The 2018 field season at Fort Hunter Mansion & Park is
coming to a close soon and it has been a wet one! Last year we marveled at not
having a single rain day, this year is quite the opposite. It has been a
terrific year for visitors, the press, social media and just general interest
in our excavation. Fort Hunter Day was one of those rare beautiful days when
everyone was eager to get outside and enjoy the sunshine as demonstrated by the
more than 3,000 visitors at the site. We welcome everyone to visit and observe our
excavation but especially, to ask questions.
Some of our visitors have been following us and our progress
every September and early October since 2006 so they know the routine. Others are visiting for the first time and
are new to the archaeological process. Most of our visitors stand off to the
side, a little unsure whether to come closer. Once they see that we’re just
harmless, crazy archaeologists, the exchanges between visitors and staff demonstrate
that there is an increasing interest in archaeology and our heritage in central
Pennsylvania.
As with any job, once you have done something for a while
you take for granted the process and begin to overlook some of the minutia of
the task. You complete the process without really thinking about how or why you
do things a certain way. For an
individual who has never visited an archaeological site or had an opportunity
to observe the process, it can be confusing and perhaps a bit overwhelming.
This is the challenge of public archaeology; make it understandable and
relative to the general public. So, some
of the questions that our visitors ask may seem insignificant to us but are
obviously important to their understanding of archaeology. This blog will address some of the questions
we’ve received and hopefully some of our followers have had these or similar
questions of their own that will be answered.
PHMC archaeologist Janet Johnson speaks with visitors to the site during Fort Hunter Day.
(Photo: PHMC, Section of Archaeology)
Probably the most
common question- what are you looking for?
Our immediate response is something to the effect of “We’re
archaeologists with The State Museum of Pennsylvania and are looking for
evidence of the French & Indian War period fort that stood here between
1755 and 1763.” It’s true we began this project in 2006 with hopes of finding a
stockade trench and a blockhouse described in historic documents. However,
while this was and is our ideal, the search goes far beyond the French and
Indian War period. Fort Hunter Mansion
and Park has been used for thousands of years and we are literally peeling back
the soil to discover the lives of the Indians, colonists, industrialist, farmer
and businessman who left their trace.
Why are you digging
here?
The initial area of excavation was prompted by ground
penetrating radar that indicated areas of ground disturbance that seemed most
promising. The discovery of a feature interpreted as the bake oven in 2006 was
facilitated by that technology. Subsequent investigations were based on soil
changes and trenching that provided a window into activity areas for which we
later explored. Our investigation is
also guided by the archaeological evidence recovered in previous excavations,
the artifacts and features. Artifacts are the tangible evidence of the past-
their presence in undisturbed soils, as identified stratigraphically, is
priceless. So when asked, “Why don’t you
dig down on the bank, closer to the river and Fishing Creek?” the answer is all
about the stratigraphy and that undisturbed soil.
As stated earlier, lots of people have lived on this piece
of ground and all of them have dug in the dirt, had campfires, disturbed soils
and left their “mark” or presence on the landscape. It is all this activity
that is challenging to sort through and identify the intact soils and the
undisturbed stratigraphy. This year, we have uncovered an undisturbed living
floor that dates to the Woodland period, 1000- 2900 years ago. Significant not only for its integrity as an
intact soil package but also for the picture of the past provided. Envision
Indians sitting around a campfire cooking fish or game recently caught while
they sharpen their projectile points (arrowheads) and polish a stone axe. Our evidence of this picture comes in the
form of lithic flakes, fire-cracked rock, broken pottery and a stone axe-
tangible evidence of the past.
This drawing depicts indigenous people sitting by a camp fire.
(Drawing: Jonathan Frazier)
Another frequently asked question “What are those colored pins in the ground- the red and blue things?”
The soil markers designate stratigraphy-
soil layers- within our excavation unit. Red pins define natural soil changes
while the blue pins designate incremental soil levels of .25/10ths or 3 inches.
Archaeology is a destructive process and it is only through careful excavation
that we can examine the soils and identify anomalies we refer to as features.
Features are activities that leave evidence in the soil- a cooking hearth is a
feature identified by charcoal flecks and fire cracked and reddened rocks.
The red pins define a natural soil change in the wall of this excavation unit
(photo: PHMC, Section of Archaeology)
What happens to the
dirt that you dig out?
Dirt is screened through quarter inch mesh to identify
artifacts that may have not been recovered during excavation. This process can
be time consuming but is so very important to ensure that we don’t overlook
artifacts or indicators of activities. The backdirt piles (sifted soil piles
under the screen) are eventually used by the grounds crew at Fort Hunter to
fill in the excavation units.
Staff and volunteers screen dirt through 1/4" wire mesh at Fort Hunter.
(Photo: PHMC, Section of Archaeology)
What happens when you
stop digging for this year?
