impacts to the affected portion of the site, therefore, no further archeological research was recommended in association with the State Highway MD 404 project.
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