Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18CH383 Area B-1, Site B
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
Site 18CH383 (Area B-1, Site B) is a short-term prehistoric camp located northeast of the town of Indian Head in Charles County, Maryland. It occupies the eastern edge of a ridge situated near a drainage fed by a nearby spring. The site measures approximately 45 X 55 m and is composed of two activity loci. Soils at the site are Beltsville silt loams.
The site was originally investigated as part of a large Phase I survey in 1994, prior to the onset of site preparation and construction for the Chapman’s Landing development. The development included the construction of extensive office and retail space, town houses, single-family houses, and a 200-acre golf course. In addition, roads, sewer lines, utilities, and other improvements would lead to significant impacts in the project area. Numerous archeological sites (both prehistoric and historic) were identified as a part of the 1994 study.
During the Phase I survey, 3 original shovel test pits (STPs) were excavated across the site at 20 meter intervals. These yielded 3 flakes and a hammerstone. An additional 10 flakes were recovered from 3 supplemental shovel tests excavated at 10 meter intervals around the initial positive STPs. In all, 13 STPs were excavated. With the exception of one flake, all of the artifacts from Site 18CH383 were recovered from the second soil stratum, generally from depths of between 12 and 32 cmbs, but sometimes as deep as 42 cmbs. The primary lithic materials from the site were quartz, quartzite, and jasper. The stratigraphic context of the majority of artifacts recovered during the Phase I survey suggested the potential for resource integrity. Thus, the site was recommended for Phase II testing.
Researchers returned to the site later that year to conduct the Phase II work. Phase II evaluation included systematic shovel testing of the site in order to more carefully define the horizontal and vertical distribution of different quantities and categories of artifacts. Shovel tests measured approximately 30 cm in diameter, and were excavated to a minimum depth of 40 cmbs or 10 cm into sterile subsoil, except where ground conditions prevented complete excavation. These were placed at 10 meter intervals. Soils were removed by natural strata and screened through hardware cloth. A total of 84 shovel tests were excavated. Twenty-four of the STPs produced prehistoric artifacts.
Based upon the numerical concentrations and types of artifacts recovered during the Phase II intensive shovel testing, as well as data gathered from the Phase I investigation, formal test units were placed throughout the site. A total of 4 test units were excavated, generally in the areas of densest artifact concentration. The 4 test units measured 1 X 1 m, and were excavated to a minimum of 10 cm into sterile subsoil or to a minimum of 5 cm into fragipan in non-agrading soil deposits. Soils were removed by arbitrary 10 cm levels following natural stratigraphy and were screened through hardware cloth.
A total of 34 prehistoric artifacts were recovered from the Phase II shovel tests. All 4 formal test units yielded artifacts, producing an additional 168 prehistoric artifacts. Four additional artifacts were recovered from the surface. No ceramic sherds were recovered and all were lithic artifacts. The entire assemblage is composed of 2 quartz bifaces, a side scraper, 2 utilized quartz flakes, 7 cores or core fragments, 149 flakes (25 primary, 42 secondary, & 82 non-cortical), 23 pieces of block/shatter, 12 pieces of fire-cracked rock, 1 quartzite abrader and 3 quartzite hammerstones. In addition to the artifacts, a feature, the base of a possible prehistoric hearth or pit, was identified in one of the excavation units. A flotation sample was taken from the feature and produced 1.65 g of charcoal. Twenty of the total 61 fragments in the charcoal sample could be identified as eastern red cedar.
The level of artifacts at Site 18CH383 was quite low, with shovel tests producing usually only 1 or 2 artifacts. The highest concentration of artifacts lay in the central portion of the site. Even here, no shovel test yielded more than 7 artifacts. The horizontal distribution of artifacts within the test units placed in the higher density area was fairly even, with between 38 and 46 artifacts per unit. The bifaces, cores, hammerstones, and fire-cracked rocks were widely distributed throughout the site, occurring in shovel tests well north and south of the artifact concentration area. No tool concentration was detected.
In each of the test units, vertical artifact concentration was mainly confined to the upper portion of the A2 horizon, just below the rootzone. In Test Unit 2, just below the A1/A2 interface, a distinct clustering of artifacts was encountered that included one abrader set in the soil at a vertical angle, 6 flakes, one piece of shatter, and 2 possible fire-cracked rocks. The uniformity of vertical distribution throughout the site and the presence of a feature in the same unit may indicate some degree of vertical integrity has persisted despite contradictory evidence of erosion. However, no diagnostic artifacts were recovered to enable the placement of this vertical concentration within temporal limits.
A high range average flake weight throughout the site, as well as high cortical percentages and the presence of several cores, hammerstones, and tested cobbles suggest that the main activity at the site was primary reduction or lithic extraction. The presence of a small number of biface fragments and utilized flakes suggest that limited final manufacture or maintenance of tools and minor lithics applications industry also was represented. The presence of fire-cracked rock is indicative of limited cooking/heating activities at the site. The fire-cracked rock occurs in quantities much lower than in typical base camp settings. The low numbers of tools suggest that most tools produced or maintained at the site may have been taken away with the site occupants.
The site is best characterized as a short term encampment, utilized mainly as a locus for primary reduction of cobbles probably already begun along the nearby streambed from which they were extracted. While there may be sufficient vertical integrity to differentiate activity areas, the low level and fairly uniform distribution of material, lack of horizontal patterning, and the absence of diagnostic artifacts do not permit the division of the assemblage into functionally or chronologically distinct zones. Without such controls, the site is unlikely to furnish additional significant information. It is not considered a significant prehistoric resource.
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