The units (5x5 square) that we have opened are covered over
with a heavy black plastic. The grounds crew at Fort Hunter will use soil from
the back dirt pile to fill in the open units and the black plastic is a marker
for us should we wish to return to a unit the following year.
Where do the artifacts
go?
The artifacts go to the archaeology lab of the State Museum
for processing which involves washing, labeling, and identification. Research and analysis of all the artifacts is
conducted over the winter and spring prior to permanent curation. Conservation
treatment is preserved on the most fragile or corroded of the artifacts.
Specialized treatment aids in the preservation of these artifacts and ensures
stability for many years to come.
What do you do if it
rains?
This record-breaking year of wet weather has taken a toll on
excavations and a frequent question has to do with how we deal with bad
weather. We are able to continue excavations if the rain is light, but any
periods longer than a few minutes create a muddy mess that is more likely to
damage features. We screen the soil in our buckets, bag any artifacts and cover
the units with plastic to preserve the exposed floor. The next day we bail out
water from the top of the plastic and then carefully remove the plastic to see
if we were successful in our endeavors to save the units from damage.
Water from overnight rain sits atop the black plastic used to cover excavation units.
(Photo: PHMC, Section of Archaeology)
What have you found? What’s the most interesting thing you’ve found
here?
We have found many artifacts that represent the activities
of Fort Hunter and several of them provide interesting stories of the residents
of this site. No one object tells the
story of Fort Hunter so there is not an easy answer as to the most interesting
or important artifact. This year’s recovery of a stone axe will be a highlight
since these are rare discoveries during excavation. The volume of musket balls and swan shot are
of particular interest and further analysis will look for density of these
materials this year as compared to other years and locations.
A full grooved stone axe recovered during 2018 excavations at Fort Hunter.
(Photo: Don Giles)
This historic reference to supplies issued in December of
1755 references Swan Shot and the delivery of twenty-five pounds to the site.
There are spent (used) and unused shot present in the excavations adjacent to
the summer kitchen at the rear of the mansion.
“Decemr 9 [1755], By Thomas Forster Esqr
& Thos McKee, at Hunter’s Fort, 12
½ lb. Powder and 25 lb Swan Shot
An intriguing feature has appeared in the excavation block
that has created a lot of questions and speculation by our team. A linear ditch
or trench approximately a foot wide was exposed that runs through at least two
of the units. The depth of this feature is being investigated and careful
screening of the artifacts conducted. Unfortunately no artifacts have been
recovered in this feature that provide a solid date of its construction or
indicate its purpose. Reference to the
ditch at Hunter’s is made in the following;
PA Archives, Vol.
III, page 442 – Engineer Rich’d Dudgeon
to Gov. Denny, Carlisle , 7th July, 1758
“Pursuant to an Order Received from Genl
Forbes, the 5th Inst., I have been to Inspect the State of Fort
Hunter, & am of Opinion that
Stockading of it, & Opening & Deepning the Ditch, according to the
Scheme left with the Commanding Officer there, will be Genls Order, is to see the Work
Executed, by imploying the Country People. But as it’s apprehended he may meet
with difficultys in calling this assistance, I am desired by the Genl
to signify this to you.”
Further investigation of the linear feature is necessary to
understand it’s use and time period of construction, but for now we are happy
to explore the possibility that this may be a portion of the ditch referenced
above.
The lighter colored soil running across the units near the top of the photo indicates a yet unexplored linear feature. (Photo: PHMC, Section of Archaeology)
We only have a week left for the 2018 field season; our last
day is October 5th . With a
forecast of a dry weekend we can only hope that the trend will continue into
next week and we’ll be able to explore these questions and others before the
plastic goes on and we let the site rest until next September. We hope you will
find the time to visit us and observe the process of discovering the archaeological
heritage of Fort Hunter Mansion & Park, Dauphin County. We encourage you to
continue to check the blog for updates on the analysis of the artifacts and
data throughout the winter months as we explore the story of this important
site.
One last question that visitors ask- What are your jobs or tasks when you go back to the office?
The analysis and processing of the artifacts is only a
portion of our jobs as we curate over 9 million artifacts from across the
Commonwealth. We also conduct a major outreach program at the Pennsylvania Farm
Show in January. There is an exhibit to design, brochure to develop and print
and labels to prepare for artifacts on display during this event. Our most
immediate attention will focus on preparing for the Workshops in Archaeology
program on October 27th. This one day event will focus on the
Susquehannock Indians who lived along the river and interacted with Captain
John Smith in the Chesapeake Bay in 1608. The story of their tribe as seen from
an archaeological perspective and through their artifacts is fascinating. We invite you to check out the registration
information and program information for 2018 Workshops in Archaeology.
It’s not raining today and we have school groups scheduled
so it’s time to dig! Hopefully you’ll stop by to see our progress and ask a few
of your own questions.
For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .
