Ashcomb (18CV357)
Site History
Archaeological site 18CV357, the Ashcomb site, is a late 17th- to mid-18th-century domestic site located on the Patuxent River on the grounds of the Naval Recreation Center at Solomons. The site was associated with the Ashcomb family's early occupation of Point Patience. John Ashcomb (also spelled Ashcom), who was the original holder of the 1651 Point Patience land grant. Site 18CV357 was named the Ashcomb Site, given the presence of 17th-century artifacts at this location and because the archaeological evidence from the 1995 Phase I excavation pointed to a late 17th- to early 18th-century domestic occupation. In addition, the presence of early 18th-century material further suggests the continued occupation of the site through the period of Ashcomb ownership (1651-1684) to the first years of the Parran family occupation (1684-1729) of the property. Further work at the site led to the conclusion that it represents the remains of the second house constructed on the property by either John or Nathaniel Ashcomb prior to 1684 and occupied by members of the Ashcomb and Parran families from 1684 until 1729, rather than being the first house on the property.
Archaeological Investigations
This site was identified in 1995 during a Phase I survey of the Naval Recreation Center, Solomons, done by archaeologists from Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. A total of 82 shovel test pits were excavated at 7.5 and 15 meter intervals.
Along with the abundance of modern building materials, 13 prehistoric artifacts and 224 historic artifacts were recovered. These included hand-wrought and cut nails, white clay tobacco pipe fragments, English gun flints, and several glass and ceramic sherds dating from the 18th through early 20th centuries. In particular, three tin-glazed earthenware sherds and one Rhenish brown stoneware sherd suggested a possible 17th century date for the site, and two sherds of black lead-glazed earthenware suggest the possibility of an occupation extending into the 18th century. In addition, small quantities of 19th- and 20th-century material, such as transfer-printed whiteware and machine-made bottle glass, were also among the collection.
The concentration of 17th and early 18th-century artifacts were isolated to the northeastern portion of the site, on either side of a 1940s road cut. Large quantities of brick and oyster shell were also recovered from shovel tests excavated in that area. One possible brick and mortar feature was discovered in the northeast portion of the site.
The Phase II investigations, done in 2013 by Berger and Associates, included excavation of 74 shovel text pits and 17 one by one-meter units. Testing recovered a diverse assemblage of historic domestic and architectural artifacts, including faunal and floral remains. The investigations identified three intact features dating from the late 17th – early 18th centuries: a large and well-preserved kitchen midden, a cellar hole, and a rectangular trash pit.
The cellar (Feature 4) measured approximately 6 × 7 meters (20 × 23 feet), and was associated with the second residence built at Point Patience. The house was occupied by Nathaniel Ashcomb from 1684 until his death in 1687, after which it was inhabited by his widow, Mary, until 1701. After 1701, Nathaniel's daughter, Mary Ashcomb Parran, resided in the house with her husband, Alexander Parran. Judging from the artifacts recovered from the cellar fill, the house was still standing after the death of Mary Parran in 1708 and Alexander Parran continued to reside in the house until his own death in 1729.
In addition to the cellar, the Phase II excavation also identified a well-preserved kitchen midden (Feature 1) adjacent to the house cellar. Artifacts recovered from the midden date from 1700 to 1740 and contained household artifacts and numerous oyster and faunal remains associated with the Mary and Alexander Parran occupation of the property. Numerous pieces of delftware, North Midlands slipped earthenware, and manganese mottled earthenware are among the midden assemblage. Although all of those ceramic types were common in the 17th century, they were also widely available to consumers during the first half of the 18th century. Also among the assemblage were pieces of white salt-glazed stoneware and Jackfield, which were only available to colonial consumers after 1720 and 1740, respectively. The kitchen assemblage was dominated by case bottle glass and utilitarian earthenware. The presence of these utilitarian wares as well as the high quantity of oyster shell and faunal material suggests that food processing was a major activity undertaken on this portion of the site.
A rectangular storage pit (Feature 7) was likely associated with a secondary activity area at the site. The storage pit was roughly rectangular, measuring 1 × 1.3 meters and extended only 32 cm deep. The pit was likely deeper than at present, but the upper portions of the pit appeared to be disturbed by later plowing of the property. Although few diagnostic artifacts were found in the feature, the pit contained over 300 pieces of oyster shell, suggesting that the former storage pit was repurposed as a trash pit.
In addition to several features identified at 18CV357, several interesting finds were recovered from intact soils and plowzone contexts. They include numerous pieces of Swedish/Dutch yellow brick and dozens of English flint debitage. Both artifacts point to the possibility that the Ashcom and Parran families were involved with an extensive trade network that included both regional and European partners.
The Phase II research documented that the site retains excellent subsurface integrity and information potential, as evidenced by the presence of datable features, discernable artifact patterning, and intact cultural deposits. The information potential of 18CV357 is attested to by the presence of multiple, rich, and well-preserved archeological deposits, and the association of these deposits with local and regional historical events, such as the colonization of Maryland and the development of the plantation economy. Sites from the late 17th to early 18th centuries are uncommon and offer opportunities for diverse research into Maryland’s colonial period. The Ashcom Site yielded a diverse array of 17th and 18th century artifacts, including refined and coarse ceramics, glass bottles, tobacco pipes, and architectural material. The presence of features and discrete activity areas greatly increases the information potential of the site. Future excavation of site 18CV357 could provide valuable information on the diet and consumer habits of its late 17th-to early 18th-century residents, their connection to regional trade networks, and possibly architecture and site layout. The relationship of this site to other early settlements along the Patuxent and Potomac drainages could therefore shed light on the early development and economic history of southern Maryland.
References
1996 Phase I Archaeological Resources Inventory, Naval Recreation Center, Solomons, Calvert County, Maryland. Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum Occasional Papers No. 6 (Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum) MHT # CV 74.
2014 Phase II Archaeological Investigation of Sites 18CV356, 18CV357, and 18CV360, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Naval Recreation Center Solomons, Calvert County, Maryland. MHT # CV126.
