April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Nov 4, 2009, 12:21 pm
As Jim mentioned yesterday our excavation into the cellar fill of the Swann House has produced numerous 20th century artifacts. This does not mean that all of these more recent artifacts are particula...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Nov 3, 2009, 5:20 pm
Sorry...no pictures today. Pete, Anne, and Kelley started excavating a 5 ft by 5 ft unit into the northeast corner of the Swann House cellar hole. The upper horizon, as expected, produced a large num...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Nov 2, 2009, 4:11 pm
We finished mapping the Swann House foundation today and will excavate one unit in the northeast corner tomorrow. The north side of the chimney (pictured left) turned out to be a little odd. Not Anne...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Nov 1, 2009, 8:25 am
It is a rainy Sunday and All Saints Day, so I thought I would post a few more pictures from our final day of monument recovery at St. Nicholas Cemetery. Near the existing early 20th-century church, t...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 31, 2009, 12:22 pm
Although there are a few monuments to repair and re-erect, and some others that have to be re-plumbed, for all intents and purposes we finished the St. Nicholas Cemetery restoration fieldwork on Frida...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 30, 2009, 1:04 pm
Click images for larger view www.bigartweb.com, Christine Hopkins (left) nootdnoot.blogspot.com(right) Mochaware is a favorite type of ceramic for many people because of its unique look and...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 29, 2009, 7:03 pm
A busy and somewhat hectic day at Port Tobacco. Anne and Kelley spent an hour or more with a photographer from the local newspaper showing some of the artifacts that we have recovered. The photographs...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 28, 2009, 1:32 pm
In some of the last posts, we have talked about the work at the Swann House site. The team has been clearing brush and exposing the foundation walls. We have photographed and documented our work and w...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 27, 2009, 12:49 pm
Hey folks, Another rainy fall day has confined us to the lab, though there certainly is plenty to do here (report writing, report writing...and more report writing). So, while I could regale you with ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 26, 2009, 5:12 pm
By lunchtime today, the team completely exposed the foundation of the building we think is the James A. Swann House. Elsie and Carol joined the GAC team, as did "Mr. Backfill," Mark Thompson...he used...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 25, 2009, 3:50 pm
Our crew of six found a third corner of the stone foundation (partially illustrated in the photograph), thereby allowing us to determine the size of the building's footprint. It is 17 ft wide and ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 24, 2009, 1:39 pm
The photograph to the right shows Elsie and Carol exposing a sandstone foundation, work that will continue tomorrow (Sunday). We've cleared off the grapevines, multiflora rose, and other understor...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 23, 2009, 7:06 pm
Sorry, I am unable to provide a full posting of today's events but will return tomorrow.
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 22, 2009, 3:40 pm
The team, seven strong today, took on two tasks. As you can see from the photograph to the right, one of those tasks involved excavation. We completed Unit 81 and found, in the lowest deposits, more e...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 21, 2009, 12:17 pm
Wednesdays are office days for us here at GAC/PTAP. While the fun happens in the field, the magic happens in the office! Jim is off teaching all day so I am updating the maps and catalogs from the p...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 17, 2009, 3:51 pm
Just back from the Archeological Society of Maryland's annual meeting, held this year at the maritime museum in Havre de Grace and hosted by the Northern Chesapeake Chapter. The various presentati...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 16, 2009, 9:15 am
In the spirit of our return to Port Tobacco to continue excavations I figured today would be as good a time as any to discuss an archaeologist's close encounters with soil...of the plowzone kind. ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 15, 2009, 1:47 pm
Despite the damp and chilly weather at Port Tobacco yesterday Carol and Calvin joined Pete, Kelley and I in finishing a third 5x5 unit in the search for the Swann site. We excavated five strata in Un...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 14, 2009, 10:11 am
In anticipation of filthy weather tomorrow and Friday, I'm suspending fieldwork at Port Tobacco until next week. Sunday is a remote possibility depending on how much rain falls over the next two d...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 13, 2009, 3:33 pm
Another day at the Swann site and more interesting observations. We removed some recently deposited soil from a new unit (#81) and found a shell midden below that appears to date to around the middle ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 12, 2009, 4:31 pm
Sorry, no pictures today. We had a crew of seven today working on the Swann site. Lots of oyster shell and lots of artifacts. My read on the artifacts particularly the ceramics, is that we have a site...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 11, 2009, 7:54 am
Anne, Kelley, and Pete have substantially completed the artifact catalog (there are always minor corrections and clarifications to make), logging in just under 125,000 artifacts recovered since Scott ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 10, 2009, 3:22 pm
Now that I have finished up identifying the aboriginal pottery found at Port Tobacco this past field session, I have moved on to working with Pete on the report for the Aboriginal Locus. To refresh yo...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 9, 2009, 12:18 pm
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 8, 2009, 11:31 am
Since I am certain that you all missed my aboriginal pottery review (no groans please), I have decided to discuss one more pottery type frequently found at Port Tobacco. Rappahannock wares, which are ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 7, 2009, 12:22 pm
Today I took photos for a new sign going in at Port Tobacco. This sign will focus on trade and the presence of European goods in Port Tobacco. It is important that the artifacts displayed are readil...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 6, 2009, 10:24 am
Relace your boots, sharpen your trowel, give your steady squeeze a peck on the cheek, and head for Port Tobacco. We will return on October 12 (Columbus Day), meeting at the courthouse at 9 AM. Our tar...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 5, 2009, 2:10 pm
After languishing at home with the Super Cold/Flu for a week, I'm back! Waiting for me was a mid-19th century teacup that needed to be rebuilt via AutoCAD. I used the same process as before (see...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 4, 2009, 6:14 pm
This past Wednesday I went into the attic of the Port Tobacco courthouse. We have long-known that there were artifacts in the attic and that some of them had cryptic numbers on them or on the packages...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 3, 2009, 4:52 pm
As a follow-up to the post on projectile points I did two days ago, Jim thought it would be appropriate to suggest a useful website he has stumbled upon. The site is set up as a guide for identifying ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 2, 2009, 3:20 pm
In May Pete and a bunch of ASM volunteers devoted several days and a great deal of energy trying to find remains of the James Swann House in the hedgerow that separates the Compton and Jamison fields....
