Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18CV271 Otter I
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The Patuxent Point site (18CV271), also known as Otter I, is the remnants of a 17th century homelot and associated cemetery just north of Solomons Island in Calvert County, Maryland. It was the domestic core of an approximately 100 acre tobacco plantation occupied from ca. 1658 through the 1690s. Excavations at the site revealed an earthfast dwelling, borrow pits, an ash-filled pit, middens, post holes, postmolds, and 18 human graves. A substantial prehistoric component is also present, but is likely related more to the nearby Otter II site (18CV272). When the site was first discovered, it was situated on the eastern bank of the Patuxent River in a relatively level field bounded by tree-lined fencerows to the north and south. A small unnamed stream also ran to the north. The Modern environment is much altered by housing development and the related infrastructure. Soils in the site area are Dodon sandy loams, Crosiadore silty loams, and Piccowaxen loams.
The site was first identified during a Phase I survey between December 1986 and February 1987 conducted for the proposed Patuxent Point Subdivision, a housing development. This survey was funded by the developer in anticipation of the passing of a Calvert county ordinance requiring such surveys prior to high density development in areas assessed to have a high potential for containing significant archeological resources. The intent of the survey was to locate any archeological resources within the area of the first phase of construction and to determine the significance of any cultural deposits in terms of their value to the study of Maryland prehistory or history so that decisions about their management could be made.
Phase I survey methods consisted of both surface collection and shovel testing. Site 18CV271 was noted in the northern portion of a field and assigned a site number, but was left largely unexamined. The historic materials were assumed to be related to a 19th/20th century structure shown on older USGS quad maps of the area. It was not until future projects were carried out, that the site’s true nature became more apparent.
Based on the presence of potentially significant sites within the survey area, Phase II research was recommended at 18CV272, and additional Phase I research was recommended in the surrounding areas of the development. This work was carried out during the summer of 1987. In the vicinity of 18CV271, that work entailed the plowing of eight 6.1 m (20 ft) strips across the field from east to west. The strips were separated by unplowed areas 15.24-30.48 meters (50-100 ft). Site 18CV271 was located in the northeastern portion of the field, slightly north of a 20th century house foundation. This foundation is likely the one that is actually shown on early 20th century USGS quad maps, and not whatever structure was present at 18CV271. Additional work in the adjacent field to the east (also entailing surface collection in plowed 6.1 m strips) identified the eastern portion of the site, in this case in the northwestern section of that field. Plowed strips were sub-divided into 6.1 m collection squares from which all visible cultural material was collected and bagged.
Artifacts recovered during the course of the summer fieldwork of 1987 include 137 brick fragments (73 glazed), 4 cut nails, 15 unidentified nails, 58 ceramic sherds (2 creamware, 21 pearlware, 1 porcelain, 7 redware, 5 whiteware, 6 Delftware, 1 white salt-glazed stoneware, and 15 miscellaneous stoneware), 7 kaolin pipe bowls, and 20 kaolin pipe stems. These artifacts appeared to be clustered within the site area, and field researchers noted some discernable clustering of diagnostics. It was posited that several overlapping historic occupations might be represented in the area. Based on these findings, Additional work was recommended if the site could not be avoided during construction of the housing complex.
A combined Phase II/III testing and data recovery project was carried out from 1989 to 1990. These investigations included the controlled surface collection of 786 3.05 X 3.05 m (10 X 10 ft) units and the excavation of seventy-two 1.524 X 1.524 m (5 X 5 ft) plow zone units. All soil was screened through hardware cloth. The remaining plowzone was then stripped from the site, revealing numerous subsurface features and a previously undetected historic cemetery. Sixty-four 17th century subsurface features were excavated, as well as several prehistoric Middle Woodland features. All feature fill was screened through hardware mesh, although in many cases samples for water screening and flotation were saved.
Numerous historic features point to the presence of a 17th century house at the site. During the latter part of the 17th century, the Patuxent Point site was part of “Hodgkin’s Neck”, a 100 acre tract of land first patented in 1651 by a John Hodgins or Hodges. Hodgins died in 1655, and in 1658 his widow assigned her rights to the property to Captain John Obder. Obder probably took up residence at the site in 1658. By 1663, Obder was living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, having apparently abandoned or leased Patuxent Point. An as-yet unidentified tenant family appears to have lived at the site until the end of the 17th century.
