Phase II and Phase III Archaeological Database and Inventory
18WC15 Reeves
Diagnostic Artifact Data
Features
Summary
The Reeves Site (18WC15) is a multicomponent prehistoric site with a stratified sequence of activity from the Late Archaic period through the Late Woodland period. The site is located on a floodplain on the north bank of the Wicomico River in Wicomico County. The riverward edge of the site includes a low ridge covered with large trees. The site measures approximately 213 m long by 129 m wide.
The site was first exposed in 1969 during land clearance for a housing development. It was being severely damaged by erosion and there was a concern that it would be destroyed during construction of a bulkhead and the removal of several trees. A high, wooded area on the river bank behind the bulkhead was a particularly critical part of the site because it contained the deepest stratified deposits. A portion of the ridge contained Late Archaic artifacts below, and stratigraphically separated from, Woodland deposits. Adjacent to the ridge there is a concentration of refuse-filled Woodland pits. The pits are covered with a thin layer of disturbed plow zone and top soil, and at least one occurs in nearly every one of the excavated test units.
Three separate investigations at the site were conducted in 1969, 1970, and 1971. The same grid system was employed during all sessions. A grid was established running south-north from ‘A’ to ‘U’ and west-east from ‘1’ to ‘9’ with 1.83 m² (6’ X 6’) excavation units. By the end of the 1971 field season a low estimate of 45 squares had been excavated at the site. In all field seasons the artifacts were cataloged in ‘Lots’ starting with ‘1’. Lots 1-100 were reserved for use during the 1969 excavations by the Lower Delmarva Chapter, Archeological Society of Maryland (ASM). During the following field seasons lots 101-315 were recorded. The artifact counts from each of the field seasons are presented as combined totals below. All of the feature measurements were determined by using the scale provided on the individual plan drawings and should be considered the maximum approximations of diameter or the maximum measurements along the longest length and width axes.
In 1969 salvage excavations were begun by the Lower Delmarva Chapter, ASM. Approximately twenty 1.83 m² excavation units, including “Jimmy’s Square”, were opened and excavated. Artifacts were also collected from the surface of the site. A total of 20 lots were recorded and Features 1-12 (F1-F12) were excavated at the site. However, there are basically no field records for the 1969 investigation in the site files including paperwork on the features. The only documentation is the mention of 2 features on a single sheet of paper. F7 is mentioned but no artifacts are reported to have come from there (although there almost certainly would have been). F9 was also mentioned on that single sheet of paper and is described below. There is no documentation stating what type of features 1-6 and 10-12 were. F8 was first identified in 1969 with subsequent excavations in 1970 that were documented. There is an artifact catalog from the 1969 study that identifies items deriving from Features 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 as well as from surface collection and items with no provenience (these may simply have been bags that were not labeled in the field).
Feature 7 was a thin lens (ca. 2.5 cm) about 1.22 m in diameter in square R-4. The feature continued into square R-5 but this portion was not excavated.
Feature 8 was first identified in 1969 as a dark stain and subsequent excavations in 1970 revealed it to be the pit for a dog burial. The feature extended into squares G-0, H-0, G-1 and H-1. It measured about 1.37 m X 1.83 meters. A portion of the eastern half of the stain (in G-1 and H-1) was excavated in 1969 and then in 1970 the remaining portion of the eastern half and the western half of the stain were excavated revealing the burial. There was a small concentration of shell in the southern end of the feature and just above the skeleton. Other artifacts found within the feature were a turtle shell, 2 sherds, a chert side-notched point, and a few small stones.
Feature 9 was a possible refuse pit that appeared as a dark stain in squares O-3 and O-4. The feature contained sherds, bone fragments, a nut, various shells, and stones.
Excavations were conducted for a two week period in 1970 by the Maryland Geological Survey. In addition to units within the grid, three 1.83 m² ‘Test’ units were excavated in areas outside the gird. Test 1 was placed in the west part of the field in a high area with pine trees. Test 2 was placed in a trench located about 3 m west of the grid. Test 3 was placed in a low area about 30.48 m west of the grid. Features 13 through Feature 36 were identified during the 1970 study. However, not all features are described in detail in the field notes and the notes do not always specify the artifact types found within each feature. Therefore, some of the feature descriptions are quite abbreviated and the artifacts recovered from within a feature are stated only when given.
Features 13 and 14 were identified within a block of squares (G-0 to I-0, G-1 to I-1). These features appear to be part of a concentration of refuse pits that were identified during the course of the study. They are roughly round with a similar size range with measurements of 83.8 cm X 76.2 cm and 91.4 cm X 91.4 cm respectively. Pebbles and a few sherds were found in these features.
Feature 15 was identified within the same block of squares as F13 and F14. However, F15 is larger, measuring 1 m X 0.91 m and contained a different concentration of artifacts. There were numerous small cobbles, 30+ shells of different varieties, 1 rim cord-marked sherd, several body sherds, two antler tines, and other deer bone.
Feature 16 was a nearly round pit (location unknown). It measured 1.45 m X 1.3 m. It contained several animal bones including many long bones, jasper flakes, 2 cord-marked rim sherds, numerous body sherds, and shell. There was also a piece of worked bone. The long bones were seated in a vertical position that generally suggests a dumping event.
Feature 17 was a large pit within square G-7. The pit was shallow with poorly defined edges and measured about 1.7 m X 1.4 meters. Some shell, sherds, and a triangular point were collected from the feature fill.
Feature 18 was a refuse pit located about 1.524 m southeast from F16. It was roughly circular and measured about 99 cm X 83.8 cm. The fill consisted of some oyster shell, jasper flakes, pebbles, animal bone, and some sherds.
Feature 19 was first identified as a large irregular-shaped stain located about 3 m southwest of F16. It had heavy root action and several shell-tempered sherds at the surface. The stain measured 2.6 m X 0.91 m and at the upper level several shell-tempered sherds were found. At about 10 cm below the surface the feature separated and was divided into 19A which lies south of 19B. F19A was an irregularly shaped pit measuring roughly 99 cm X 76.2 cm and contained a few animal bones and sherds, and had tiny specks of charcoal throughout. The feature was disturbed by a rodent burrow in the northern half. F19A is separated from F19B by about 12.7 cm at its northern end. F19B measures about 1.24 m X 0.86 m and contained a large quartz-tempered sherd, several smaller quartz-tempered sherds, and 2 jasper flakes.
Feature 20 was a pit located about 6.09 m southwest of F19. It measured about 0.99 m X 1.37 meters.
Feature 21 (location unknown) was another irregularly shaped refuse pit. The pit measured 1.68 m X 1.07 m at the level where it was first identified. There were animal bones, some burned, including a concentration of long bone fragments, 20+ shell fragments, and some sherds. Patches of gray-white ash with burned bone suggests a possible dump from hearth cleaning. At about 15.24 cm below the surface, this feature separates into two pits. F21A is a pit that measures about 76.2 cm X 86 cm. It appears to overlap pit F21B by about 10 cm on its western edge. F21B is another irregularly shaped pit that measures about 83 cm X 94 cm. A broken gorget was found in this pit.
Feature 22 was an irregularly shaped pit in the center of square G-6. It measured 99 cm X 76.2 cm. F22 is located about 30.5 cm to the west of F17.
Features 23, 24, and 25 were all located west of the grid. F23 was a small pit, approximately 15.24 cm X 23 cm in size. In the first 5 cm, several sherds were recovered. There were no further artifacts in the pit. F24 was another small pit measuring about 22.86 cm in diameter. A small amount of sherds were recovered from the fill. F25 was a larger pit (approximately 1.37 m X 1.22 m) that contained a number of chert and jasper flakes, a jasper core, several sherds, 1 split bone, and 1 animal tooth.
Feature 26 is cited as a “cache in square G5”. The cache of 3 quartz points was located at about 22.86 cm below the surface. A few quartz flakes were also found at this level.
