Celebrating Independence Day

It seemed appropriate to continue with the Philadelphia theme as this weekend we celebrate Independence Day. In 1976 while our nation was celebrating its bicentennial a group of archaeologists excavated a section of old Philadelphia treading in the footsteps of our forefathers. The area was once known as the city’s printing section; housing Benjamin Franklin’s first printing office and where he launched the countries first monthly magazine The General Magazine and Historical Chronicle for all the British Plantations in America.

The excavations were undertaken by Penn DOT due to the construction of an access ramp for traffic between the Penns Landing Development and Market Street over a section of Interstate 95. It included the demolition of structures from Market Street to Church Street and between Front and Second Street, a total of 34 properties. The firm of Abraham Levy Architect, under the direction of Herbert Levy and Charles Hunter, was hired to conduct archaeological salvage prior to demolition. The artifacts recovered from this excavation are varied and prolific spanning the time of Philadelphia’s existence, from its informal founding in 1682 to the structures and debris current to the time of excavation, 1976.

It was in the basements of these structures, under floor boards, brick pavers and concrete that “stains” or features emerged. Many of these features were found to be either privies or wells that had been filled over time with domestic trash; including ceramics, glass stemware and bottles, butchered faunal remains and personal items like smoking pipes, coins and buttons. Using the diagnostic artifacts archaeologists were able to date the wells and the layers within them.

One such well, located at 121-123 (old #37-39) Market Street and sealed about 1760 contained an assemblage of artifacts that ranged from pipe stems to wine glasses, a copper William III half penny (1694-1702) and the remains of over 160 separate ceramic vessels. The ceramics from this feature included a group of slip decorated earthenware. Thanks to the research of Dr. David Orr the origins of these slipware vessels were traced to Staffordshire England; but even more remarkably he was able to establish a link between them and their creator, Samuel Malkin (1688-1741). In his article Samuel Malkin in Philadelphia: a Remarkable Slipware Assemblage, published in the journal Ceramics in America, 2003; Dr. Orr describes Malkin’s unique style of “relief-decorated and press-molded earthenware”. A closer look at Samuel Malkin’s Sun Plate can be had by visiting the second floor Archaeology Gallery of The Pennsylvania State Museum.

Unfortunately due to time and budget constraints at the time of excavation as well as the volume of material recovered only a portion of the artifacts from this Market Street Collection have ever been analyzed. They fall into the category of incredible potential, awaiting a researcher like Dr. David Orr to look a little closer in an effort to put together another puzzle piece of our nation’s amazing heritage.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Ceramic Disks: Children’s Play and Adult Gambling in Prehistoric Pennsylvania?

Left Side: 17th Century Tin-glazed Disks from Contact Period Susquehannok Sites in Lancaster & York Counties.

Center: Three larger discs are Shell Tempered Pottery from the Schultz Susquehannock Site in Lancaster County and the smallest disk is a Late Woodland Period Nepheline Syenite Tempered Pottery Disk from a Delaware Site in Pike County

Right Side: Early 19th Century Historic Brass Whizzer from Fort Hunter in Dauphin County

Small ceramic disks are found on Native American Woodland and Contact Period sites throughout Pennsylvania. These objects were manufactured by grinding broken pieces of fired Native or 17th Century Colonial pottery into circular shapes. In some cases one or two holes were drilled through their centers. It is possible that these artifacts were children’s toys and game pieces that were enjoyed by different Native groups throughout the Northeast.

Whizzers or Buzzers are a traditional toy of both Native and European American children. Prehistoric whizzers were made from pottery, wood or bone, while metal whizzers are more commonly found in colonial contexts. They consist of a central disc, the whizzer, which is perforated with two holes. A string of sinew, twine or yarn is threaded through these holes and tied off to make a ring. By twisting the string and then pulling the ends out, the whizzer spins one way, and then twists back the other. This makes a whirring or buzzing noise when done correctly, for which the toy is named.

Solid ceramic disks found in Pennsylvania are similar to game pieces associated with the bowl and dice game (Wa’lade hamma’gan) played by the Penobscot Indians of southern New England in the 1600s. It is also known as Hubbub after the “hub” “hub” chants of onlookers who wagered goods on each game’s outcome. In Hubbub, players’ would alternate turns, casting six small rocks, stone-fruit pits or pottery disks of different colored sides in a bowl. If five or six of the pieces land on the same color side during a turn, the player is awarded stick markers. Players accumulate markers of increasing value and attempt to win their opponents’ markers over the course of the game. While we cannot assume that this precise game was played by Pennsylvania Indians, games of chance are documented cross-culturally for many Native groups. Link here (www.nativetech.org/games) for a complete set of rules for the game of Hubbub and other examples of traditional Native American games.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Fort Hunter Excavation Wrap-Up

As this year’s excavation draws to a close, Fort Hunter retains its secrets and many questions remain unanswered. Addmittedly, this year has been frustrating. As in years past, fort period artifacts were recovered but no structural evidence was found that can be definitively attributed to the fort.

