Otter II (18CV272)

The Otter II site (18CV272) is a prehistoric site north of Solomons Island in Calvert County, Maryland. It is a multi-component site with two primary occupations; a poorly-defined and disturbed Late Archaic/Early Woodland component and a Middle Woodland base camp.

The site was first identified during a Phase I survey in late 1986 conducted for the proposed Patuxent Point Subdivision. Phase I survey methods consisted of both surface collection and shovel testing.

Surface collection revealed a site (18CV272) approximately 4.5 acres in extent. Prehistoric cultural materials (lithics and occasional sherds) were recovered, as well as 4 concentrations of shell. A Phase II project was carried out at the site in 1987. Controlled surface collection occurred and the shell features identified during Phase I were excavated. All were found to consist of pits, tightly packed with shell.

The Phase II/III work at 18CV272 revealed two major occupations at the site. The surface collection revealed an apparent Late Archaic/Early Woodland component defined primarily by the presence of Piscataway projectile points. These points are the most widespread spatially at the site, but are still clustered towards the northern half of the site, the locus of the most intense and continuously distributed occupation, and where most of the bifaces were found. This Piscataway component is associated with a preponderance of quartz reduction flakes. Other evidence of the Early Woodland consisted of 3 contracting stemmed points.

The other component was represented by the shell pits. The primary diagnostic material found within these pits was Mockley shell-tempered ceramic wares. Minute amounts of Popes Creek and Accokeek wares were also recovered, but the evidence points strongly toward an intact Middle Woodland Mockley component. Other evidence of the Middle Woodland at the site includes a number of Selby Bay point found during surface collection. These points were the second-most common and widespread diagnostic lithics encountered at 18CV272. Most of the lithic toolkit associated with the pits consisted of rhyolite (unlike the quartz-Piscataway association mentioned previously). A single Palmer point attests to a minor Early Archaic presence at the site.

Lab analysis of faunal materials and flotation samples yielded mixed results. Flotation sampling and water screening produced abundant charcoal, but no identifiable seeds were identified. The pits contained large amounts of oyster shell and other food remains consisted of terrestrial mammals such as deer, opossum, and skunk. Turtles and fish were also present.

(Edited from the Maryland Historical Trust Synthesis Project)