Nice Bridge Shell Midden Site (18CH797)

The Nice Bridge Shell Midden Site (18CH797) is an Early, Middle, and Late Woodland shell midden site and late 19th-20th century artifact scatter. The site is located on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River at the base of the Harry Nice Bridge south of the confluence with Ravens Crest Creek and Trunk Gut with the Potomac River. Portions of the site have been truncated to the north, south, and west due to bridge construction.

The site was initially discovered in the 1880s by Elmer Reynolds, who also studied the Pope's Creek Mound. Phase IA and 1B was conducted by MOTA and A. D. Marble in 2010. A quantity of prehistoric pottery and marine faunal remains, as well as a large amount of oyster shell were recovered in this testing. Four possible features were discovered, so the site was recommended for Phase II testing (White et al. 2010).

During the Phase II testing in 2017, Johnson, Mirmiran, and Thompson, Parsons Brinkerhoff Joint Venture dug 83 shovel tests, of which 19 were positive, and 64 were negative. Seven 1x2 meter units were excavated to test subsurface anomalies revealed by remote sensing. These anomalies were believed to represent features, with several of them believed to be hearths.

Phase II testing was conducted in 2018. Seven test units were excavated. Two of the units (TU 6 and TU 7) contained shell midden deposits, but none of the anomalies revealed through the Phase I testing were revealed to be features. Two of the possible hearth features were actually part of the redeposited fill and the other two – dark stains that had cut subsoil – might be evidence of the limited integrity of the site. A total of 268 artifacts were recovered during the Phase II testing (177 lithics, 45 faunal remains, 45 historic artifacts and one prehistoric sherd).

Most of the lithics were quartz debitage, with a few chipped stone tools and the prehistoric sherd was possibly Pope's Creek. Historic artifacts, dating from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries, were discovered in a disturbed layer of soil and were not considered significant. The site was considered too disturbed for further archaeological investigation to be warranted.

(Modified from state site form and Souther et al. (2018) by Patricia Samford)