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 1, 2009, 10:48 am
In addition to analyzing the Aboriginal ceramics from Port Tobacco, I have been cataloging the projectile points that have been found. While Jim has previously emphasized in this blog that classifying...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 30, 2009, 12:19 pm
Today I figured it was time to take a break from reviewing Aboriginal ceramic types we have found at Port Tobacco and instead look at the methods people used to decorate these wares. Common decoration...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 29, 2009, 10:09 am
The Aboriginal ceramic type of the day is Accokeek Creek. This is a considerably earlier ware than both Mockley and Moyaone, dating to 900BC-300BC in the Early Woodland Period. During this time people...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 28, 2009, 12:41 pm
Hey folks, as promised here is another bit of Aboriginal ceramic review. Today I am focusing on the type known as Mockley. These particular sherds (to the left) were found in Stratum 3 of Unit 60 in t...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 27, 2009, 8:20 am
Rather than work on Port Tobacco material, I spent Saturday at St. Nicholas Cemetery with Scott and Laurie. Batteries in my camera died, so I do not have any pictures. We resurrected 17 markers (possi...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 25, 2009, 1:48 pm
Anne and I are currently in the process of pulling and analyzing all of the lithics and Aboriginal pottery excavated from units during the 2009 Field Session. Once we have completed this task we will ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 25, 2009, 7:20 am
This week I turn the spotlight on PTAP team member Scott Lawrence. I've been working with Scott since 2003 when he approached me with the lunatic idea of restoring a completely buried cemetery. A...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 24, 2009, 1:28 pm
Today I rejoined Anne in her efforts to catalog the 1970's Port Tobacco Artifacts. While much of our time was spent deciphering fragments of information regarding where these artifacts were found,...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 23, 2009, 2:03 pm
Cataloging of the 1970s excavation artifacts is almost finished, but my last bag of the day included these two spoon fragments. Both are made of latten (pronounced lateen), which is a type of copper ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 22, 2009, 1:10 pm
The 1970's Port Tobacco material and its missing site information have given us here in the lab a few headaches. Today's artifact could cause a serious one, if you got hit in the head with it...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 21, 2009, 1:23 pm
With Kelley out of town, cataloging is on hold and I am learning some new skills. Today I took a sherd from a tin glazed punch bowl (top) and turned it into a complete 3D image using AutoCAD(bottom)....
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 19, 2009, 1:13 pm
Anne came across the two projectile points pictured to the right yesterday while cataloging the Braley collection. The collection contains materials excavated from Port Tobacco's village green by ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 18, 2009, 3:38 pm
Without a doubt, one of the biggest supporters of the Port Tobacco Archaeological Project has been Elsie Picyk. If there is dirt to be moved, either out of a unit or off of an artifact, she is likely ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 17, 2009, 12:43 pm
As Anne and I continued to wash and sort the Port Tobacco artifacts from the 1970's we came across a piece of metal that resembled either a shoe horn or the handle from a ladle. After another look...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 16, 2009, 1:02 pm
Today Anne and I delved into the artifacts from the 1970's excavations. While washing quite a few pipe stems, two in particular caught our eyes and we decided to investigate. The stem on the bott...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 15, 2009, 1:03 pm
Earlier this summer, we came across some notes on earlier excavations at Port Tobacco. More specifically, notes from the excavations around the St. Charles Hotel and the Village Green from the early ...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 14, 2009, 1:33 pm
Today Kelley and I tackled the trash pit artifacts. All the soil from this feature was water screened and floated in order to find the smallest items. We found this purple glass bead among the fish sc...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 13, 2009, 1:27 pm
We take matches and propane lighters for granted, but what if--in the Colonial period--you wanted to start a fire or light a pipe? Well, if lucky, there would be a fire in a neighbor's hearth from...
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April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 12, 2009, 6:22 pm
The Board of Trustees of the Archeological Society of Maryland met in its quarterly meeting today. As always, the discussions were wide-ranging and productive. Among other things, the Board expects to...
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