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Saunders Point (18AN39)

Site History

Historical research into the Saunders Point site on the South River in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, has been limited since no formal report has been written. Since its excavation in 1968, the site has been attributed to the 18th century occupation of the prominent Saunders family. Records show that Robert Saunders lived in the area and was a member of the social group known as the South River Club by at least 1742. He may be a descendant or relative of John Saunders, part owner of the Dove when it made its first voyage to Maryland in 1633.

Archaeology

Excavations at Saunders Point took place in 1968 when private owners discovered, with a bulldozer, a cellar feature where they intended to put a pool. Between two and three feet below present ground surface, the bulldozer operator uncovered colonial artifacts dating to c. 1750. Deposits ranged between two and four feet deep in a feature Stephen Israel tentatively interpreted as a cellar hole. Commander Robert and Janice Curts, Archaeological Society of Virginia archaeologists from Falls Church, spent many weekends from March through June 1968, supervising a salvage excavation of the feature. Archaeologist Stephen Israel assisted with the excavation of the cellar and prepared a summary report that is on file with the site form at the Maryland Historical Trust. Archaeologist George Miller later conducted a ceramic vessel analysis. The cellar was approximately 15 by 18 feet, and was 3 feet deep. Artifacts date the site to the mid-18th century.

Artifacts included glass, glass bottles, ceramics (earthenware, kitchen pans and jars, and fine tableware pieces including cups, saucers, and plates) and metal including bands, axes, cooking pans, and a brass sun dial. Several of the earthenware pans contained red and yellow paint pigments or hematite. The assemblage included at least 8 tin-glazed earthenware vessels, 27 white salt-glazed stoneware vessels (including 4 "barley" and "barley & basket" patterns, and 4 "scratch blue), 18 brown and gray salt-glazed stoneware vessels (including 7 Rhenish and 2 examples applied or incised, "GR"), 30 creamware vessels (including 1 Leeds-type teapot, feather edged, green-edged, hand-painted overglaze, and red transfer-printed examples), at least 11 pearlware vessels (including overglaze, underglaze, and blue and green edged examples), 1 dendritic mocha saucer, 4 sgrafitto, 15 slipwares (including red, red-on-white, and Germanic motifs), 11 coarse earthenwares including 3 chamber pots, 1 milk pan), and 1 window glass fragment with scratched signature, "Rachel Ridgely," note: lead came marks on top & sides.

References

Israel, Stephen S. (contributor)

2006   "Brass Astronomical Ring Dial (Sundial) from Saunders Point Historic Site" Maryland Archeology 42(1):33-34, March 2006.

Israel, Stephen

2016   Historic Saunders Point Site (18AN39). Compiled by Stephen Israel/November 2013 and Updated May 5, 2016. Copy in MHT file.

(Edited from archeological site survey form, Maryland Historical Trust)

Associated Artifacts

Bridle Bits

Image of iron curb bit.
18AN39 Saunders Point bridle bits curb iron

Bridle Bits

Image of curb bit.
18AN39 Saunders Point bridle bits curb

Bridle Bits

Image of iron curb bit.
18AN39 Saunders Point bridle bits curb iron

Bridle Bits

Image of iron curb bit.
18AN39 Saunders Point bridle bits curb iron

Bridle Bits

Image of iron/copper alloy curb bit.
18AN39 Saunders Point bridle bits curb iron/copper alloy

Bridle Bits

Image of iron curb bit.
18AN39 Saunders Point bridle bits curb iron

Curb Bit Bosses

Image of copper alloy curb bit boss, Other Style.
18AN39 Saunders Point boss bridle plain dome 18th-century brass curb bit boss Type V

Curb Bit Bosses

Image of copper alloy curb bit boss, Plain Dome.
18AN39 Saunders Point boss bridle plain dome 18th-century brass curb bit boss Type IV

Leather Ornaments

Image of copper alloy leather ornament, Plain Dome.
18AN39 Saunders Point Plain Dome copper alloy

Leather Ornaments

Image of copper alloy leather ornament, Plain Dome.
18AN39 Saunders Point Plain Dome copper alloy

Leather Ornaments

Image of copper alloy leather ornament, Bleeding Heart.
18AN39 Saunders Point Bleeding Heart copper alloy

Leather Ornaments

Image of copper alloy leather ornament, Axe Head.
18AN39 Saunders Point Axe Head copper alloy

Leather Ornaments

Image of copper alloy leather ornament, Tudor Rose.
18AN39 Saunders Point Tudor Rose copper alloy

Leather Ornaments

Image of copper alloy leather ornament, Branch-like.
18AN39 Saunders Point Branch-Like copper alloy

Leather Ornaments

Image of copper alloy leather ornament, Tudor Rose.
18AN39 Saunders Point Tudor Rose copper alloy

Saddles

Image of iron saddle plate, Side Saddle Plate.
18AN39 Saunders Point saddles saddle plates iron side saddle plate

Saddles

Image of iron saddle plate, Gullet Plate.
18AN39 Saunders Point saddles saddle plates iron gullet plate

Stirrups

Image of iron stirrup.
18AN39 Saunders Point ovoid platform solid platform ovoid eye

Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain

Image of Chinese hard-paste porcelain fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Chinese hard paste porcelain saucer painted overglaze

Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain

Image of Chinese hard-paste porcelain fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Chinese hard paste porcelain hollow vessel bowl painted overglaze

Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain

Image of Chinese hard-paste porcelain fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Chinese hard paste porcelain painted over and underglaze saucer brown dressed rim Imari

Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain

Image of Chinese hard-paste porcelain fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Chinese hard paste porcelain painted underglaze cup

Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain

Image of Chinese hard-paste porcelain fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Chinese hard paste porcelain painted underglaze saucer Pavilion landscape

Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain

Image of Chinese hard-paste porcelain fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Chinese hard paste porcelain painted underglaze saucer Pavilion landscape

Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain

Image of Chinese hard-paste porcelain fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Chinese hard paste porcelain painted underglaze saucer trellis brown dressed rim

Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain

Image of Chinese hard-paste porcelain fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Chinese hard paste porcelain painted underglaze bowl trellis blue and white floral reserves

Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain

Image of Chinese hard-paste porcelain fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Chinese hard paste porcelain painted underglaze bowl fish roe

Creamware

Image of creamware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point creamware cup molded rim

Creamware

Image of creamware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point creamware saucer painted overglaze

Creamware

Image of creamware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point creamware teapot painted overglaze

English Brown Stoneware

Image of English brown stoneware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point English brown salt glaze stoneware tankard iron oxide slip cordoned

English Brown Stoneware

Image of English brown stoneware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point English brown salt glaze stoneware iron oxide slip pipkin

English Dry-Bodied Stoneware

Image of English dry-bodied stoneware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point dry-bodied stoneware red stoneware teapot engine-turned Rosso Antico

Green Glazed

Image of green glazed earthenware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point green-glazed creamware refined white earthenware teapot

Green Glazed

Image of green glazed earthenware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point green-glazed creamware refined white earthenware teapot

Jackfield Type

Image of Jackfield type fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Jackfield type hollow vessel

Jackfield Type

Image of Jackfield type fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Jackfield type teapot

North Midlands (Staffordshire Type)

Image of North Midlands earthenware fragment (Staffordshire Type).
18AN39 Saunders Point North Midlands type slipped earthenware cup mug trailed decoration

North Midlands (Staffordshire Type)

Image of North Midlands earthenware fragment (Staffordshire Type).
18AN39 Saunders Point North Midlands type slipped earthenware dish trailed decoration press molded coggled rim

Nottingham Type

Image of Nottingham type earthenware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Nottingham stoneware teapot molded

Nottingham Type

Image of Nottingham type earthenware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Nottingham stoneware pipkin saucepan

Nottingham Type

Image of Nottingham type earthenware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point Nottingham stoneware tankard cordoned mug

Painted Earthenware

Image of painted earthenware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point painted overglaze saucer refined white earthenware creamware

Tin Glazed

Image of tin-glazed earthenware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point tin-glazed earthenware undecorated ointment pot

White Salt-Glazed Stoneware

Image of white salt-glazed stoneware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point white salt glazed stoneware plate barley rim molded

White Salt-Glazed Stoneware

Image of white salt-glazed stoneware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point white salt glazed stoneware saucer painted overglaze

White Salt-Glazed Stoneware

Image of white salt-glazed stoneware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point white salt glazed stoneware cup scratch blue incised decoration common shape cup

White Salt-Glazed Stoneware

Image of white salt-glazed stoneware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point white salt glazed stoneware cup scratch blue incised decoration common shape cup

White Salt-Glazed Stoneware

Image of white salt-glazed stoneware fragment.
18AN39 Saunders Point white salt glazed stoneware saucer scratch blue incised decoration

Jaw Harps

Image of iron jaw harp, Gloucester.
18AN39 Saunders Point jaw harp Gloucester iron

Linked Buttons

Image of glass linked button.
18AN39 Saunders Point glass

Linked Buttons

Image of silver linked button.
18AN39 Saunders Point silver

Linked Buttons

Image of glass linked button.
18AN39 Saunders Point glass

Linked Buttons

Image of glass linked button.
18AN39 Saunders Point glass

Linked Buttons

Image of copper alloy/glass linked button.
18AN39 Saunders Point copper alloy, glass

Linked Buttons

Image of copper alloy linked button.
18AN39 Saunders Point copper alloy

Linked Buttons

Image of copper alloy linked button.
18AN39 Saunders Point copper alloy

Smokers Companions

Image of iron smokers companion.
18AN39 Saunders Point smoker's companion pipe tongs

Toothbrushes

Image of bone toothbrush handle.
18AN39 Saunders Point bone handled toothbrush

Stemmed Glasses

Image of colorless glass stemmed glass, air twist stem.
18AN39 Saunders Point colorless leaded glass table glass stemmed glass air twist stem colorless glass

Stemmed Glasses

Image of colorless glass stemmed glass.
18AN39 Saunders Point colorless leaded glass table glass stemmed glass plain stem

Stemmed Glasses

Image of colorless glass stemmed glass.
18AN39 Saunders Point colorless leaded glass table glass stemmed glass colorless glass

Stemmed Glasses

Image of colorless glass stemmed glass.
18AN39 Saunders Point colorless leaded glass table glass stemmed glass colorless glass

Tumblers

Image of colorless glass tumbler, abrasive decoration.
18AN39 Saunders Point table glass tumbler flip colorless glass colorless leaded glass wheel engraved abrasive decoration