Our excavations in the main block revealed that the ice house foundation cuts into the well feature, suggesting an earlier date of construction, however the exact dates of these structures continue to be unknown.

Feature #24, a large shaft, was found in the unit directly west of the well structure. The four foot wide shaft feature contained an iron pipe running to or from the well at a depth of 6 ½ feet from the surface and appears to be a later modification to the well. The function of the iron pipe at this point is speculative. Prehistoric ceramic and Fire-cracked rock cluster

The prehistoric levels produced material in the form of a relatively dense FCR (fire cracked rock) cluster along with several dozen ceramic sherds. After washing and cataloging the collection in the lab, refits of both the ceramics and FCR seem to be likely. We are hoping to be able to reconstruct a portion of a large Middle Woodland pot.

In the exploratory trench in the front yard, a section of thickened A horizon was encountered. Probing north and south of the trench indicated the unidentified feature was approximately 15 feet wide and had an average depth of 15 to 28 inches. Artifacts contained within were a hodgepodge including ferrous metal objects, a glass wine bottle fragment and a Lamoka projectile point. This feature still holds the possibility of relating to the fort occupation.

Next year should see the in depth investigation of the well structure at the center of our main excavation block and continued exploratory trenching elsewhere on the property in search of the stockade.

While not all of our research goals were met this season, it remains a success in large part due to the time and effort of all our volunteers, and to the thousands visitors and hundreds students that participated the public archaeology program at Fort Hunter Park as part of the celebration of Archaeology Month in Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Carley Brook Bridge Replacement Project

Our blogger this week is Wes Stauffer an intern for the Cultural Resources Section of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Wes worked for a day in the Section of Archaeology observing our processes and auditing a Cultural Resource Management collection for compliance to our Curation Guidelines.

Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, federal projects require planning and cooperation, in addition to hard work. This proved true when the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation determined that the Bates Road/Weidner Road Bridge over Carley Brook, near Honesdale in Wayne County, needed to be replaced. Built in 1916, it had fallen into a state of disrepair over time. To insure that no important cultural sites were destroyed by the construction of a new bridge, a site survey preceded any site work.

Ideally, background research as well as on-site surveys will locate any important historic and archaeological sites in the area of probable effect (or the area to be impacted by the footprint of a new construction project). Such surveys prove especially important along waterways. Waterways provide food and transportation routes today just as they did for our predecessors. Relatively level, well-drained soils adjacent to water travel routes, as well as the fertile soil in adjoining floodplains, provided prime locations for Native American camps and settlements.

At the Carley Brook site, research and archaeological investigation uncovered a portion of the former Staengle property. Leonard Staengle built a house on the property around 1889, as well as a barn and a butcher shop. Staengle cleared the land and established a small farming operation to supplement his butchering business. Various occupants utilized the property through to present day.

Archaeologists excavated no prehistoric artifacts from the area of probable effect. Approximately 85% of the 302 historic artifacts unearthed reflect kitchen or architectural usage. Research determined that the artifacts reveal an occupation period between the 1890s-1920s, however they were uncovered in a mixed or disturbed context. Furthermore, no building foundations were located. Archaeologists concluded that a former refuse dump lies within the area to be impacted by the construction of a new bridge.

With their research completed and archaeological evidence analyzed, archaeologists felt confident that construction of the new bridge over Carley Brook could proceed without negatively impacting any important cultural resources. All artifacts, donated to the Bureau of the State Museum of Pennsylvania, have been inventoried and archived where future researchers can study them and other artifacts like them.

Cultural resources management, integral to projects such as the Bridge Replacement project over Carley Brook in Wayne County, preserves our heritage and gives residents of Pennsylvania a better understanding of our state’s past communities as well as those individuals who lived and worked within them.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Saving our Revolutionary War P.O.W. Camp

On June 27th The Friends of Camp Security held a public program at Schultz House in Springettsbury Township, York County to raise public awareness and support for saving this very important historic site. Camp Security served as a Revolutionary War- era prisoner of war camp from 1781 to 1783, possibly housing as many as 1500 English, Scottish and Canadian soldiers along with their wives and children. Archaeological investigations conducted in 1979 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) archaeologists recovered artifacts which were linked to the occupation of the camp. The site is currently privately owned and is slated for development, destroying the only undisturbed Revolutionary War P.O.W. camp in the Nation.

