Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18PR1081 TRC MQ-10
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
Site 18PR1081 is a high-density prehistoric artifact concentration located in a wooded area on a low terrace overlooking Lake Ruth and Burch Branch to the south, situated near the Millville Quarry site in Prince George’s County. Millville Quarry is located in the western portion of the Coastal Plain physiographic province within an area consisting of broad and gently sloping upland surfaces and stream terrace settings. The project area encompasses a relatively level landform between an unnamed tributary of Mattawoman Creek and Burch Branch Creek. The site measures approximately 175-x-95 m, and is bracketed by two ephemeral drainages which lead to Burch Branch. The site area slopes gently from north to south before sharply dropping 4-6 ft along a steep bank into the stream. The far western edge of 18PR1081 overlooking the Burch Branch Creek is mapped as Potomac-Issue complex; these soils are poorly drained, frequently flooded, silt loam, and not prime for farmland. Further from the creek terrace on the upland overlooking Burch Branch Creek to the west, soils are mapped as a combination of Downer-Hammontown complex, Grosstown-Hoghole complex, and Grosstown-Woodstown-Beltsville complex. These soils are well drained, fertile, loamy sands typically located on a 2 to 5 percent slope of fluviomarine terraces, broad inter-stream divides, and stream terraced landforms.
Since there are still some gaps in our understanding of the cultural sequences in this area, the prehistory of this region is partially reconstructed from the data derived from the surrounding region. General sequence for the region begins with the Paleoindian period (ca. 11,000-9500 BC), followed by the Archaic period (ca. 9500-1250 BC) and ends with the Woodland period (ca. 1250 BC-AD 1600). Known site types for the Paleoindian period in the Middle Atlantic region include base camps located near high-quality lithic sources and smaller transient hunting camps near the game-attractive areas. During the Archaic period in the Middle Atlantic coastal plain, settlements became increasingly sedentary and a broader range of food resources were gradually incorporated into Archaic subsistence economies. Early Archaic sites with intact components are quite uncommon in Prince George’s County. The Middle Archaic occupations are small and limited primarily in tool manufacturing for tool kit replenishment; these sites are likely located in drowned valleys and estuaries along the margins of the Chesapeake Bay and such sites are difficult to identify. Settlement patterns in the western coastal plain during the Late Archaic show an increased riverine focus and an increase in size. This suggests that procurement strategies were intensively focused on locally abundant resources such as shellfish and fish prawns. Overall, Late Archaic subsistence economies remained diffuse in character, with the exploitation in the uplands of a broad range of resources such as acorns, hickory nuts, and butternuts as well as large and small seasonally abundant game. The Early Woodland period is marked by the introduction of ceramics and an intensification of burial ceremonialism. It is assumed that Early Woodland populations subsisted mainly by hunting, gathering, and fishing, not unlike the manner of their Late Archaic predecessors. The Middle Woodland period is characterized by intensification of trade networks, horticultural practices, and possible season aggregation and dispersal of large settlements. During the Late Woodland period, there still seems to have been a focus on intensive hunting and gathering, with large estuarine camps and villages surrounded by micro-band camps. Maize agriculture and evidence of settlement fortification is present in the coastal plain.
A Phase I investigation was conducted by TRC and identified sites 18PR1079 and 18PR1081 in September 2014. The survey work was conducted across 322 acres of the Limits of Disturbance for the quarry extension activities. Field investigations consisted of a combination of systematic surface collection of the plowed fields (160 acres) and excavation of shovel test pits at 20 meter and 25 meter intervals (90 acres unplowed) of moderate to high probability identified during the Phase IA study. In addition, 70 acres were surveyed with a combination of pedestrian survey and judgmental shovel test pits. A total of 1,270 STPs were excavated and 998 25x25 meter cells were surface collected. As a result, 12 newly recorded archaeological sites were documented (18PR1072, 18PR1073, 18PR1074, 18PR1075, 18PR1076, 18PR1077, 18PR1078, 18PR1079, 18PR1080, 18PR1081, 18PR1082, 18PR1083) and 1,534 artifacts were collected. Of these twelve sites, 18PR1079 and 18PR1081 were high density prehistoric artifact concentrations recorded in both plowzone and sub-plowzone contexts in the wooded area and open field surrounding the central drainage on the property. Artifacts recovered from these sites include quartz, quartzite, jasper, and chert debitage, and formal stone tools include biface fragments and projectile points, cores, and related cobble reduction debris and fire-cracked rock. A consistent presence of debitage in deeper sub-plowzone contexts indicates that cultural deposits may remain undisturbed. As such it was recommended that further investigations of these sites could contain information considered important to the understanding of the prehistory of the area. Both sites were recommended for avoidance or additional field studies.
