April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 8, 2011, 9:47 am
Hi everyone! In the spirit of staying in touch I thought some of the PTAP fans would be interested in what I am up to now. I am working as the Public Outreach Coordinator for the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project in Niles, Michigan. I moved out here over a week ago and, while I have been very ...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Mar 30, 2011, 2:15 pm
Click on the flyer for a larger image.
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Nov 17, 2010, 5:01 pm
The Charles County Archaeological Society returns for another day of washing artifacts: CCAS plans to wash the artifacts obtained from the excavations done with the GWU students at Burch House last month. Please come and join us Sunday, November 21 if it doesn't rain 10:00 - 3:00 ...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Nov 16, 2010, 9:03 am
Jim's birthday is so last week, so let's spend today wishing Anne a happy 25th! Here is a shot of Anne and I in a hole at Burch House this past summer--I miss those days filled with digging, attempts to decipher wacky profiles, and the long Beltway ride home...all with Anne! So happy birthday! I kno...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Nov 12, 2010, 12:54 pm
This weekend promises to be very exciting with these 2 events: Saturday is Jim's Birthday! Everyone should wish him a Buon compleanno; Là breith sona dhui; ¡feliz cumpleaños; sùk wan gèrt; Halala ngosuku lokuzalwa; Yom Huledet Sameakh; Zorionak zuri; or Happy Birthday! Sunday if it does...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 25, 2010, 1:14 pm
Yesterday was a very successful day at Port Tobacco. We had a great turn out of both regular volunteers (Carol, Elsie, Calvin, Steve, Scott, Laurie, Phil, Jane, and Rich) and a dozen G.W. University students. We reopened Unit 88 and excavated 16 strata! We ended up with 2 full buckets of artifact...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 22, 2010, 2:17 pm
This amber bottle was most likely a medicinal bottle used by druggists and merchants. It held large amounts of medicine to be dispensed for customers. It is .97 ft high and .42 ft in diameter at the base. The bottle was made in a post-bottom mold, as evidenced by the side seams, and the tooled rim...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 20, 2010, 3:05 pm
This elegantly shaped bottle is a gin bottle, shaped to be packed into a case. The rim is an applied oil finish, which dates from the 1830's to the 1920's, however the pointed corners of the base are pre-1870s. This bottle may have also held other liquors or wine. We will be at Port Tobacco tomorr...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 19, 2010, 2:57 pm
Unit 96, between the road and the Burch House, has lots of gravel in it. But it also had a piece of whiteware with a transfer print maker's mark. The ceramic was manufactured by the Homer Laughlin China Company. Homer and Shakespeare Laughlin, two brothers from East Liverpool, Ohio, formed a par...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 18, 2010, 1:06 pm
For me the month of October has been all about the Burch House. I spoke about our excavations there on Saturday at the ASM Board Meeting. In two weeks, I'll talk about the sedimentation processes at Port Tobacco, at the CNEHA Conference, focusing on soil samples taken from around the Burch House. ...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 14, 2010, 8:44 am
Today is GAC's prodigal son's mumblemumbleth birthday! We hope he takes a few minutes from his worthy pursuit of knowledge to enjoy it. NOTE: We will be at Port Tobacco tomorrow to finish up Unit 96.
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 6, 2010, 2:35 pm
Hello again! Keeping with our theme of the Lawrence Collection, this brown stoneware bottle is the next bottle to be displayed here on the blog! The bottle's dimensions are as follows: height is approx. 1', base is 3.33", inner mouth is .75", and finish (including the neck) is 1.05". The bottle's ba...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 5, 2010, 2:41 pm
Hello everybody! Continuing with the theme of the Lawrence Collection bottles...came across this medicinal druggist bottle. The color of the bottle is aqua, and the dimensions are as follows: 9.36" tall, finish height is .80", inner mouth is .53", base is 2.47" x 1.28". Embossed on one side of the b...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Oct 4, 2010, 2:27 pm
This is an American gray stoneware jug. There are no makers marks, but possible date range can be determined from certain features. The overall shape is ovoid to tall ovoid, which is German in origin. The strap handle is pulled-on, meaning the clay was attached at the neck and then pulled into sha...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 28, 2010, 2:16 pm
Hi All! While going through the Scott Lawrence Collection, Anne and I came across this really unique wine bottle. It looked to be an 18th century Belgian "onion-shaped" wine bottle. The bottle has all the characteristics of an onion shape: a height of .53', a 5.5" base, a .77" mouth hole, a .47" ri...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 27, 2010, 2:10 pm
Today Alyssa and I began cataloging the Scott Lawrence Collection. Scott generously donated 30 glass and stoneware bottles to PTAP. As we research each bottle, using the SHA website, we will report back to you, our faithful readers. Today's bottle is a large one, 1.14 ft high and 0.48 ft in diamet...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 22, 2010, 2:45 pm
The wooded unit behind the Burch House has given up another interesting little artifact. From Stratum 1 comes this copper alloy button! Despite lengthy online research, we can't seem to find a similar button. This one is stamped and pierced, but the details are etched in by hand. The button's di...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 20, 2010, 3:00 pm
