Kettering Park (18PR174)

Kettering Park (18PR174) is the remains of an apparent series of Early Archaic through Woodland period resource procurement and base camps in the Largo area of Prince George’s County, Maryland.

The site was first discovered during the course of a Phase I survey in 1979. The survey was conducted along a 91.44 m (300 ft) wide corridor along Maryland Highway 214, and included surface collections, and six test pits excavated using both shovels and trowels. Five of the test pits excavated measured 61 X 61 cm and the sixth measured 46 X 46 cm. All the excavated materials were screened through hardware mesh. Seventy-two prehistoric artifacts suggestive of Late Archaic through Late Woodland occupations at the site were recovered.

Researchers returned to Kettering Park in the spring of 1983 to conduct the Phase II testing, which entailed excavation of 166 shovel test pits and 11 selectively places test units. Soil from the excavations was screened through mesh hardware. Twenty-two temporally diagnostic projectile points and fragments were recovered, ranging in age from the Early Archaic to the Late Woodland. The full Phase II assemblage included 3,829 prehistoric artifacts. No cultural features were revealed in the test units.

Upon completion of the Phase II investigations, more intensive excavations were recommended. Thus, Phase III data recovery was carried out in the same area as the Phase II testing. Thirteen 2 X 2 m units were excavated. The humus and the plowzone/wash layers were excavated by shovel, and soil from the northwest quadrant of each unit was screened. Grab samples of both historical and prehistoric artifacts were collected from the excavated material. A total of 2,761 prehistoric artifacts were recovered during the course of the Phase III excavations at 18PR174. No features were identified, however lithic manufacturing areas were.

The assemblages of all three stages of archaeological work were analyzed together in 1993. Diagnostic ceramic sherds include 2 Marcey Creek, 3 Selden Island, 449 Accokeek, 151 sand/grit-tempered sherds, 11 Mockley, 53 Townsend, 6 Moyaone, 1 Potomac Creek, 5 Shepard, and 16 Riggins ware sherd. Diagnostic projectile points include 3 Normanskill, 3 Bare Island, 2 Brewerton Ear-notched, 1 Dry Brook Fishtail, 1 Orient Fishtail, 1 Lamoka-like point, 2 Susquehanna Broadspears, 2 Holmes-like points, 1 Calvert, 8 Piscataway, 1 Potts, 4 Vernon, 1 Halifax-like point, 1 elongate triangular point, 8 Levanna points, and 1 Madison point. A point fragment was also recovered suggestive of an Early Archaic date. Ten of the lithic artifacts were selected for blood residue. Only one specimen produced positive results.

The probability that additional deposits are still present in the southern portion of the site is quite high. Thus, Site 18PR174 should continue to be considered a significant archaeological resource.

(Edited from the Maryland Historical Trust Synthesis Project)