Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18PR404 Surratts Road #1
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The Surratts Road Site (18PR404) is a multi-component low-density artifacts scatter and resource procurement site in southwestern Prince George’s County, Maryland. The site is situated on a low, upland terrace flanked by Piscataway Creek to the north and an unnamed tributary of Piscataway Creek to the south. The water in the vicinity of the site is fresh, but sluggish, creating a marshy wetland on the floodplain in this area. Most of the site was in cultivation at the time it was first encountered, but some portions were wooded. Soils at the site belong to the Mattapex series.
The Surratts Road Site was identified during a Phase I survey conducted by the State Highway Administration in June and July, 1990. These investigations treated a 60 acre project area proposed as the Surratts Road Truck Training Facility. Three additional resources were identified as part of this survey, but were not deemed significant.
Site 18PR404 was originally identified by the recovery of chipped stone artifacts from a series of shovel test pits (STPs) excavated in the wooded floodplain adjacent to Piscataway Creek. Phase I investigations of the site included the excavation of STPs in areas of less than 50% visibility and a surface collection in the cultivated field. A series of 22 STPs was excavated in the wooded area at the northeast corner of the cultivated field, 33 were located at the eastern end of the field and 11 were scattered across the field. The STPs excavated across the field were placed at intervals of over 50 m. The other two groups of STPs were spaced at 20 m intervals. All STPs were excavated by natural strata and their soils were screened through hardware cloth. In addition, a survey grid was established over the cultivated field in order to facilitate a pedestrian survey. All observed diagnostic artifacts and tools were mapped and collected subsequent to the establishment of the surface survey grid. The field was then gridded into 30 m blocks and a 100% sample was collected from a 3 X 3 m unit in the southwest corner of each block.
The Phase I investigations resulted in the recovery of 167 prehistoric artifacts. These included 94 pieces of chipped stone debitage (flakes, flake fragments and angular debris), 66 tools, four cores, three pecked hammerstones and/or anvils, and 18 pieces of fire-cracked rock. Diagnostic artifacts included 1 Kirk stemmed point, a Stanley point, 2 LeCroy points, a Lackawaxen point, 5 Lamoka points, a Bare Island point, 2 Savannah River points, 4 Piscataway points, and 2 Levannas. The majority of artifacts were manufactured from quartz, with small amounts of quartzite, rhyolite and argillite also being utilized. With the exception of 8 flakes and 1 projectile point which were recovered from STPs located on the east edge of the field and in the wooded area to the northeast, all of the artifacts were located within the cultivated field. Most artifacts came from the surface, but an unplowed A horizon containing artifacts was noted below the 25-35 cm thick plowzone in 5 of the STPs in the vegetated area north of the field. Based on these findings, it was deemed possible that intact deposits and features might be preserved at the site and Phase II testing was recommended.
Phase II testing began with establishment of a new grid system and tying in of the Phase I grid to that new system. The agricultural field portion of the site was re-disked and an intensive surface collection was conducted. The surface was collected in 3 X 3 m units within north/south transects of the field. The transects were established using 30 m and 100 m tapes stretched between grid stakes placed every 10 meters. Pin flags marked 3 m intervals along the sides of each transect. In order to ensure equal coverage, all units were inspected for a two minute period. Recognizable recent materials and common non-diagnostic historic items were recorded in the field, but were not collected. A contour map and scatter plot map of the surface artifact densities were then generated using GIS software, and these maps were then used to guide the placement of 1 X 1m units.
Twenty shovel test pits were located in vegetated areas to the north and west of the cultivated field in order to test the extent of the site in these areas. STPs excavated to the west of the field were placed at 20 m intervals along existing grid lines. The STPs located in the wooded area to the north were placed randomly and later recorded on the site map and grid. The interval between these STPs was between 10 and 20 meters depending on the location. All STPs measured 50 cm in diameter and were hand excavated in natural stratigraphy within 10 cm arbitrary levels. The STP soil was screened through hardware cloth and excavation continued to at least 50 cm below surface and 10 cm below the last recovered artifact. A profile was drawn of each STP and all data was recorded on standardized forms.