While doing the normal lab work of washing and cataloging artifacts, I came upon a cool find…Scissors! This then made me want to know exactly how old these scissors are, and maybe get a brief history lesson of scissors in as well. I did a little web research and found numerous articles that date s...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 17, 2010, 2:48 pm
For this week's blog, I would like to introduce myself as the newest member of the GAC team! My name is Alyssa Marizan; I grew up as a typical military brat...around the world...however, I consider Alaska home (even though my family is technically from Guam)... I started my college career at the Uni...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 11, 2010, 12:25 pm
A slight departure from the usual posts... The 6th annual Midwest Historical Archaeology Conference will take place Saturday October 9th on the campus of Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio. The conference will feature 4 invited speakers who will give presentations on their research into the archaeo...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 8, 2010, 8:35 pm
I am confident that I know the approximate location of the Atzerodt Brothers carriage factory. Their 1857 advertisement in The Port Tobacco Times places the shop opposite the dwelling of Dr. Neale, and that is roughly on the east side of Main Street and High Street (see map) and includes the Hamilto...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 6, 2010, 3:41 pm
Readers will note from previous postings that we have looked for the carriage shop and house of Lincoln conspirator George A. Atzerodt. Previously the team focused on the land immediately behind the Barnes-Compton, or Chimney, House. The reason for doing so was a sketch and remark made by George Tow...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Sep 5, 2010, 6:37 pm
Greetings from Denver! It was a long road trip out here but I arrived mid week and have been unpacking and settling in to my new apartment...and doing some sightseeing too! Here's some highlights and photos! BBQ road trip:Lexington KY - Billy's BBQ...averageOwensboro KY - Moonlite BBQ Inn...buffet s...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 30, 2010, 8:34 pm
Anne and I will be working at the Burch house tomorrow (Tuesday). Do join us. Cathy Thompson forwarded to me the link below. It is for the Richmond Daily Dispatch. This newspaper provides material during the critical Civil War years, a period for which few issues of the Port Tobacco Times survive. I...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 26, 2010, 2:00 pm
It's the end of my last day with Jim and crew at GAC and I thought I would take this time to reflect on the past three years with GAC and with PTAP. It was a hot and muggy (typical) August day in 2007 that I started working with Jim. It was a project down in Brandywine with 90% humidity on a 100 deg...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 24, 2010, 6:59 am
Well, the report on the 2009 field session at Port Tobacco with the Archeological Society of Maryland was new last December. Having heard no requests for revision, I decided it was high time to post the report on the web. April kindly accommodated yesterday. Readers can download a PDF file of the re...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 23, 2010, 12:42 pm
Yes folks, Laurie and I got married last month and we had a small party at our house in Park Hall last weekend. We even had some of the PTAP crew on hand. Left to right: The Dynamic Bonnie Persinger, Jim, The Oh-So-Lovely Anne Hayward, and me with a face full of food. We had a wonderful evening an...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 20, 2010, 1:42 pm
What have we here? This copper alloy object was found at Burch House recently. It is decorative, possible a clasp or brooch with a flower applique. It first appeared to be in one piece when it came out of the ground, but the flower center quickly separated from the base. The back of the piece (b...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 18, 2010, 8:39 pm
Hello! I know I've hardly been gone, but I thought that I would send a little Williamsburg update to the PTAP team (whether you all want to hear from me or not)! I settled myself into a lovely apartment an easy 10 minute bicycle ride from campus, and have spent the past few days soaking up all ...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 17, 2010, 2:14 pm
Jim was recently contacted by Sue Hodes, a descendant of Dr. Gustavus Richard Brown II, of Port Tobacco. She was interested in finding a portrait of Dr. Brown and acquired a copy of an unsigned painting from the Mount Vernon Ladies Association with the inscription "G. Washington in his last Illness...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 16, 2010, 7:53 pm
Just a brief note today. I was at Burch House today with Pete, Anne, and Carol. We are getting down to small details around the house and trying to figure out the stratigraphic sequence and the extent of the prehistoric component that underlies the historic deposits. Pete excavated two small postho...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 15, 2010, 7:25 am
Like any family, the PTAP team perpetually changes as we adopt new members and those close to our hearts go off in search of their futures. In the past month, Scott Lawrence (pictured center) married Laurie Ward. Laurie (now calling herself Laurie Lawrence) has been volunteering with the team for a...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 13, 2010, 2:13 pm
Yesterday Anne told us how much she loves to mend artifacts and that we have had many to mend from the excavations at the Burch House. So...here's a new old set of dishes from the site! It's a matching transfer print pearlware plate and mug! This mending job was quite easy as the two were on...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 12, 2010, 2:25 pm
