Day 1, Thurday 7/18/02
i. Both sites had a re-orientation so that we would know what work had gone on there since we last visited each other’s sites. We needed to learn what was found at the Gilmore cabin so that we would be able to form hypothesis about what our findings would mean or might prove.
ii. While others began to dig units, Amy and I dug STPs (Shovel Test Pits). These pits were dug in search of a layer of laid stone which we think was a path. If it WAS a path, we want to know where it goes. STPs are generally done with a 1 ft diameter approximately every 5 feet in the area we were concerned with.
iii. STP1: N425 E435, Stratum A: 0' (top) to .25' (bottom), Dark Brown silty loam, Artifacts: stone, concrete slag, clear glass, wire nails. Stratum B: .25' (top) to .35' (bottom) , Gray gravel layer with dark brown silty loam (30%), Artifacts: none. Strat. C: .35' to -, laid stone (with 1 brick), Art: possible path.
iv. STP2: N425 E430, Strat. A: 0' to .27', Purple gravel (fill) down to geofabric, Art: mortar, button (modern). Start. B: .27 to .47, Brown silty sandy loam, Art: coal, charcoal, mortar, clear glass. Strat. C: .47 to .6, gray gravel, Art: coal charcoal, clear glass. Strat. D: .6 to -, Laid stone with brown silty sand, Art: possible path.
v. STP3: N425 E425, Strat. A: 0 to .29, purple gravel (fill) down to geofabric, Art: 31 glass (clear, green, milky), mortar, asphalt, nail, flat metal unknown object. Strat. B: .29 to .45, Brown silty sandy loam, Art: 34 glass (green and clear), round top nail, asphalt, charcoal, mortar. Strat. C: .45 to .65, gray gravel, Art: none.
vi. STPs 1 and 2 revealed the possible path, but 3 did not. The placement of these STPs made us think that perhaps the path ran in a snaking shape other than straight across the front yard. We cleaned up the STPs to be photographed (by both us and a reporter from the newspaper) and then later filled in the ones that hadn’t revealed “path.”
vii. Based on the “snake” idea we plotted spaces for more test pits.
viii. STP4: N415 E 400, Strat. A: 0 to .18, brown silty clay loam, Art: glass (clear, green and milky), plastic, coal, nail, screw, mortar, asphalt. Strat. B: .18 to -, Laid stone, Art: None.
ix. STP5: N415, E405, Strat. A: 0 to .38, red clay, Art: glass (clear and milky), brick, coal.
x. Since 4 revealed “path” and 5 didn’t, we reformed our idea to a “V” shaped path possibility. We will continue searching tomorrow I believe.
Day 8, Friday 7/19/02
i. STP1 N415 E410, Strat. A: 0 to .32', brown silty loam (to black plastic), Art: asphalt, mortar, slag. Strat. B: .32' to .7', brown silty sandy loam, Art: bead, metal, asphalt
ii. STP2 N415 E415, Strat. A: 0 to .34, red clay (fill), Art: 34 pieces mortar, round top nail, asphalt, coal. Strat. B: .34 to .55, brown silty sandy loam, Art: mortar, coal, clear glass, red plastic seed bead. Strat. C: .55 to .78, red clay, Art: none.
iii. STP3 N465 E430, Strat. A: 0 to .2, purple gravel (fill), Art: none. Strat. B: .2-.38, brown silty sandy loam, Art: brick, 2 white ceramic, nail, clear glass, coal. Strat. C: .38, laid stone with red clay, Art: none.
iv. STP4 N470 E 415, Strat. A: 0 to .45, brown silty sandy loam, Art: 4 nails, clear glass, coal, plastic, rubber shoe sole. Strat. B: .45, clay sub-soil, Art: none.
v. STP5 N475 E410, Strat. A: 0 to .2, brown silty sandy loam, Art: coal, amber glass, plastic insulator, wire nail. Strat. B: .2 to .63, reddish brown clay loam with 15% coal, Art: coal, wire nails, cut nails, whiteware, clay marble, plastic, clear glass, Strat. C: .63, clay sub-soil, Art: none.
vi. STP6 N470 E405, Strat. A: 0 to .49, brown silty sandy loam, Art: wire nails, coal, burned whiteware, bone, mortar, plastic. Strat. B: .49, clay sub-soil, Art: none.
vii. STP7 N465 E410, Strat. A: 0 to .3, brown silty sandy loam, Art: aqua and clear glass, nails, coal, charcoal. Strat. B: .3 to .5, red clay, Art: whiteware, nail, aqua glass. Strat. C: .5, stone, Art: none.
