Home /  Site Summaries  /  Garrett's Chance #3 (18PR704)

Garrett's Chance #3 (18PR704)

Site History

The Garrett’s Chance #3 site (18PR704) is Paleoindian (and possibly Late Archaic) short-term camp located west of Aquasco in Prince Georges County, Maryland.

Archaeological Investigations

This site was identified in 2004 by James G. Gibb during a Phase I survey of the Stanwick Farm. Testing involved three surface collections, 45 shovel tests, and twelve 2 1/2 ft by 2 1/2 ft excavation units, all of which failed to identify any features or artifact concentrations. The landform appears to be severely eroded and surrounded and underlain by marine deposits of sands and gravels. One black chert Clovis point, 1 bog iron Bare Island point, and quartz debitage were found on the surface.

The combined assemblages included a few historic artifacts likely related to the construction and use of the Compton farm tobacco barn. The value of this site is its precontact assemblage, comprised of 95 fire-cracked rocks (34% quartz, 59% quartzite with traces of cherty limestone and sandstone) and 83 flakes. The flakes represent all facets of lithic reduction and quartz, with few exceptions, was the principal material. The three formal tools recovered, however, were of black chert, quartzite, and a limonite-cemented sandstone. Both bifaces were broken and may have been replaced on-site with locally available materials. It would be unwise, however, to classify Garrett's Chance #3 as a lithic resource procurement and workshop site because fire-cracked rocks are present and even outnumber flaked stone artifacts.

Fire-cracked rocks usually indicate pavements on which plants or animals--but probably roots and nuts--were roasted, or 'pot-boiling'--the placement of heated stones in vessels unsuited to direct placement on a fire. The people who occupied Garret's Chance #3 appear to have selected quartzite for these "firestones," accepting also quartz.

References

Gibb, James G.

2006   A Phase I Intensive Archaeological Survey of the Stanwick Farm, Aquasco, Prince George's County, Maryland, Phase II Investigations of Garrett's Chance #3 (18PR704) and Phase II/III Investigations of Garrett's Chance #2 (18PR703). (Andrew Garte & Associates) MHT # PR 382.

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