Following the intensive surface collection and shovel testing, a total of 73 one meter square test units were excavated to complete the Phase II excavations. These included 47 units placed in areas of high surface artifact density, 25 units located in low density areas, and a single unit situated to test the wooded area north of the field where Phase I work had encountered a remnant A horizon. The 1 X 1 m units were positioned at 10 to 20 m intervals along grid lines designed to cross-cut the centers of both high and low density concentrations. Units were also scattered singly in areas of extremely low density. All units were hand excavated by natural stratigraphy within 10 cm arbitrary levels and soil was screened through hardware cloth. Excavations continued at least 10 cm into the B horizon and 10 cm below the last recovered artifact. Following excavation, a profile of one wall of each unit was drawn and photographed.
These investigations expanded the site boundaries to both the north and west. There was general evidence of plow-related disturbance throughout most of the cultivated portion of the site, but some possible intact areas were identified in the vegetated area, outside the area to be impacted by the SHA training facility project. No cultural features were identified at 18PR404. Two non-cultural features were excavated in two separate test units. In each case the presumed feature was photographed and a plan view was drawn of its appearance when first detected. The feature was then cross-sectioned and all fill was collected. The feature’s profile was drawn and photographed, and its remaining half was removed and bagged. Photographs were taken of the fully excavated feature and a standardized form was completed for each. Upon completion of excavation, both of these features were identified as natural occurrences, possibly related to rodent activity at the site.
The Phase II study resulted in the collection of 196 flaked stone tools (including points, bifaces, unifaces, modified flakes, etc.), 79 cores, 2,473 fragments of debitage, 6 hammerstones, 1 anvil, 1 grooved celt, 2 unidentified grooved/ground stones, 25 prehistoric sherds, and 107 shell fragments, along with 33 historic artifacts. Diagnostic projectile points recovered during Phase II work include 2 St. Albans points, 1 Morrow Mountain point, 2 Stanley points, 6 Savannah Rivers, 2 Lamokas, 3 Brewertons, 2 Bare Island points, 1 Fishtail point, and 10 Piscataway points. An analysis of the raw material types used for the diagnostic points suggests increased use of quartzite and rhyolite beginning in the Middle Archaic with a peak in the Late Archaic and steady disuse by the Woodland. In all periods, quartz is the most abundant lithic raw material. The ceramic sherds include 2 rimsherds, 22 body sherds, and 1 crumb. Ten of the sherds are Accokeek ware, 2 are Townsend sherds, and 1 is a corn-cob impressed sherd (a surface decoration associated with the Late Woodland in Virginia). Almost all of the historic artifacts have manufacturing ranges that extend into the modern period and, thus, they are not included here or in the tally in the table above.
Phase II investigations of Site 18PR404 determined that the portion of the site that was threatened by the impact of the Surratts Road Training Facility did not have integrity or significant research potential due to the disturbances associated with cultivation. No stratigraphically intact cultural deposits were identified within the cultivated portions of the site. No features, structures, or preserved floral or animal bone remains were identified either in surface or subsurface contexts. However, Phase II testing did identify two potentially significant areas which were outside of the proposed impact zone for the facility. The first area was located in the wooded portion of the site to the north of the field, where limited testing indicates the presence of undisturbed deposits exhibiting an artifact density much higher than that revealed in the cultivated portion of the site. Shovel testing and the excavation of a single 1 X 1 m test unit placed in this area recovered cultural materials from depths of 90 cm below ground surface and identified diagnostic Early Woodland ceramics extending to at least 50 cm below ground surface. The second area is situated to the south of the cultivated field (outside the area of the survey). Although no testing of this area was possible during Phase II investigations, the appearance of surface and subsurface artifact concentrations at the south edge of the field suggests that the site extends further in this direction. Significant deposits may be found in association with proximity to the unnamed tributary of Piscataway Creek, located to the south of the field. It appears that, ultimately, the Maryland State Highway Administration decided not to move forward with construction of the Surratts Road Truck Training Facility at this location. Should either of these areas come under threat from future road improvements or development, Phase II testing is strongly recommended.
|