Feature 27 was a pit located in a unit south of the grid. It was divided into 27A and 27B. F27A measured roughly 1.14 m X 0.915 m and F27B measured roughly 76.2 cm X 71 cm. The reason for the split was the identification of a diffuse line between the feature stains. Both F27A and F27B were visible in the first level (0-15.24 cm) of the square. A profile drawing shows that 27B is slightly deeper than 27A. The plan view suggests that 27B (which is on the west side of 27A) may have cut into F27A. Several flakes, shell, and sherds were recovered from both features but many pebbles and a quartzite cobble were found on the ground surface nearest F27A and a triangular point was found in the fill.
Feature 28 was a small pit located to the southwest of F27. It was an irregularly shaped pit and measured approximately 22.86 cm by 45.2 cm.
Feature 29 was a small, shallow, roughly round pit located in square A-1. It was first identified as a much larger stain but cleaning of the area revealed the actual pit cut. It measured about 86 cm X 76 cm.
Feature 30 was originally identified as a large 2.44 m diameter soil stain. It is fairly round except in the northwest quarter which is concave in plan. The top layer of material contained several burned bones, flakes, and shell. Below this, 4 pits were located and numbered 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D. 30A was a shallow pit about 76.2 cm in diameter. 30B was a deep pit with a near conical-shaped base that measured about 45.72 cm X 38.1 cm. A variety of shell, several sherds, and a chert side-notched point were found in 30B. 30C is the smallest pit at about 30 cm in diameter. Pit 30D had an almost semi-circular shape and measures about 68.58 cm wide X 45.72 cm long.
Feature 31 was an oblong, deep pit in Test 2 measuring 1.22 m X 1.07 meters. It contained a few shells, several sherds, and pebbles. The pit fill was streaked with charcoal in all levels.
Feature 32 was a pit roughly 91.4 cm in diameter located about 6.09 m (20’) south-southwest of F18. The fill contained many pebbles, 2 shell fragments, 1 quartz flake, and 1 sherd. F32 is adjacent to, and possibly cut by, Feature 33, an irregularly-shaped pit that measures about 76.2 cm in diameter. Several chips (small flakes) and sherds were found in the upper level and no cultural material was found below 10.16 cm below the ground surface.
Feature 33 was a small pit located 30.48 cm (1’) northeast of F32.
Feature 34 was an irregularly shaped, large pit located about 1.524 m east of F32. It measured about 2.13 m X 2.74 m. The pit contained large lumps of white-orange clay. The northwest portion of the pit feature, where the clay concentration appeared to be the densest, was not excavated. Level 1 contained oyster and clam shell, 1 piece of worked flint, jasper and quartz flakes, and walnut shells. In the north central portion of the pit, Feature 34A was identified. This was a small pit-like feature about 30 cm wide. Its soils were much blacker than the surrounding matrix. Shell, animal bone, and charcoal were found in F34A.
Feature 35 was a pit in square H-5. It measured about 1.25 m in diameter.
Feature 36 was a pit located south of the grid. The plan view shows only half of the pit exposed and the profile cut which runs diagonally from the southwest to the northeast across the pit. The pit half measures about 1.37 m X 0.914 m.
Excavations continued throughout 1971 over the course of 10 weekends between July 31st and December 4th. During the field work, Features 37-50 were excavated.
Feature 37 was a pit located on the southern half of square G-2 and extending into square F-2. It was roughly round and measured about 1 m in diameter and was 55.8 cm deep. A large rim sherd was found at the base of the upper black lens.
Feature 38 was a large complex pit excavated over 2 seasons in 1970 and 1971. It was located near the northeast corner of square G-2 and extended into square G-3. The diameter of the pit is roughly estimated to be 2.8 m and it is about 0.61 m deep. The pit fill contained numerous pebbles as well as a bone awl. Looking at the plan view, it appears that the soil stain transitions from a mottled gray and tan sand on the outside ‘ring’ to a transitional black and gray inner ‘ring’ and ends in the middle of the pit with very black soil. A vertical post fragment found in the black soil may be the remnant of a fence post. It measured about 3.8 cm in diameter.
Feature 39 was a pit roughly ovoid in shape located in square G-2 and slightly reaching into square G-1. It was a small pit measuring about 53 cm in diameter and 10 cm in depth. Sherds, flakes, a clam shell, and oyster shell were in the fill.
Feature 40 represents a refuse concentration first identified at about 15.24 cm below the surface in the northwest corner of square F-6 and extending into square F-5. More than 75 oyster shells were noted and discarded from the feature. The feature is about 91 cm wide and 30 cm deep in profile with an almost flat base. The top of F40 intersects the adjacent feature, Feature 48 (discussed below). The distinction between the 2 features is vague and they may represent one large feature.
Feature 41 was another refuse pit located on the southern edge of square F-6. Several fire-cracked rocks were located in the 3rd level of the feature fill (between 33 and 45.72 cm below surface). The feature is about 53 cm wide and 30 cm deep in profile.
Feature 42 was identified as a possible post mold/ pit in the floor of square H-6. There was a large rock in the north wall of the pit.
Feature 43 was a large pit located in the center of square F-1. It measured roughly 1.2 m in diameter and was about 38 cm deep. The pit fill contained animal bone, stones, a quartzite point, and sherds.
Feature 44 was a shallow, bowl shaped pit on the southern edge of square F-1. The pit was 11.4 cm deep with a maximum diameter of 75 cm. The only artifacts to come from the fill were 3 snail shells, 2 large oyster shells, and a few flakes.
Feature 45 was first identified as a small stain at the northern edge of square E-2. It was a pit with a basin-shaped base and measured 49.5 cm in diameter and was 19 cm deep. A small number of artifacts were recovered from the fill including a few flakes, a sherd, and some rodent bones.
Feature 46 was initially identified as a large, very irregularly shaped soil stain in the southern portion of square E-2. The large stain had a maximum length of 1.22 m and a maximum width of 1.07 meters. Excavation of the feature revealed that another, smaller, and more regularly shaped pit was located in the northwest corner of the larger stain. This was labeled Feature 46A. F46A had a maximum diameter of about 53 cm. F46A had a much darker, gray fill compared with lighter, mottled gray and brown fill in F46.
Feature 47 was a small pit located in the northeast corner of square G-3. According to the profile drawing, it appears that F47 was cut into by F38 on its western edge. The pit measures about 61 cm in diameter.
Feature 48 was identified as a pit near the center of square F-5. There was a shell cap above the feature. Fire-cracked rock and some 546 oyster shells were found in the first 2 levels (0-33 cm) and noted then discarded (with the exception of a small shell sample that was retained). A rim sherd, mussel shells, and snail shells were recovered from just below the oyster shell lens. Below this, from 33-45.72 cm, a dog burial was exposed. The dog was apparently lying on its back and its lower legs and feet, pelvis, left shoulder, and part of the skull were located and removed. The feature has a maximum diameter of 73.66 cm.
Feature 49 was a pit located just northwest of, and adjacent to, F38 in the center of square H-2. The pit cut for F49 became clear after F38 was removed. F49 measured 81.28 cm in diameter and was 38.1 cm deep.
Feature 50 appears to be a small pit approximately 46 cm in diameter. It was located just northwest of (but not adjacent to) F49 in square H-2.
A total of 12,836 prehistoric artifacts were recorded from the Reeves Site. This total does not include unspecified amounts of shell, animal bone, sherds, flakes and other assorted debitage, fire-cracked rock, charcoal pieces, and wood that were identified but were not counted and in some cases were discarded. The artifacts recovered during the 1969 season were recorded on the artifact catalog that is in the site file. T. Bastian from Maryland Geological Survey tallied the ceramic sherds, the flakes, and the projectile points recovered from the 1970 and 1971 excavations. However, the totals only included those items from squares G-4, G-5, G-6, G-7, and H-5, lots 112-136, and from squares A-1, lot 221, and B-1, lot 222. Other items recovered from these squares not included in Bastian’s counts and items from other squares that were listed in the field excavation reports or notes were also included in the total counts here in order to help develop a more complete picture of the artifact assemblage from the site.
