Archaeology Dig Diary August 20, 2007

Archaeology Dig Diary - 2007

Monday, August 20

We have finished the eastern cellar (Heidi’s) and are two-thirds done with the western one (Kate’s). This is a great place to insert my standard disclaimer—all interpretations are based on preliminary evidence and I reserve the right to change my mind at any time.

That said, while it is clear the cellars existed at the same time, their histories diverge in an important way. The bottom layers in both cellars were formed while they were in use. At some point, Kate’s cellar began to fail and collect water-carried soils that accumulated around the base of the foundation walls on at least two sides. The building’s occupants eventually abandoned this cellar and used it as a dumping ground for items normally associated with everyday life, except they were not in the standard portions that one usually associates with this type of filling.

The artifacts that traditionally predominate in this type of fill episode, like animal bones and bottle glass, are very much underrepresented. In their place are large quantities of pottery fragments and pieces of architectural elements. The fill from Kate cellar spills into Heidi’s cellar thru the connecting doorway suggesting the occupants may have filled Kate’s cellar and either inadvertently or purposefully sealed the only access to Heidi’s cellar.

The eastern cellar has to wait for its filling until the structure is a ruin, with the cellar acting as a convenient place for the farmer to chuck unwanted rocks. The fill sequences for both cellars come together again when the stone from the cellars is removed for use in other buildings (Bray House?) and the robbers toss unusable parts of the building into the cellars.

Oyter shel in cellar with arrow pointing Northl

The cellars contained an amazing collection of artifacts, ranging from glass beads (most likely used by slaves) to jingle bells. Curiously, each cellar contained a single whole (both sides) oyster shell that had been placed on its floor. Heidi’s oyster was situated in the southwest corner with hinge facing inside. Kate’s whole oyster was found adjacent to the north wall and placed on its side. The purposeful placement of these two animals will require further investigation before we can get to the bottom of this mini-mystery

Oyster shell in the corner