RICH'S FORD
18FR55

Introduction

The Rich’s Ford site (18FR55) contains multiple prehistoric components, including evidence of Early and Middle Archaic period short-term resource procurement camps, and Late Archaic and Early, Middle, and Late Woodland period base camps. The site lies on the west side of the Monocacy River in Frederick County.

Archaeological Investigations

The Rich’s Ford Site was recorded with information provided by a local collector, and was included in a regional survey of the Monocacy River region by Donald Peck and Maureen Kavanagh (1978-1982).

Phase I, II, and III investigations were conducted at the Rich’s Ford site by R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates on behalf of the Frederick County Division of Public Works for the Monocacy Interceptor Sewer Line Project.

During 1990 Phase II testing, Feature 1 was identified at the base of plowzone. The feature consisted of a 15 cm-deep, 40 cm-wide basin filled with fire-cracked rock. There was no evidence of in-situ burning; the feature fill was brown (10YR 4/3). Associated artifacts consisted of a large projectile point fragment and an unmodified flake. The site was determined to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Phase III excavations produced evidence of two Early Woodland period components and of a Late Archaic, Transitional, or Early Woodland period component. Understanding of the lithic industry at the site was based on a curated tool set of rhyolite points used as knives, and on an expendable tool set of quartz and quartzite flakes derived from river cobbles. Data from the site provided evidence that Accokeek/Stony Creek wares replaced Marcey Creek and Selden Island wares. An association between Selby Bay points and Early Woodland ceramics was discovered. Evidence confirmed results from other investigations that rhyolite use increased markedly during the Early Woodland period; at 18FR55, the increase in the use of rhyolite corresponded with the disappearance of steatite-tempered ceramics.

Archeobotanical Studies

Phase II archeobotany by Thomas Neumann included flotation of fill (volume unknown) from Feature 1, which yielded nut fragments (possibly walnut and acorn) and wood charcoal (possibly oak or chestnut). These data were not quantified.

During Phase III work, the above-mentioned Feature 1 and five others were fully excavated. Eight flotation samples were secured, totaling 20 liters of feature fill. Processing yielded 0.74 grams of carbonized archeobotanical remains. Features dating to the Late Archaic or Transitional (Features 1, 2, 4, and 5) and Early Woodland (Features 1 and 6) periods were sampled. Analysis was conducted by Katie Parker. Seven of the eight samples analyzed yielded identifiable plant remains. Acorn (n=7), hickory (n=13), or unidentifiable (n=1) nutshells were present in all but two samples. In all cases, quantities were small. Nevertheless, nutshell appears so consistently in the features, it is likely that the fragments represent the residues of a utilized resource. Carbonized wood from red oak (n=8) and hickory (n=6) was identified in five of the samples. Modern uncarbonized seeds of pokeweed, lambsquarters, spurge, and other weedy taxa were abundant in the light fractions.

References