MARYLAND 6 SITE
18WO184

Introduction

Site 18WO184 contains multiple occupations from both prehistoric and historic times.  Late Archaic and Early, Middle, and Late Woodland period base or short-term camps are documented, as is a house dating to the late 18^th to mid-19^th century.  The site is located at the head of a small tributary of the Pocomoke River in Worcester County.

Archaeological Investigations

Site 18WO184 was recorded by TRC Garrow & Associates, Inc. in 1997 during a Phase I survey for the US 113 corridor.  Phase II testing by TRC followed later in that same year.

Phase II evaluation included controlled surface collection over 22,000 square meters, 126 shovel test pits (20m by 10m intervals), and excavation of 25 1x1 meter test units.  At least five prehistoric occupations are represented by the diagnostic evidence.  The site was found to contain components from the Late Archaic through Late Woodland periods, possibly including at least one base camp (Early Woodland) and a possible Late Woodland hamlet.  A Middle Woodland period hearth was located, as well as prehistoric refuse/storage pits and a post mold.  The site may also contain a late 18^th- to mid 19^th-century house site.

Recovered artifacts include a Brewerton point and a Dry Brook point, which indicate a Late Archaic period short-term camp.  Prehistoric ceramics include 1 Dames Quarter, 42 Wolfe Neck cordmarked, 4 Wolfe Neck net-impressed, 2 Coulbourn, 15 Mockley cordmarked, 7 Mockley net-impressed, 3 Rappahannock fabric-impressed, and 1 Rappahannock incised.  These materials indicate a probable Early Woodland base camp and probable Middle Woodland short-term camps.  The Rappahannock sherds and one Levanna point suggest a Late Woodland short-term camp as well.  Several groundstone tools were found, including four hammerstones, three manos, three nutting stones, and one metate.  Fire-cracked rocks (n=109) indicate the presence of hearths. Debitage (n=225), four bifaces, a drill, two retouched flakes, five scrapers, and five utilized flakes were also recovered.  Features found in the test units included two possible storage pits, one refuse/storage pit, one postmold, and one Middle Woodland period hearth.  Flotation of feature fill from the postmold (Feature 5) and the hearth (Feature 6) produced hickory and acorn shells, and seeds of goosefoot, ragweed, mustard, greenbriar, grass, and wild grape.

Among the 1,093 historic period artifacts were a number of ceramic sherds, including 10 creamware, 10 plain pearlware, 3 annular pearlware, 5 hand-painted pearlware, 4 plain whiteware, 1 shell-edged whiteware, 1 buff-colored earthenware, 1 ironstone w/floral design, 18 brown-glazed redware, 4 copper/lead glazed redware, 14 unglazed redware, 2 gray salt-glazed stoneware, and 1 Rhenish blue & gray salt-glazed stoneware. 

Archeobotanical Studies

Nancy Asch Sidell analyzed plant remains recovered via water flotation from Features 5 and 6 at 18WO184. Feature 5, a circular postmold, produced charred wood fragments, hickory shell fragments, and a goosefoot seed. These remains are carbonized and considered to be associated with prehistoric occupation of the site.  Feature 6, a scattered hearth, contained charred wood fragments, carbonized hickory and acorn shell fragments, and carbonized ragweed, mustard, greenbriar, grass, and wild grape seeds.  Feature 8, a soil stain with charcoal flecks, contained charred nutshell and seeds, which were collected but not analyzed.

References