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Mountaindale (18FR28)

Site History

The Mountaindale site (18FR28) is a Paleoindian, Early, Middle, and Late Archaic and Early, Middle, and Late Woodland lithic quarry/processing station. The site is located in Frederick County, Maryland on Fishing Creek near the confluence with another creek.

Archaeological Investigations

The Mountaindale Site was reported to the Maryland Geological Survey in 1969 by Spencer Geasey. The site was relocated during a 1978-1982 regional survey of the Monocacy River region and tested in 1980 by Maureen Kavanagh and Archeological Society of Maryland volunteers. This Phase I testing involved a systematic surface survey and shovel testing.

This site was characterized by an abundance of rhyolite debris and large numbers of rhyolite bifaces, or blanks. It is postulated that this site served as a rhyolite processing station, where rhyolite quarried from the west side of Catoctin Mountain was fashioned into blanks to be transported to other locations. There is evidence that this location was continually reutilized for a base camp from which forays were made into the mountain for both hunting and quarrying, for a period of over 8,000 years. Based on surface collections, the site was repeatedly occupied from the Early Archaic through the Late Woodland, with the heaviest use during the Late Archaic and the Middle Woodland.

A collection of Frederick County fluted points in Spencer Geasey's collection, including two from the Mountaindale site, was photographed by Tyler Bastian (MGS) in 1971. One was of gray chalcedony and one of very dark gray chert. Geasey's collection from this site was donated to MHT in 1993.

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

Associated Artifacts

Brewerton Corner Notched

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Side-Notched shape, with a Expanding stem, Excurvate blade, and Straight base shape. Brewerton Corner Notched type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Brewerton Corner Notched side-notched rhyolite excurvate blade expanding stem straight base Late Archaic Period

Brewerton Eared Notched

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Side-Notched shape, with a Expanding stem, Excurvate blade, and Concave base shape. Brewerton Eared Notched type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Brewerton Eared Notched side-notched rhyolite excurvate blade expanding stem concave base Late Archaic Period

Clagett

Image of stone projectile point made of Chert, Stemmed shape, with a Expanding stem, Excurvate blade, and Straight base shape. Clagett type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Clagett stemmed chert excurvate blade expanding stem straight base Late Archaic Period

Fishtail Types

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Stemmed shape, with a Expanding stem, Excurvate blade, and Straight base shape. Fishtail type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Fishtail stemmed rhyolite excurvate blade expanding stem straight base Late Archaic Period

Fishtail Types

Image of stone projectile point made of Quartzite, Stemmed shape, with a Expanding stem, Excurvate blade, and Concave base shape. Fishtail type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Fishtail stemmed quartzite excurvate blade expanding stem concave base Late Archaic Period

Fishtail Types

Image of stone projectile point made of Argillite, Stemmed shape, with a Expanding stem, Straight blade, and Concave base shape. Fishtail type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Fishtail stemmed argillite straight blade expanding stem concave base Late Archaic Period

Guilford

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Lanceolate shape, with a contracting stem, Excurvate blade, and Straight base shape. Guilford type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Guilford lanceolate rhyolite excurvate blade contracting stem straight base Middle Archaic Period

Jacks Reef Corner Notched

Image of stone projectile point made of Chert, Corner-Notched shape, with a Expanding stem, N/A blade, and Bifurcate base shape. Jacks Reef Corner Notched type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Jacks Reef Corner Notched corner-notched chert N/A blade expanding stem bifurcate base Middle Woodland Period

Jacks Reef Pentagonal

Image of stone projectile point made of Chert, Pentagonal shape, with a N/A stem, Excurvate blade, and Straight base shape. Jacks Reef Pentagonal type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Jacks Reef Pentagonal pentagonal chert excurvate blade N/A stem straight base Middle Woodland Period

Kanawha Stemmed

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Stemmed/Bifurcate shape, with a Expanding stem, Incurvate blade, and Bifurcate base shape. Kanawha Stemmed type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Kanawha Stemmed stemmed/bifurcate rhyolite incurvate blade expanding stem bifurcate base Early Archaic Period

Levanna

Image of stone projectile point made of Chert, Triangular shape, with a N/A stem, Straight blade, and Concave base shape. Levanna type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Levanna triangular chert straight blade N/A stem concave base Late Woodland Period

Madison

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Triangular shape, with a N/A stem, Excurvate blade, and Straight base shape. Madison type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Madison triangular rhyolite excurvate blade N/A stem straight base Late Woodland Period

Morrow Mountain

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Contracting Stem shape, with a contracting stem, Excurvate blade, and Convex base shape. Morrow Mountain type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Morrow Mountain contracting stem rhyolite excurvate blade contracting stem convex base Middle Archaic Period

Normanskill

Image of stone projectile point made of Quartzite, Side-Notched shape, with a Expanding stem, Straight blade, and Concave base shape. Normanskill type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Normanskill side-notched quartzite straight blade expanding stem concave base Late Archaic Period

Rossville

Image of stone projectile point made of Argillite, Contracting Stem shape, with a Contracting stem, Excurvate blade, and Convex base shape. Rossville type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Rossville contracting stem argillite excurvate blade contracting stem convex base Early Woodland Period

Savannah River

Image of stone projectile point made of Quartzite, Stemmed shape, with a Straight stem, Straight blade, and Straight base shape. Savannah River type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Savannah River stemmed quartzite straight blade straight stem straight base Late Archaic Period

Savannah River

Image of stone projectile point made of Quartzite, Stemmed shape, with a Straight stem, Straight blade, and Concave base shape. Savannah River type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Savannah River stemmed quartzite straight blade straight stem concave base Late Archaic Period

Selby Bay Fox Creek

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Lanceolate shape, with a N/A stem, Excurvate blade, and Concave base shape. Selby Bay/Fox Creek type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Selby Bay/Fox Creek lanceolate rhyolite excurvate blade N/A stem concave base Middle Woodland Period

Selby Bay Fox Creek

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Stemmed shape, with a Straight stem, Excurvate blade, and Concave base shape. Selby Bay/Fox Creek type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Selby Bay/Fox Creek stemmed rhyolite excurvate blade straight stem concave base Middle Woodland Period

Selby Bay Fox Creek

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Lanceolate shape, with a N/A stem, Excurvate blade, and Concave base shape. Selby Bay/Fox Creek type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Selby Bay/Fox Creek lanceolate rhyolite excurvate blade N/A stem concave base Middle Woodland Period

Selby Bay Fox Creek

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Stemmed shape, with a Straight stem, Excurvate blade, and Straight base shape. Selby Bay/Fox Creek type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Selby Bay/Fox Creek stemmed rhyolite excurvate blade straight stem straight base Middle Woodland Period

Selby Bay Fox Creek

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Side-Notched shape, with a Expanding stem, Excurvate blade, and Convex base shape. Selby Bay/Fox Creek type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Selby Bay/Fox Creek side-notched rhyolite excurvate blade expanding stem convex base Middle Woodland Period

Susquehanna Broadspear

Image of stone projectile point made of Rhyolite, Stemmed shape, with a Expanding stem, Excurvate blade, and Concave base shape. Susquehanna Broadspear type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Susquehanna Broadspear stemmed rhyolite excurvate blade expanding stem concave base Late Archaic Period

Vernon

Image of stone projectile point made of Quartz, Stemmed shape, with a Expanding stem, Straight blade, and Straight base shape. Vernon type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Vernon stemmed quartz straight blade expanding stem straight base Late Archaic Period

Vernon

Image of stone projectile point made of Quartz, Stemmed shape, with a Expanding stem, Excurvate blade, and Straight base shape. Vernon type.
18FR28 Mountaindale Vernon stemmed quartz excurvate blade expanding stem straight base Late Archaic Period