viii. STP8 N465 E405, Strat. A: 0 to .45, brown silty sandy loam, Art: coal, charcoal, colorless glass, nail. Strat. B: .45 to .8, reddish clay, Art: clear glass, charcoal, 5 pieces iron
ix. After digging these STPs we backfilled the ones not containing features (such as a stone bottom). Also, at some point during this day I ran into some poison ivy. (ick)
Note:
On Saturday 7/20/02 The Daily Progress, a Charlottesville newspaper, ran a story on the Gilmore Cabin excavation. Amy and I appeared working together cleaning a unit on the front page. (The McGowan encampment was not mentioned because there has not yet been a press release for that site.) Although I don't have the photo online yet, please click HERE for a copy of the article!
Day 9, Tuesday 7/23/02
i. STP 1 N417.5 E405 Strat. A:0 to .35, purple gravel fill. Strat. B: .35 to .57, brown silty sandy loam.
ii. STP2 N465 E425. Strat. A: 0 to .08, purple gravel fill, Art: plastic. Strat. B: .08 to .53, brown silty sandy loam.
iii. STP3 N465 E420. Strat. A: 0 to .3, brown silty sandy loam, Art: asphalt, coal, nail, washer, iron, clear glass, blue glass. Strat. B: .3 to .5, red clay, Art: iron
iv. STP4 N465 E415, Strat. A: 0 to .36, brown silty sandy loam, Art: Asphalt, ceramic. Strat B: .36 to .74, reddish clay, Art: ceramic, nail, iron, coal.
v. STP5 N430 E435, Strat. A: 0 to .34, brown silty sandy loam with 15% purple gravel, Art: glass marble, coal, clear glass. Strat. B: .34, laid stone.
vi. STP6 N425 E440, Strat. A: 0 to .25, brown silty sandy loam, Art: plastic, white milky glass, coal, clear glass, 6 nails, metal button, brick. Strat. B: .25 to .52, red clay, Art: clear glass, charcoal.
vii. STP7 N420 E 435 Strat. A: 0 to .4, brown silty sandy loam, Art.: 39 clear glass, 2 lt. Blue glass, nail, spring, charcoal, brick, mortar. Strat. B: .4 to . 8, reddish clay, Art: 12 clear glass, quartz base.
viii. STP8 N435 E435, Strat. A: 0 to .39, brown silty sandy loam, coal, charcoal, mortar, brick, plastic, whiteware, leather, nails, 1 amber glass, 1 cobalt blue glass, 3 clear glass. Strat. B: .39, laid stone.
ix. After digging 8 STPs it was time to move on to a new unit. MTG 15. The center of MTG 15 contains a test pit revealing a feature (the stone path) that we hope to continue to unearth.
x. MTG 15: Stratum: 0, Horizontal Loc: N427.5 E437.5, Datum: N427.5 E 432.5, opening elevations: Datum=.56’ NW=.59’ NE=.85’ SW=.60’ SE=.73’ Center=1.1’ (remember- the center is in a STP)
xi. We began to remove and screen Strat. before it was time to leave, but we haven’t yet recorded any artifacts from that layer.
Day 10, Wednesday 7/24/02
i. Finished removing strat. 0. Took closing elevations: Datum el.=.59, NW=.74, NE=.89, SE=.76, SW=.67, Center=.77
(out of STP). Stratigrafic definition: removed a layer of 50% purple gravel and 50% root mat down to geofabric on west side and brown silty sandy loam (7.5 YR 4/4 Brown w/ purple gravel). Artifacts: wire springs, mortar, leather fragments, plastic, glass, coal, charcoal, screen fragments, Styrofoam. Interpret.: fill, Feature Assoc.: only in STP (laid stone).
ii. Opening elevations of Strat. A were the same as for the close of Strat. 0. The closing elevations of Strat. A were: datum el.=.54, NW=.79, NE=.98, SE=.97, SW=.77, Center=.96 (out of STP). Strat.Def: below a surface layer (0) removed a layer of Brown 7.5YR4/4 silty loam w/ 15% gravel inclusions down to a lens of gravel concentrated in the north wall (layer B) 7.5YR4/3 Brown. Feature Association: only in STP (laid stone). Art: mortar, nails, metal springs, glass (green, clear, violet), terra cotta, coal, charcoal, ceramics (one with a tulip transfer print), metal fragments, bullet casing.
iii. Opening elevations for Strat. B were the same as the closings for A. We did not close this layer, but did excavate down to the feature (laid stone- possible path). Tomorrow we will continue work in this unit.