The dwelling structure at 18CV271 measured 6.25 X 12.2 m (20.5 X 40 ft), relatively large by 17th century standards, and was of earthfast construction erected in pre-assembled sidewalls. It was divided into 2 or possibly 3 rooms on the ground floor with a loft above. At least one chimney of frame and clay construction heated a portion of the dwelling, and the floor was covered with wooden boards. Fragments of window glass and lead cames indicate that at least some of the windows were glazed. Late in the site’s occupation, the building’s rotten posts at its eastern end were replaced with wooden blocks to underpin the building. While evidence for other buildings at the site is sparse, at least one and perhaps more outbuildings probably existed. Numerous post holes and molds may indicate the locations of structures, but their arrangement is confusing. No evidence for ditch-set paling fences were recovered, despite extensive stripping of the plowzone following its sampling.
The cemetery at Patuxent Point is the earliest colonial family cemetery yet reported in Maryland, and is located west of the principal dwelling. This 17th century graveyard served as the burial ground for the Patuxent Point Site, and possibly the nearby Compton Site (see synopsis report for 18CV279). All grave shafts were excavated by hand and their fill was screened through hardware cloth. The graves consisted of the skeletal remains of 19 remarkably well-preserved individuals, including a fetus recovered in the pelvic area of an adult female. Interments were organized into two clusters, and all but one individual appears to be of European descent. The exception is a young man, buried holding a white clay tobacco pipe, who may have been of African ancestry (there was disagreement amongst researchers on this point).
Unfortunately, no full site report has ever been drafted for the 1989-1990 work conducted at 18CV271. The description above provides a general summary of excavation procedures and findings, but should not be considered exhaustive. In addition, no definitive analysis of the artifacts has been presented. The artifact tallies that follow were derived from an examination of the accession records at the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum (JPPM), where the collection from 18CV271 is curated. In most cases, diagnostic types are not noted, rather only general artifact classes/categories are provided.
The collection from the 1989-1990 fieldwork at 18CV271 consists of 408 activity items, 18,679 architectural artifacts, 82 clothing remains, 42 furniture objects, 91,660 kitchen-related artifacts, 25 personal items, 1,906 tobacco-related artifacts, 301 arms objects, and 5,946 miscellaneous objects. In addition to these historic artifacts, 29 sets of human remains are cataloged in the collection, along with 160 possible human bones. The activity items were a porcelain marble, 161 clay target fragments, 16 pieces of burned clay, a piece of lamp glass, 26 fragments of non-electrical wire, 4 nuts, 14 bolts, 18 screws, 4 washers, 4 rivets, 2 pieces of chain link, 16 fragments of metal strap, a metal rod, 2 metal rings, and iron file, 3 hoe parts, 2 fishing hooks, 7 possible blades (could be knife, shear, scissors, etc.), 2 copper dividers/compasses, 4 possible grinding tools, 9 strike-a-lights, 71 pieces of European flint (uncertain function), 33 iron canister fragments, 4 harness parts, and 2 harness/tack buckles. Architectural artifacts were 4 asphalt shingle fragments, 52 pieces of tarpaper, 35 dutch bricks, 2,258 other bricks, 9,596 pieces of daub, 5 unidentified daub/brick fragments, 189 pieces of mortar, 29 pieces of cement, roughly 198 pieces of window glass, 8 pieces of lead window came, a fragment of dressed sandstone, 5,988 nails (unidentified form), 73 spikes, 187 tacks, 6 hinges, 5 hooks and eyes, and 45 miscellaneous hardware objects. The clothing remains were a fabric fragment, an iron button, 3 brass/copper buttons, 1 pewter button, 1 copper alloy aiglet, a diagnostic Shoe Buckle (1660-1720), 6 other buckles, a spur, a steel safety pin, 7 brass straight pins, 48 copper alloy straight pins, a thimble, and 10 shroud pins. Furniture objects include 4 tacks, a possible furniture handle, a mid-17th C. stock lock part, and 36 pieces of coffin wood. Kitchen related artifacts included 3,077 ceramic sherds (2,837 earthenware sherds, 3 refined sherds, 2 porcelain sherds, 3 Bellarmine stoneware fragments, 2 redware sherds, 211 miscellaneous stoneware sherds, and 19 unidentified ceramics), 2,214 glass fragments (a fragment of Roemer table glass, 14 other table glass fragments, 85 unidentified