Swann Farm (18CV4)
Site History
The Swann Farm site (18CV4) is a Late Archaic and Early, Middle, and Late Woodland short-term camp located on the Patuxent River in Calvert County, Maryland.
Archaeological Investigations
This site was originally recorded in 1971 by Tyler Bastian of the Maryland Geological Survey (MGS) based on information provided by Annapolis resident Robert M. Rank. Mr. Rank's collection from the site was donated to MGS and is now at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab. Avocational archaeologist Robert Ogle also collected from this site. Laurie Steponaitis cataloged some of Ogle's material for her 1983 Patuxent River survey.
In the fall of 1978, Leland Gilsen attempted to relocate the site, discovering it had originally been mismapped a mile or so to the south. The Swann Farm landowner allowed Gilsen to survey his freshly plowed fields to look for artifacts. Gilsen did a series of transects and found a very early historic site mixed with some prehistoric debitage. The historic material occurred in discrete pockets of black organic midden, and produced hundreds of clay pipe fragments and wine bottle fragments. The flake material increased in density to the north, so Gilsen was able to find 18CV4 by shifting survey work into the fields surrounding the barns on the Swann Farm. Gilsen then recorded the early historic "trading-post or tavern" as 18CV40, Swann Farm I or Gilsen #2.
The Swann site is about 100 feet wide and 400 feet long and has been plowed to a depth of 10 inches. The site was surface collected in two units and yielded a Bare Island Late Archaic point, a triangular Late Woodland point, bifaces, scrapers, Late Woodland sherds (three Townsend, one Potomac Creek) and one Middle Woodland sherd (Mockley).This data indicated a Late Archaic ephemeral use of the area with a Middle and Late Woodland use that appears to be somewhat more intensive (perhaps as a camp).
A 3 × 3-foot excavation unit was dug into the southwest corner of the field adjacent to the barns, and produced Mockley, Potomac Creek, Accokeek and Bowman's Brook pottery. The test indicates a sporadic use from Early Woodland Accokeek, through the Smallwood phase, followed by a Selby Bay Middle Woodland use, a Sullivan Cove or Little Round Bay Late Woodland occupation, and finally, a Potomac Creek phase Late Woodland occupation.
The stone tool industry from the site (18CV4) suggests a woodworking kit or a hunting/hide preparation kit. The presence of pottery suggests a base camp or even more intensive occupation. The environmental situation suggests mixed gathering/hunting options. The basic resource zones are: the Patuxent River niche (fish, waterfowl, turtle, deer, raccoon, plants); and a lowland forest niche (deer, birds, plants). Of the primary producers, the plants, fish, and waterfowl are seasonal. Fish and deer densities are highest in the spring and summer when the anadromous fish runs occur and when the deer move down into the riverine areas. Waterfowl are most abundant in the winter. The most logical seasonal use pattern would appear to be spring and summer for hunters and gatherers. This would also be a good farming location for year-round exploitation by mixed farming/gathering adaptations.
This site is part of a series of four sites along a one-mile stretch of the Patuxent River that is suggestive evidence for riverine exploitation of resources during the Early to Late Woodland periods. All four sites are relatively small when compared to the shell middens further south. One shows evidence of some shellfishing. The overall pattern indicates plant gathering, fishing, and hunting. The shellfish remains indicate some peripheral oystering along this area of riverine coast.
In 2020, Anne Arundel County was awarded a Maryland Historical Trust non-capital grant to process and catalog artifacts from the Robert Ogle collection, which was donated to the County in 2009. Ogle's "Swann" collection is massive: 55,553 artifacts comprising over 35 boxes of a wide range of native and 17th-20th-century material. Today, Ogle's "Swann" site is actually the combination of six sites: 18CV4, 18CV40, 18CV41, 18CV42, 18CV43, and 18CV472.
References
2021 Enhancing the Ogle Archaeological collection from Central and Southern Maryland. 2 Volumes (Anne Arundel County Planning and Zoning Cultural Resources Section) MHT # MD 198.
1980 "The Environmental Ecology of Calvert County, Maryland, Part 3. Archeology." Maryland Archeology Vol. 16, No. 2. (Archeological Society of Maryland) MHT # CV 87.