New Discoveries

While working in the fields south of Port Tobacco today I received a call on my cell phone. Not an unusual event. It was Scott calling. Also not unusual. Scott was calling me from less than 300 feet away. That was unusual. He had a reason: a very neat find.

Scott, Elsie, Tom, and Bonnie (my wife) were flagging artifacts while Pete and I mapped and collected. They were a ways ahead of us when they started finding Staffordshire Combed Slipware, Buckley ware, Rhenish/Westerwald Blue and Gray stoneware, and other stuff clearly dating to the 18th century. I don't think they found any North Devonshire sand tempered earthenware (pre 1725) or any molded White Salt-Glazed stoneware (typically 1750 and later), which suggests a dwelling site dating to approximately 1725-1750. There was no brick, so it almost certainly was an earthfast dwelling.

Mixed in with these materials we found alot of flakes and fire-cracked rock, as well as two Claggett projectile points similar to the one recovered in the fields to the north. The site, therefore, has a Late Archaic Indian component.

More tomorrow.

Jim