Ege-Layhill Site (18MO304)

The Ege-Layhill site (18MO304) was a quartz quarry/lithic workshop during at least the Early Archaic and Early Woodland periods. It was located near the village of Layhill in southeastern Montgomery County, within the Anacostia River drainage.

18MO304 was discovered in 1989 during a Phase I survey for a proposed widening of Layhill Road. A total of 40 shovel test pits were excavated across the site, followed by five test units. They revealed a broad, light scatter of lithic debitage with two discrete artifact concentrations, designated Feature A and Feature B. The site appeared to be vertically stratified, with six Early Woodland period Calvert points recovered from upper levels, while an Early Archaic period Kirk Corner Notched point (plus a possible unfinished Kirk) was found in a lower level.

Phase II investigations were also conducted in 1989. A total of 24 large (50x50 cm) shovel test pits were excavated across the site, followed by 10 test units. These indicated that the site was not stratified in the way previously suggested. The area with the highest artifact concentration, Feature A, consisted primarily of layers of modern fill, slope wash, and buried plowzone. The soils and many of their artifacts were presumed to have eroded down from the site’s high point, Feature B, believed to be the actual occupation area. The stratigraphy at Feature B consisted of just plowzone overlying subsoil, and no cultural features were uncovered. The original site probably extended beyond the limits of the survey area.

The high ratio of debitage to tools at the site suggested it was primarily a lithic quarry/workshop. The only diagnostic tool found during the Phase II work was a Late Archaic/Early Woodland Piscataway point. The artifact assemblage was found to be useful for comparisons to other quarry/workshop sites, but given the disturbances to the site, no further work was recommended for 18MO304.

(Written by Ed Chaney)