container glass fragments, and 2,114 bottle glass shards), a cork, a possible bone bottle stopper, a crown cap, 11 utensils (7 bone utensil handles, a knife blade, 2 pewter spoons, and a latten spoon), 5 tin cans, 86,345 faunal remains (8,631 fish bones/scales, 261 reptile bone/carapace fragments, 62 bird bones, 12,268 animal bones, 181 crustacean bone/claw/shell fragments, 11,087 clam shell pieces, 53,244 oyster shell fragments, 2 periwinkle shells, 124 mussel shells, 325 other shell fragments, and 160 egg shells), and 5 floral remains (a nut hull and 4 seed/nut pits). The personal items were a Richmond Farthing (1634-1636), a 17th century British trade token, a key, 13 glass beads, 2 pewter cufflinks, an eyeglass lens, 4 mirror fragments, a ring, and a bone comb tooth. Tobacco-related artifacts include 5 agatized pipes, 304 terra-cotta pipe fragments, 1,595 white clay pipe fragments, a possible pipe stem, and an ash sample from a white clay pipe. Arms objects were 2 lead bullets, a piece of lead sprue, 14 shot fragments, 4 copper cartridges, 42 shotgun shells, 33 gunflints/possible gunflints, and 205 gunflint flakes/chunks. Miscellaneous items include 434 unidentified metal objects, 55 unidentified glass fragments, a rodent bone, 16 barnacles, 997 snail shells, 2,179 pieces of stone (various types), 20 pieces of coal, 43 pieces of wood, 2,136 pieces of charcoal, 6 slag fragments, an unidentified worked bone, and 58 unidentified objects.
Very little is known about the prehistoric deposits at 18CV271. Again, no full site report has been completed and such publications as exist focus on the colonial deposits at the site. Several prehistoric features were encountered, but there precise form has not been reported. Prehistoric artifacts accessioned into the JPPM collections include 47 projectile points, 24 bifaces, 27 cores, 4 scrapers, 3 unifaces, a utilized flake, 23 retouched flakes/chunks, 1,781 other flakes, 421 shatter fragments, 2 tested cobbles, 1 unworked piece of rhyolite, 12 unworked pieces of chert, 111 unworked quartz fragments, 15 unworked quartzite fragments, 2 unworked sandstone fragments, 7 hammerstones, 8 red ochre fragments, 1,074 fire-cracked rocks, 3 steatite bowl fragments, a possible steatite fishing sinker, 2 possible groundstone celts, a greenstone adze, a pestle/mano, a bannerstone, 18 possible Pope’s Creek sherds, 2 possible Potomac Creek sherds, 18 possible Accokeek sherds, 31 possible Mockley sherds, 40 possible Townsend sherds, 1 possible Camden sherd, a possible Yeocomico sherd, 2 granite-tempered sherds, 132 grit-tempered sherds, 227 quartz-tempered sherds (1 rim), 41 sand/grit-tempered sherds, 48 sand/shell-tempered sherds, 202 sand-tempered sherds (3 rims), 960 shell-tempered sherds (4 rims), and a possible daub fragment, and 3 shell beads. Based on the preponderance of shell-tempered pottery, there is a likelihood that the prehistoric deposits at 18CV271 are related to the substantial Mockley component at nearby 18CV272. A thorough examination of the collection is warranted.
When the Patuxent Point site was first occupied, the Maryland colony was embarking on what has been described as the “golden age” of the yeoman tobacco planter in the Chesapeake. Political stability and economic growth allowed many white, free male immigrants to accumulate wealth throughout the third quarter of the 17th century. By the 1680s, however, the tobacco economy was moving towards collapse, and the region entered a period of economic depression that lasted into the early 18th century. The Patuxent Point collection can be used to examine the material conditions of life during this period of growth and decline. It was also a time when enslaved African men and women began to replace indentured servants as the primary labor force.
Site 18CV271 is certainly a historically significant site, dealing with a time period and historical themes of interest to many researchers. Unfortunately, the research that was conducted at the site did not result in a full site report. Today most of the site has been destroyed or extensively altered by activities associated with the Patuxent Point housing development. Thus, the most worthwhile avenue for additional research is in the lab. Thorough analysis of all existing field notes, artifacts, features data, collected samples, etc. is warranted not only for the significant colonial component, but also for the potentially significant prehistoric component. A full site report, based on what data exists would be a major step forward and should be pursued if an opportunity arises.
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