Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18CV61 Ridgeley Farm
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The Ridgeley Farm site (18CV61) is a multi-component archeological site with evidence of Late Archaic, Early Woodland, Middle Woodland prehistoric occupations as well as 19th and 20th century farmstead remnants. The site is located west of Prince Frederick on a level (first) terrace overlooking the Patuxent River, surrounded by agricultural fields, fencerows, and local roads. Under undisturbed (pre-contact) conditions, the native climax vegetation for the site area would be a mixed hardwood forest with stands of pine. Soils at the site were Rosedale fine sands.
The site was first encountered in the spring of 1980 during the course of a preliminary reconnaissance survey of the right-of-way (ROW) for a 500 kV transmission line from the nearby Calvert Cliffs nuclear facility. The purpose of the survey was to provide information on the possible historic and prehistoric cultural resources located along the transmission line right-of-way (ROW). The survey was undertaken in response to a recommendation from the State Archeologist that the corridor be examined.
Following a predictive model, the 1980 survey crew concentrated fieldwork in areas where the project crossed or was parallel to streams or rivers. Four transects roughly 15.24 m apart were surface surveyed along the ROW, and shovel tests were placed every 15.24 m (50 ft) where the surface was obscured. Shovel tests were excavated to the width and depth of the shovel. Shovel testing was intensified at projected tower locations and in areas of high site potential (e.g. the Patuxent River shoreline). Artifacts were described in field notes, but left in place unless they were potentially diagnostic, in which case their locations were recorded and they were collected for further analysis and identification.
Three 91 X 91 cm (3 X 3 ft) test units were also excavated in the backyard of a historic residence built in 1883 (and since razed), which yielded historic materials. A deep 91 X 91 cm exploratory unit was also excavated on the terrace edge to determine the natural stratigraphy of the site (no artifacts were recovered). The unit suggested extensive weathering and that any archeological features should be expected only in the first 31 cm of the site.
Site 18CV61 was found to consist of a moderate concentration of artifacts which included projectile points and other lithic implements, as well as prehistoric ceramics. Diagnostic artifacts collected and mapped during the 1980 reconnaissance included 5 quartz Calvert points, a quartz Kirk point, 1 rhyolite Potomac River side-notched point, 1 other rhyolite point, a net-impressed quartz-tempered sherd, an Accokeek rimsherd, and a shell-tempered sherd. Other artifacts field-identified (but not collected) included bifaces, quartz cores and chunks, quartz scrapers, flaked quartz and chert cobbles, flakes (quartz, rhyolite, quartzite, and chert), a thermally altered jasper chunk, and fire-cracked rock. Test Unit 1 in the historic portion of the site contained one manganese tinted cut glass rim, three clear glass fragments, 1 square nail, and 1 wire nail. One jasper flake, 2 glass lid liner fragments, 4 unidentified glass fragments, 7 square nails, and 6 wire nails were recovered from Test Unit 2. And Test Unit 3 revealed 3 quartz flakes, 3 glass fragments, 3 square nails, and 1 wire nail. Based on the prehistoric findings, additional examination of the site was recommended if the site could not be avoided.
Researchers returned to the site in 1991 to conduct a Phase I survey for the same powerline installation project. The formal Phase I survey was deemed necessary because the Annotated Code of Maryland required consideration of prehistoric and historic resources prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience, which was needed in order for the project to move forward. At 18CV61, the 1991 Phase I work began with the excavation of 4 STPs placed 10 m out radially around the proposed location of a powerline tower. STPs were 35-40 cm in diameter and excavated to sterile subsoil, 30-70 cm in depth. All excavated soil was screened through hardware cloth and measured drawings were made of representative STP profiles.
Three of the 4 STPs contained artifacts. Based on these findings, 7 transects were set up at 20 meter intervals parallel to the centerline of the proposed powerline corridor in the plowed agriculture field encompassing most of the site. These transects were then surface collected. Surface visibility was determined to be 100%, although the ground was dry and dusty. Historic artifacts encountered during Phase I surface collection and STP excavation included a glass marble, a piece of lamp glass, 4 pieces of handmade brick, 4 pieces of mortar, 4 window glass fragments, 6 asphalt shingle fragments, a cut nail, 6 whiteware sherds, 1 yelloware sherd, a Bristol stoneware sherd, a miscellaneous stoneware sherd, 2 glass lid-liner fragments, 2 machine-made bottle glass fragments, 28 bottle glass fragments, a piece of mammal bone, 3 oyster shells, a white clay tobacco pipe stem, 5 unidentified glass fragments, 2 unidentified metal fragments, and 5 pieces of coal. Prehistoric artifacts included 4 Calvert points, 4 stemmed points, a Levanna point, 6 bifaces, 5 utilized flakes, 172 flakes, 26 chunk/shatter fragments, 13 pieces of fire-cracked rock, a pecked stone object, 7 plain shell-tempered sherds, and 1 cord-marked shell-tempered sherd. The portion of the field closest to the river contained a notable concentration of fire-cracked rock. The 13 specimens mentioned above are only the ones retained. The historic artifacts recovered suggest the historic occupation of 18CV61 dates back to the 19th and 20th centuries. Based on these findings, Phase II testing was recommended.