A total of 2,491 pieces of chipped stone were recovered from the site (2,147 pieces of debitage, mostly flakes, 210 pieces of burned chert, 11 preforms, 119 projectile points and point fragments, 2 scraper tools, and 2 modified flakes). Quartzite appears to have been the dominant material in the chipped stone assemblage. This is followed by jasper, then other cobble chert, and quartz. An initial analysis of the lithic material by E. Otter in the early 1990’s suggested that at least 2 lithic technologies were present at 18WC15. The first is a pebble reduction technology as indicated by the presence of locally available jasper and quartz. This technology probably dates to the Late Woodland period and is attested to by the find of classic Late Woodland period triangular points at the site. The second technology is a biface reduction technology believed to belong to the Middle Woodland Mockley component. Prepared bifaces were brought into the area and worked locally.
There were 121 other lithics (1 possible hammerstone, 4 grinding stones one of which is sandstone, and 116 unworked cobbles and pebbles). There were 7 groundstone objects (2 broken gorgets, 1 whole gorget, 1 grooved axe, 2 other celts, and 1 polished stone of unknown use). There was one soapstone object, likely a fragment of a bowl. Uncommon objects include 3 stone pendants (1 is whole, 2 are broken) and 2 other pendants of undisclosed material.
There were 7,978 ceramic sherds, 9 of those are rim sherds. The ceramics displayed varied tempers including grit and hematite temper, sand and shell temper, and shell and hematite temper. Decoration included cord-marked, net-impressed, smooth, and fabric-impressed. An analysis of the sherds at MAC identified that Mockley Ware, Townsend Ware, and Killens Ware ceramic types were present in the assemblage. The counts for Mockley Ware and Townsend Ware given in the chart above are minimum estimates. Other fired clay objects include 8 pipe fragments and 2 possible clay beads.
A total of 10 pieces of floral material were identified at the site including 5 unidentified nuts, 2 walnut shells, and 3 wood fragments. There were 12 modified faunal objects (1 decorated bone awl, 3 bone awl fragments, 2 perforated bone awls, 1 other bone awl, 3 unidentified bone tools, 1 burnt bone, and 1 possible bone bead). There were 2,185 unmodified faunal objects (2,180 animal bone fragments including turtle shell and many deer bones, 1 shark tooth, oyster, mussel, and clam shells). There were at least 1,000+ oyster shells reported on the site forms from the 1970 and 1971 excavations (this is a low estimate). A small sample was retained from Feature 48, square F-5, but it is unclear how many shells were kept. Based on a preliminary analysis of the faunal material from the Reeves Site, E. Otter suggested that the faunal remains are largely mixed. There are numerous Fox Squirrel bones indicating an open woodland environment, and bobcat remains indicating their presence in this area although the Delmarva Peninsula has historically been considered outside the range of bobcats. Both species were found in association with Late Woodland contexts.
It should also be noted that 39 historic artifacts were recovered from the site. Two activity items were a broken thimble and a doll part. Architectural items included 2 brick fragments and 2 cut nails. There were 4 clothing items (3 buttons and 1 gusset). A total of 11 kitchen-related items included 2 stoneware sherds, 4 redware sherds, 2 unidentified ceramics, 2 unidentified glass fragments, and 1 melted glass stopper. There was 1 rodent jaw in the miscellaneous category. Four personal items consisted of 1 bead, a 1926 penny, an 1864 penny, and a 1697 William III halfpenny. Tobacco-related items consisted of 11 clay pipe fragments. One arms-related item was a shotgun shell. These historic objects may be associated with the Handy Hall Site (18WC93) which is an 18th-20th century site located about 200 m north of the Reeves Site or possibly the Pemberton Hall Site (18WC29), a mid-18th century plantation site, which is located about 1000 m west of the Reeves Site.
The Reeves Site (18WC15) is an important site for understand Late Archaic and Woodland period activities. This is one of the only clearly stratified prehistoric sites on the Eastern Shore and as such is a valuable resource. The large number of intact refuse pits, and the presence of 2 prehistoric dog burials, suggests that the occupation periods may have been longer-term, possibly as seasonal procurement camps. Unfortunately, the site has not been visited recently and its condition, as affected by construction and natural erosion processes, is unknown. A revisit to assess its current condition would not be unwarranted.
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