Mending is one of my favorite things to do. We use a glue that will dissolve with acetone if need be and a sand box to support drying artifacts. The units around the Burch House have yielded a large number of mendable artifacts. Usually we can fit 2 or 3 sherds together, but lately we have been r...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 11, 2010, 2:30 pm
For the next few days in the office, we will be processing and digitizing the information we've gathered from the Burch House excavations. I am drafting the unit profiles into AutoCAD. Above we have a profile from Unit 92, which is directly next to the western wall of the building. We excavat...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 9, 2010, 1:23 pm
We found this little button next to the Burch House last week. It has a copper alloy backing with a shank (a small metal loop). There is a small bit of wire through the shank, which is interesting because we would expect a button to be attached using thread, not wire. The inset is porcelain with a...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 5, 2010, 1:26 pm
Hi folks! Remember all those times we were working at Burch House and lamented the lack of aboriginal materials? Well my friends, those days are over! This past week we came across a stemmed quartzite projectile point (see image) while excavating the dark, organic layer beneath the burnt oyster she...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Aug 4, 2010, 1:16 pm
Hi folks! Our work at Burch House yesterday caused us to miss a very important blog opportunity to wish PTAP member April Beisaw happy birthday! Fieldwork down in Port Tobacco this summer hasn't been the same without April...it's actually been rather calm and peaceful since she packed up he...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 29, 2010, 11:33 am
Today while cataloging Anne and I came across a single sherd of possible creamware or pearlware with a green and yellow lead-glaze (image to the right). It also appeared to be stippled, judging by the small darker dots across the sherd. These are likely small indentations in the clay. When glaze was...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 23, 2010, 2:11 pm
Hi all! The heat and humidity have kept the PTAP crew indoors today-I hope you all have made the same choice! There is plenty of report writing to catch up on for other projects, as well as keeping up with paperwork and artifacts from Burch House. As part of our work at Burch House I have been draf...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 19, 2010, 2:56 pm
Hi folks, Last week I mentioned that Elsie and I had been spending a lot of our time excavating post molds and holes (as well as possible replacement molds/posts) at Burch House. To give you all an idea of what this involves, I figured I would post a photo of the first post mold/hole that we remov...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 16, 2010, 8:38 am
If you recall, we worked on a cemetery up in Aberdeen a few months back and recovered some remains. As part of the project, the remains were being sent to Dr. Doug Owsley at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History. (image from washingtonpost.com) D...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 14, 2010, 9:22 am
Hi all! So as not to make this rainy day more dreary, I thought it best to avoid doing another post on coffin hardware immediately-we'll save that for a sunny day! Instead, seeing as we are supposed to be in the field tomorrow (if the rain lets up!) I wanted to give you all an update on our Bur...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 13, 2010, 1:25 pm
In the late 18th and 19th centuries, American mortuary practices developed a popular cultural trend called the "beautification of death." Mass-produced coffin hardware have appeared in archaeological contexts throughout North America. Types of hardware range from glass viewing plates, decorative ha...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 12, 2010, 1:18 pm
Recently Pete blogged on a nice, almost complete spouted crock we mended. We've also mended several glass vessels. One such was this molded case bottle. It once contained Phalon's Paphian Lotion for the Skin. An advertisement for the concoction appeared in 'The Plough, the Loom, and ...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 9, 2010, 1:34 pm
Burch house has again given us a unique little artifact that is quite eye catching. It was most likely a decorative pin or similar ornament. It has four shamrocks, 3-leafed clovers, on it, which can represent the holy trinity or good luck. Good luck clovers are 4-leafed, not shamrocks, but the t...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 7, 2010, 2:10 pm
Hi all, Today I was able to finish up cataloging, and let me tell you, we have some exciting artifacts! Some of the lower strata and post holes have produced North Devon ceramics and sherds from a Westerwald mug, suggesting quite an early component to this site. One of the more interesting buttons...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 6, 2010, 1:44 pm
Hey folks! I hope you have all been sitting inside with a nice cold drink to pass by this scorcher of a day! For today's blog I am posting another artifact that is a mystery, even to us. So, since you all have been so helpful before, pull out some books, open up Google, and exercise your noggin...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jul 5, 2010, 2:18 pm
By staying inside!! Which is exactly what the PTAP crew will be doing for most of the week. With the possibility of a record setting heat wave this week, we will only be out on Thursday at the Burch House. Saturday's lab will also be canceled. Time is flying by this summer already and with Kel...
Comment - Like

April B. posted an article on Port Tobacco Archaeological Project - Jun 23, 2010, 2:02 pm
This little items was quite intriguing when it first came out of the ground. The inscription, 1874 BITCH, cleared things up. It is a dog tag. There may have been a law passed around that year that required dogs to be registered and tagged for taxation purposes Similar tags found by Steve all had t...
Comment - Like