Phase II investigation of Site 18CV61 took place in the summer of 1992 and included the excavation of 45 shovel tests along four transects, twenty-four 1 X 1 m test units, and one 1.5 X 1.5 m test unit. Shovel test Transect 1 followed the alignment of a proposed access road, Transect 3 was placed on the proposed powerline centerline, and Transects 2 and 4 were aligned 20 m to the south and north of the centerline, respectively. STPs measured 30 X 30 cm and were excavated to a depth of 10 cm in the B1 horizon, or to a minimum depth of 40 cm below ground surface. Random augering was also done to establish the presence or absence of deeply buried significant deposits. Soil removed by natural stratigraphy, was screened through hardware cloth.
The location of the twenty-four 1 X 1 m units were determined by the shovel test results and to examine the areas of anticipated subsurface impact. Two units were excavated along the proposed access road adjacent to STPs that had yielded prehistoric pottery. Two units were excavated within the boundaries of the easement between the proposed tower location and the cliff edge above the Patuxent. Four units were excavated within the boundaries of the proposed tower. A total of 16 units (excavated as four 2 X 2 m blocks) were centered on the locations of the footers of the proposed tower. One additional test unit was placed between the tower location and the cliff edge. Initially excavated as a 1 X 1 m unit, it was expanded to a 1.5 X 1.5 m square in order to examine a prehistoric feature. Test units were excavated by natural or arbitrary stratigraphy, according to local conditions, and all soils were screened. Each test unit was excavated at least 10 cm into sterile subsoil.
One intact prehistoric feature was encountered during the Phase II excavations at 18CV61. It initially presented itself as a dense concentration of pottery sherds at about 30 cm below ground surface. Many of the sherds were upright in the soil or overlapping one another. The test unit in which the feature was identified was expanded (to 1.5 X 1.5 m) in size and a concentration of oyster shells and a dark soil stain were identified in the enlarged unit. These were determined to be later (possibly historic) intrusions. The dark stain was likely a historic pit. The sherd concentration is believed to represent a surviving portion of a former prehistoric occupation level that, although later disturbed, survived plowing largely intact.
Prehistoric artifacts encountered during Phase II testing at 18CV61 included 18 bifaces (8 projectile points, 4 point fragments, 5 preforms, 1 “blade”), 29 cores, 30 utilized/retouched flakes, 487 unmodified flakes, 3 hammerstones, 2 anvil stones, 3 possible groundstone items, a large quantity of fire-cracked rock (estimated at 30 pieces), 1 ceramic pipe bowl fragment, 691 ceramic sherds, and a possible piece of daub. Diagnostic projectile points included 1 Bare Island, 1 Selby Bay, 1 Jack’s Reef pentagonal point, 1 Adena point, and 1 Calvert point. Diagnostic ceramic sherds include 3 Pope’s Creek net-impressed, 32 Accokeek sherds (1 rim), and 579 Mockley (9 rim) sherds.
The prehistoric component of Site 18CV61 retains subsurface integrity in at least some portions of the site. In addition, the site has provided significant information relevant to the prehistory of Calvert County and the Western Shore of Maryland. The dominant element in the prehistoric collection was ceramics. Although, in some cases, Accokeek sherds were found below Mockley sherds, in other cases (most notably the prehistoric feature), both wares were found together in an undisturbed context. Since the estimated terminal date of Popes Creek and Accokeek sherds is around AD 200 and the estimated staring date for Mockley also is AD 200, it is tempting to suggest that a date around that time represents the main occupation of 18CV61. The lithic evidence, where it is unambiguous, also points to an Early/Middle Woodland transitional date.
A change in decorative motif from Z-twist cording on the Accokeek vessels to S-twist cording on Mockley sherds raises questions related to ethnic change. Thus, Site 18CV61 appears to possess data relevant to the ethnic transition that encompasses these two distinct ceramic traditions. In other words, these materials potentially can address research issues related to technological change and to social/ethnic transformation in the region. Much of the data has been disturbed greatly by historic tilling or plowing, but it retains sufficient subsurface integrity to be eligible for listing on the NRHP.
Numerous historic artifacts were encountered at 18CV61 during Phase II excavations as well. The historic component includes late 19th and 20th century artifacts found throughout the disturbed A horizon, a modern fence post-hole, traces of garden posts, and a concrete lined well. The vast majority of artifacts were structural in nature: nails (both cut and wire), brick fragments, fragments of tar paper and roof shingles, and window glass were recovered. The age of the artifact collection corresponds to archival evidence for occupation of a former late 19th century house, a resource that is not historically unique. The historic component of Site 18CV61 lacks substantive research potential.
As mentioned previously, the prehistoric component of Site 18CV61 retains sufficient subsurface integrity to be considered eligible for listing on the National Register. In addition, further study of 18CV61 could generate potentially significant information on the late Early Woodland and the early Middle Woodland cultural horizon in the prehistory of the Western Shore. Suggested research questions could focus on evidence of ethnic change in the archeological record, chronological questions regarding Accokeek/Mockley interface, and more complete data recovery of a stratified artifactual assemblage for the east bank of the Patuxent. Subsurface impact to the site during construction of the powerline towers was to be limited to areas that were thoroughly examined during Phase II work. Thus, 18CV61 should still retain much of its subsurface integrity and should be treated as a significant archeological resource.
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