Site 18PR1081 consists of high-density prehistoric artifact concentration located in a wooded area on a low terrace overlooking Lake Ruth and Burch Branch to the south. The site measures approximately 175 x 95 meters and is bracketed by two ephemeral drainages which lead to Burch Branch. The site area slopes gently from north to south before sharply dropping 4-6 feet along a steep bank into the stream. The Phase II excavation consisted of hand-excavation of 45 additional STPs and ten 1 x 1 meter test units.
The Phase II STPs within site 18PR1081 yielded cultural material from both plow zone and subplowzone strata. Typical STP profiles consisted of a dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam A horizon over a variable brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) or very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sand. A majority of STPs excavated within 18PR1081 also encountered a third soil layer, a very pale brown (10YR 8/4 or 10YR 8/3) sand. This third layer was universally culturally sterile across the entire site. Overall, 121 prehistoric artifacts were recovered from 18PR1081 STPs. The majority of test units excavated revealed an Ap horizon (Stratum I) overlying a weathered Bw horizon (Stratum II) and terminating in a sandy sterile subsoil horizon. Stratum I yielded primarily prehistoric and cultural material, including a high volume of quartz, quartzite, chert, jasper, chalcedony, and sandstone lithic debitage. A high number of formal diagnostic stone tool were also recovered at the site. The placement of TUs was guided by artifact concentrations identified during STP excavation.
Phase II work established the identification of one distinct loci of higher artifact concentration within the site (Locus 3), which was identified along the western boundary of the site overlooking the western ephemeral drainage cut and measures approximately 70 x 40 meters. Test units 2, 5, 7, 8, and 10 were excavated within Locus 3. A total of 402 artifacts were recovered from Locus 3, representing over half of the total artifacts found at site 18PR1081. Considering the small size of the area, the frequency of artifacts recovered in Locus 3 represents a significant portion of the overall site sample, perhaps one that is central to the site’s occupation. Stratigraphically, the majority of the artifacts from Locus 3 were recovered from Stratum I, with the remaining 23% from Stratum II.
In total, 723 artifacts were recovered from the Phase II investigation of the site, all of which were prehistoric, except for 12 organic items. Prehistoric artifacts included fire cracked rock (n=137), debitage (n=553), and tools (n=21). Tools included nine projectile points, seven early-stage bifaces, three flake banks, one middle-stage biface, one core fragment, one unifacial tool, and one drill. All tools are made of either quartz (n=16) or quartzite (n=5), the available local raw material for making stone tools. None of the projectile points can be definitely typed as even the complete points exhibit weathering and possible retouching. One of the points is identified as a possible Kirk or Kirk variant type, which dates to the Early to Middle Archaic periods. This would be the earliest specimen. The remaining points are likely of Late Archaic to Early Woodland age. A complete quartz point features side-notching and has been tentatively identified as Otter Creek. Other points have been tentatively identified as Piscataway, and two remaining points feature a stemmed base. The predominance of Kirk, Otter Creek, and Piscataway projectile points in the site sample suggests that the site was primarily utilized throughout the Archaic period, although an Early Woodland component is present.
One locus of higher artifact concentration was identified along the western boundary of the site overlooking an ephemeral drainage channel that leads to Burch Branch. The locus was analyzed separately as an analytical unit (AU 3) from the rest of the site in order to compare the findings to overall site trends. AU 3 measures approximately 70-x-40 m constituting approximately 17 percent of the larger site, but a total of 402 artifacts were recovered from AU 3 representing 55.6 percent of the total artifacts from the larger site. Eight of the 21 tools found within site 18PR1081 were recovered from AU 3, including five bifaces and three projectile points. Two of the points have a stemmed base while the third is a tear-drop shaped Piscataway point which dates to the Late Archaic/Early Woodland transitional period.
Analysis of recovered cultural material from both 18PR1079 and nearby 18PR1081 indicates the sites represent Early Archaic through Early Woodland lithic procurement and processing areas. Analysis of raw materials represented in the site sample shows a strong preference for locally available quartz and quartzite cobbles which are in abundance in both the Burch Branch and ephemeral stream channels in the immediate vicinity. More exotic raw materials are present on both sites, but in much smaller quantities and not concentrated in any identified activity areas. This suggests the site occupants engaged in limited nonlocal trade in the region, possibly from what is now Southern Pennsylvania or northern Maryland. In contrast, the abundance of locally available lithic raw material (quartz, quartize, and jasper) indicates that the lithic assemblage was produced from locally available material occurring in pebble forms resulting in smaller biface reduction debitage and small finished tools.
No subsurface features or evidence of deeply buried cultural deposits were recorded. The absence of features restricts analysis in terms of research questions and themes. Although the analysis of the recovered lithic debitage and tools provides some insight on tool technology, interpretations are limited due to the few diagnostic tools recovered. The absence of dateable features limits research into environmental adaption over time. Due to this absence, and poor site integrity, both 18PR1079 and 18PR1081 are considered to have limited research value and are not recommended eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places or for further study. The project moved forward and the sites were likely destroyed due to modern quarrying activities, limited further research potential.
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