Archival records indicate that Camp Security housed the remnants of Burgoyne’s Convention Army regiments after their surrender at Saratoga on October 17,1777. The force was composed of both British and allied troops (Hessians, Brunswickers and Canadians) with British troops numbering in the majority. Their arrival in July of 1781 required preparations by local carpenters for the construction of huts and fences. The troops performed the actual labor of creating their internment camp under guard of York County militia. The soldiers and the families who had followed them remained here until June 1783 and engaged in “mechanical trades” in the surrounding communities. These trades reportedly included making lace, spoons, and buckles. Archaeological evidence suggests they were also producing straight pins and bone buttons.

Plans for an archaeological excavation this fall by The Friends of Camp Security hope to further document the presence of troops at Camp Security and the significance of Schultz House which is believed by some to have served as the headquarters while the camp was in operation. The archaeologist hired to conduct the excavations, Steve Warfel, gave a presentation to over one hundred attendees on Saturday and was overwhelmed by the public support and enthusiasm of the local community. For additional information on the efforts of the Friends of Camp Security, please visit their web site http://www.campsecurity.com/

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Porcelain Doll from Dauphin County

This tiny porcelain doll was recovered from the Gayman’s Tavern Site (36DA169), formerly located in Dauphin, PA, by McCormick Taylor & Associates, Inc. The main block of the tavern was constructed in 1863 and the building ceased operating as a tavern in 1888, by 1890 it had become a private residence.

These dolls are commonly referred to as Frozen Charlottes and range in size from one to eighteen inches, with no moving parts. The smaller one inch varieties were usually sold for a penny making them accessible to many children. A popular custom of the time, although not recommended today, was to bake them into a cake thus leaving the luckiest child to find a prize when biting into the cake.

Legend has it that the name Frozen Charlotte comes from an American folk tale about a young maiden who set out for a party and against her mother’s wishes, she refused to dress warmly enough for the inclement weather. As a result she froze to death before arriving at the party. Surely this tale is meant as a warning to all young ladies to mind their mother’s warnings when setting out under such conditions and dress for the weather, even if it is not fashionable.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Eighteenth Century Wig Curlers

Wig curlers, also know as bilboquet or roulettes in the eighteenth century are recovered in some abundance from urban sites dating between c. 1700 and 1780. These wig curlers were excavated from 712 Arch Street Philadelphia as part of the Metropolitan Detention Center Project (36Ph91) by Louis Berger and Associates. They were dumbbell-shaped and made of Kaolin like clay. Interestingly, newspaper was sometimes wrapped around the curler along with the hair and in some cases actual news print is still evident on the clay. Great care should be taken in examining such pieces prior to washing to protect any existing print.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

18th Century WIndow Lead

Archaeologists often comment about discoveries being made in the lab, long after the actual digging of a site has ended. They also lament that practice of archaeology in many cases poses more questions than it answers. This artifact is a prime illustration of both phenomena.

Excavated by Louis Berger Group, Inc. from the Metropolitan Detention Center Site (36Ph91) at 7th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia prior to the construction of a federal prison, this artifact is a fragment of window lead, also called turned lead. Originally H-shaped in cross section, it would have held individual panes of glass together to form a complete window. Correctly identified by Berger staff, it was not until the collection was submitted to the State Museum of Pennsylvania’s Section of Archaeology for curation that the discovery of a date flanked by two pairs of initials stamped on the inside channel was made. In the image “EW 1701 TD” can clearly be seen.

Other instances of window lead with dates and initials have been found at archaeological sites at such as Jamestown, Flowerdew Hundred, and Williamsburg. Closer to Philadelphia, excavations in Trenton at the Lambert/Douglas House conducted by Hunter Research, Inc. prior to highway improvement construction also yielded fragments of window lead, at least one of which bore initials and a date. Incredibly, the initials and date on the fragment from the Lambert/Douglas House are identical to those found on the fragment from the Metropolitan Detention Center Site.

Unfortunately, neither the individual artisan/tradesman nor the manufacturer have yet to be identified. Nevertheless, these two finds, and their undeniable relationship to each other, open the door for questions and discussion concerning the manufacture of and distribution systems for building materials (and other goods) relatively early on in the European colonization of America and the permanent settlement of the lower Delaware River valley more specifically.

For additional information regarding window lead see
Flowerdew Hundred by James Deetz
A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America by Ivor Noel-Hume
History traced by Route 29 - A Tale of Two Houses by Ian Burrow

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Delaware Pipe Bag

This leather pipe bag was collected by Frank Speck in 1929 on the reservation of the Oklahoma Delaware Indians. The bag was used for carrying pipes and tobaccos. Individual designs vary from geometric to floral designs. Native groups utilize many geometric designs in their basketry and pottery, as well as beadwork. One of the obvious reasons for the repeated use of this symbol throughout time is the simple shape which lends itself to repetition. The “swastika” design has been repeated throughout time in many cultural groups and did not become recognized as a symbol of Nazism until 1920 when it was adopted by Adolph Hitler. To view additional objects collected by Speck please visit the Anthropology and Archaeology Gallery at The State Museum of Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .