Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Introduction

The project area is located in Virginia's Northern Coastal Plain region, an area rich in both prehistoric and historic sites. This discussion of the project area's historic context includes mention of known historic and prehistoric archaeological sites in the immediate vicinity (within a kilometer radius) and a predictive model of sites one would expect to find on or near the parcel under investigation.

Prehistoric Resources

Traditionally, Virginia prehistory is divided into three general periods distinguished by significant wide-spread changes in material technology that reflect assumed changes in cultural organization. The earliest archaeological period is the Paleo-Indian (ca. 10,000 B.C. to ca. 8,000 B.C.), thought to be characterized by small nomadic bands of hunting an foraging people sparsely inhabiting eastern Virginia at the end of the Pleistocene. Intact Paleo-Indian sites are very rare, though isolated examples of stone tools typical of the period have been found in the Williamsburg area (McCary 1983). No Paleo-Indian sites have been recorded in the vicinity of the project area.

Population increased during the subsequent Archaic Period (ca. 8,000 B.C. to ca. 1,200 B.C.) Hunting and foraging for edible plants was still the predominant subsistence technology, but some evidence of increasing sedentism is observed, especially in the Middle and Late Archaic subdivisions. Archaeological sites of this period are far more numerous and complex than those of the previous Paleo-Indian Period., although the artifact assemblages consist mainly of stone tools and the debitage resulting from their manufacture. No Archaic Period sites have been found in the immediate vicinity of the project area.

The Woodland Period (ca. 1,200 B.C. to A.D. 1600) is, like the Archaic, subdivided into three subperiods: Early (1,200 B.C. to A.D. 300), Middle (300 to 1,000), and Late (1,000 to 1600). The period as a whole is characterized by significant changes in artifact assemblages and subsequent technology. The Native American population continued to grow and became progressively sedentary, relying upon agriculture to supplement hunting and foraging. Fairly large villages appear later in the period and the manufacture of clay pottery is initiated. A complex society with a centralized authority and a coordinated and interdependent system of economic, political, and religious liaisons is developed by the time Europeans arrive in Virginia in the late sixteenth century. The likelihood of encountering these types of sites at the project area was considered poor.

Historic Resources

Location and Setting

28DF is located within the present military encampment, north of the Hay and Tayloe lots in Williamsburg, Virginia. The area is flat and covered in short grasses interspersed with 8 few mature hardwoods. Large soil embankments on the north edge of the excavation indicate the occurrence of soil removal and leveling activities. The excavation is bounded to the north and west by mixed hardwoods, pines and dense underbrush with the Colonial Parkway just beyond. To the south, a fence separates this area from the back of the Hay and Tayloe properties. Along the east edge of the excavation is a ravine with a northward flowing stream below. Soils consist of friable sandy clay loam and a sandy clay subsoil.

Site Specific Historical Context

28DF is located north of Colonial Lots 262 and 263. It is not known if this parcel of land was joined at any time with either lot. A brief sketch of these neighboring colonial lots will be provided.

In 1715, the trustees of Williamsburg sold Lot 262 to Francis Tyler. Throughout the eighteenth century, lot 262 served as a residence to the families of Tyler, James Roscoe, John Collett, James Carter, John Tayloe and William Pitt. The property remained a residence in the nineteenth and up to the mid-twentieth century. In 1928, it was acquired by W. A. R Goodwin for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Stephenson 1963). The Tayloe House, an original colonial structure, was restored by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in 1950 and 1951. Other original structures, such as the office, the storehouse and the smokehouse, also remained on this lot. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation reconstructed a kitchen, laundry and privies on the Tayloe property (Stephenson 1963).

Lot 263 was leased in 1717 by the trustees to Edward Ripping. A building was erected on the property shortly after this date. Throughout the eighteenth century, this property functioned as a residence and a shop for various families. From 1756 to 1787, the Hay family lived here and ran a cabinet maker's shop. The cabinet maker's shop was reconstructed by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in 1964 and 1965 (Noël Hume 1990). A detailed history of this lot is provided for 28DG, which is located within the property boundaries.

There has been no previous archaeological research for Site 28DF.

Location and Setting

28DG is situated north of the reconstructed Anthony Hay cabinetmaker's shop. A stream runs northwards across the site and divides the Hay property. Excavation was conducted on both the west and east sides of the stream. The west side of 28DG is located in a pasture and slopes gently down to the north. Little vegetation covers this area. The east side of 28DG is on the ledge of a steep slope which reaches down to the stream. This area is covered by mixed hardwoods and a dense undergrowth of vines. Nicholson street bounds the area to the south. A parking lot and the military encampment lies to the north and is separated from the excavation by a tree line of hardwoods.

Site Specific Historical Context

Figure 2. Frenchman's Map of 1781.

28DG is located on the back of colonial lots 263 and 264. On December 11, 1717, these two lots were leased by the trustees to Edward Ripping, who, only five days later, leased the lots to Henry Gill. At Gill's death in 1720, he left to his wife lots 263, 264 and 265 with buildings and a tan yard. The property remained in the Gill family for some time, but by 1744, John Wall occupied the site. One year later, Wall sold lots 263 and 264 to Thomas Everard for 45 pounds. During the Everard period the property value increased dramatically. In 1756, Everard sold the two lots to cabinet maker Anthony Hay for 200 pounds (Noël Hume 1990:51).

For the next two decades, the shop on lot 264 served as a wareroom, or a combination warehouse and storeroom, for various cabinet makers. Anthony Hay ran the shop until 1767, at which time he purchased the Raleigh Tavern and rented his shop to Benjamin Bucktrout. Bucktrout continued the cabinet making trade and advertised that he also manufactured harpsichords and spinets. In 1771, cabinet maker Edmund Dickinson rented the shop, and was joined a few years later by guilder and looking glass maker George Hamilton (Noël Hume 1990).

During the Revolution, the Hay shop, now owned by Anthony Hay's widow, served as a Public Armory for the American forces. The Hay shop was probably torn down after the war, but Mrs. Hay continued to live on the property in a separate residential building until her death in 1787. Her estate continued to hold the property until 1798, when Joseph Ferguson acquired the two lots. The Ferguson estate tax record of 1820 indicated that a building stood on the property, possibly the Hay residence, yet the estate no longer held both lots originally purchased, but only one. This one lot was purchased by Samuel Griffin 10 in 1827. At this time, no buildings existed on the property. This property was later acquired by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and in 1964 to 1965, the Hay cabinetmaker's shop was reconstructed with the aid of both archaeological and historical research (Noël Hume 1990:52).

Previous Archaeological Research

28DG has undergone only limited archaeological testing. Yet, the nearby Anthony Hay shop has been reconstructed on its original foundations, and the Hay residence and kitchen have been examined archaeologically. Although only some of this testing was performed within the area now designated for development, archaeological work within the vicinity of 28DG will be included in this discussion.

The Anthony Hay cabinetmaker's shop, reconstructed in 1964 and 1965, was first located in 1949 by Mr. J. M. Knight architect and archaeologist for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Excavation of horizontal trenches about 30 cm wide across the site served to locate the remains of the cabinetmaker's shop, Hay residence and kitchen (Noël Hume 1990).

In 1959, Ivor Noël Hume, Director of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Department of Archaeological Research, returned to the site to obtain dating evidence for the building, to establish colonial grades, to recover artifacts related to the cabinetmaking industry, and to investigate the standard of living of an eighteenth-century cabinet maker. Noël Hume also explored areas directly west of the shop where he located the Hay residence, kitchen and well. These excavations also uncovered eighteenth-century landscaping features in other areas of the property (Noël Hume 1990).

The buildings explored on the site by Noël Hume included the following: the cabinet maker's shop, erected in the Everard period of 1745-1756, with a west extension added in the 1760s; the Hay residence, located west of the shop and built sometime in the early eighteenth century with later additions; and the kitchen, located north of the residence and possibly built as late as 1780. Noël Hume determined that the shop had been destroyed sometime between 1778-1781, while the residence and kitchen stood until the early nineteenth century. Noël Hume also discovered cultural features such as the remains of a wooden bridge, a wooden platform, a well, fence lines and paths. Investigations across and alongside the stream, which flows from south to north through the property, led Noël Hume to conclude that this stream had been intentionally diverted in the mid-eighteenth century. This stream has now been returned to its earlier path, running under the west extension of the cabinetmaker's shop as it did during the original existence of this structure.

Two test trenches excavated by Noël Hume were placed near 28DG. The first trench was placed at the rear of the lot at the junction of the stream and the ravine, near the present north fence line. This trench began at the edge of the stream and extended 64 ft. west. Beneath the topsoil, the stratigraphy consisted of a 1 in. to 22 in. layer of dirty yellow clay, a 0 in. to 10 in. deposit of black silt, and a 2 in. to 10 in. layer of grey silt above the natural clay. Noël Hume proposed that at sometime after 1750, a large quantity of clay 11 was placed along the west bank of the stream. This may have been done to prevent the erosion of the stream valley. The second trench was located directly west of the Hay residence and extended north. This trench revealed the natural clay subsoil at a depth of 2 in. beneath a recently disturbed topsoil layer. However, at one point directly east of the neighboring Tayloe dwelling, Noël Hume encountered a layer of black soil which extended 1 ft. below the topsoil and contained ceramics and glass from a 1790-1800 period (Noël Hume 1990). Noël Hume noted that a structure was depicted on the Frenchman's map of 1781 (see Figure 2) west of the Hay residence and east of the Tayloe House. These deposits may have related to this building. The building has not been located archaeologically, and its foundations may remain intact in unexcavated areas.

After the reconstruction of the cabinetmaker's shop in 1965, renovations to the property prompted further archaeological investigation and monitoring. In 1984, Steve Alexandrowicz excavated two trenches south of the cabinetmaker's shop and east of the stream to make way for the installation of concrete drain pipes. This activity revealed that, during the building reconstruction, the area had been filled and/or landscaped. However, Alexandrowicz cautioned that some eighteenth-century strata may still be in place and that future renovations would require archaeological monitoring.

In 1986, archaeologists from Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Department of Archaeological Research performed limited archaeological testing at the site of the proposed Timber yard (Alexandrowicz 1986). This Timber yard was to be located 65 ft. north of the cabinet maker's shop on the east bank of the stream. Within the boundaries of the proposed structure, a 3 ft. by 10 ft. trench oriented east-west was excavated. This trench revealed the following stratigraphy: Layer A (Munsell: 10YR3/2), a topsoil horizon (0-0.4 ft. in depth); Layer B (Munsell: 7.5YR6/6), an orange mottled clay containing modern artifacts (0.4-2.5 ft. in depth); and Layer C (Munsell: 10YR5/3), a brown loam containing modern artifacts (2.5-3.9 ft. in depth). Below this was a clay subsoil.

In 1965, grading operations on the east bank revealed a brick foundation of indeterminate function. The exact location of this brick feature is unknown. At the time of its discovery, the following description of the feature was recorded: "Mechanical grading was undertaken in the east bank of the stream to the rear of the cabinet shop... disturbing the east end of a possible cellar hole which had been previously cut through by the north south sewer line. This feature was too large to be explored at this time, although there is reason to suppose that it relates to a colonial building" (Noël Hume 1965:1). Late eighteenth-century documents mentioned a timber yard on the Hay property and prompted Alexandrowicz (1984) to hypothesize that this 'possible cellar hole' could have functioned as a sawyer's pit. However, no further evidence regarding this feature has been recovered.

Location and Setting

28FC is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Nicholson and Botetourt Streets in Williamsburg, Virginia. These streets bound the area to the south and east. The excavation was placed on a flat terrace of land raised up from Nicholson Street to the 12 south. A dense tree line of mixed hardwoods and vines fronts the excavation to the north and west. 28FC is covered in high grasses and weeds.

Site Specific Historical Context

28FC is located on Colonial lots 266, 267 and 268. There is little known about lot 266 before its conveyance to John Holt by William Nelson in 1745. Fortunately, more is known about the history of lots 267 and 268. In 1713 or 1714, these two lots were purchased together by Christopher Jackson from the trustees of Williamsburg. The price that Jackson paid, 4 pounds 10 shillings, together with the description of the property that "Woods [were] thereon growing or being," indicated that there were no buildings on the lots at that time (Stephenson 1954:3). In 1715, when Jackson in turn sold lot 268 to Thomas Ravenscroft, the deed mentioned the transfer of "all houses, buildings, orchards" (Stephenson 1954: 4). Thus sometime between 1713 and 1715, the first building was erected on lots 267 and 268.

In 1739, another deed regarding the property provided the information that three lots had been mortgaged in 1731 by Dudley Digges to Robert Wills. At that earlier time, Digges had recently acquired the property from Ravenscroft. During the Ravenscroft period, the property value was raised considerably. It is possible that considerable development of the property occurred during that time. Associated deeds indicated that lot 266 was most likely acquired from the trustees by Digges (Stephenson 1954:5), and combined with the other two properties previously owned by Ravenscroft.

Upon Wills' acquisition of the property, he conveyed the three lots to Thomas Nelson. In 1745, his son William Nelson acquired the properties on lots 266, 267, 268, and 700. The location of lot 700 is unknown, for it has not been found on any historic map. Thomas Nelson, a prominent merchant in Yorktown, and his son William, may not have ever lived on the property. In 1739, Thomas Nelson leased the property to Robert and Jane Wills for their lives. This lease mentioned a dwelling house. In 1745, another lease was granted on lots 266, 267, 268 and 700 from William Nelson to John Holt. Apparently, Holt ran into financial difficulties when, in 1753, he mortgaged the lots to Peyton Randolph, and in 1754, he left the colony a bankrupt. At this time, William Hunter acquired the remaining time on Holt's lease (Stephenson 1954).

In 1763, Nelson granted a new lease to Joseph Royle, who died three years later and left the property to his son William. Evidently, William Royle was now the owner of the property, for in 1785 he offered it for sale. A 1791 map indicated that 'Jackson,' possibly George B. Jackson, owned lots 266, 267, and 268. In 1826, the property was in the possession of Robert McCandlish. An account written by Richard Brooker, carpenter, for McCandlish made reference to some repairs made on the "old bake house lot" (Stephenson 1954: 15). The lot mentioned was 267, and perhaps this bake house was the same building erected in 1713 or 1714 by Christopher Jackson.

McCandlish held the property until 1865 when William W. Vest acquired it. In 1887, Vest sold the lots, together with his other holdings on the Tayloe property, to M. R. Harrell. Harrell owned the property when, in 1896, a large fire broke out and considerably damaged 13 an entire block on Duke of Gloucester Street between Colonial and Botetourt streets. This fire destroyed the Harrell dwellings. In 1928, Mr. Charles, a resident of Williamsburg, remembered the Harrell home as "a long and very old one and a half story frame building with dormer windows "(Stephenson 1954:17).

After this disaster, the empty lots were conveyed, in 1904, to Eugene Potts, in 1905, to Joanne B. Harris, and in 1906, to Arthur Harris. The Williamsburg School Board acquired the property in 1907, and sold the property, in 1939, to Williamsburg Restoration, Incorporated (Stephenson 1954).

Previous Archaeological Research

In 1949, Mr. J. M. Knight, architect and archaeologist for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, performed archaeological investigations of Colonial lots 266, 267 and 268. Knight uncovered the remains of two brick foundations; the first was located on lot 267, and the second was located on lot 268 extended beneath Botetourt Street (Stephenson 1954).

The foundation on lot 267 measured 14 ft. by 16 ft. and faced Nicholson Street. Knight believed that this foundation represented eighteenth-century brickwork and may have been the house erected by Christopher Jackson between 1713 and 1715. It is not known how long this building stood. The 1782 Frenchman's map depicted a small building on lot 268 which may have been the Jackson building.

The remains of the larger house on Lot 268 measured 50 ft. by 24 ft. with a small west wing. A kitchen or office building was uncovered to the west of the larger building, and measured 14 ft. by 16 ft. These buildings were likely erected during the Ravenscroft period of 1715-1739. The Frenchman's map depicted the larger building in 1782. This larger house stood until 1896, when it was destroyed by fire.

Stratigraphy and Feature Description

28DF was investigated with sixteen excavation units, measuring 75 cm by 75 cm, placed across the area of proposed development. Most of this land had been recently graded or landscaped and a relatively simple and uniform stratigraphy was encountered. However, some diversions occurred. Only modern cultural features were encountered during this excavation.

Nine of these test units contained one strata beneath the topsoil. The topsoil was a sandy loam which varied from a very dark greyish brown (2.5Y3/2) to dark olive brown (2.5Y3/3). The depth of the topsoil was 3 cm to 7 cm. In most units, the topsoil contained no inclusions; however, a few units had gravel and shell inclusions in the topsoil. Beneath the topsoil was a transition layer comprised of yellowish brown (10YR5/4), sandy clay loam with light inclusions of brick, coal and oyster shell. This layer contained cultural material, including nails, ceramics, glass and bone. The transition to subsoil ranged in depth from 9 cm to 17 cm. Excavation of the transition layer revealed a strong brown (7.5YR5/6), clay subsoil. A profile of the north wall of excavation unit 10 illustrates this stratigraphic sequence (Figure 4).

Some units revealed a different stratigraphy. Three excavation units in the center of the excavation (9, 12 and 13) contained no transition layer and subsoil was encountered directly beneath the topsoil. Grading activities likely removed all other strata. Three other excavation units in the northern edge of the site area (14, 15 and 16) contained a layer of dark yellowish brown (10 YR4/6) clay with light brick inclusions. This layer ranged from 5 cm to over 50 cm in. Undisturbed subsoil was at the base of this layer.

Figure 4. 28DF, north wall profile, Unit 10.

Excavation unit 11, on higher ground near the center of the excavation, contained two strata beneath the topsoil. The top layer was a 30 cm thick, olive brown (2.5Y4/3), sandy loam. Nineteenth-century artifacts were recovered from this layer. The second layer was a light olive brown (2.5Y4/6), sandy loam with yellow clay inclusions which contained no artifacts. Subsoil existed beneath this layer.

Two modern pipe trenches were encountered along the east edge of the excavation. These features were not excavated. No other cultural features were discovered.

Artifact Description

A total of 96 artifacts were recovered from site 28DF. This total includes fragments of refined earthenware, delftware, stoneware, porcelain, container glass, wine glass, window glass, nails and faunal bone. These artifacts are mostly domestic or architectural. The TPQ for datable excavation units ranged from 1772 to 1870. The majority of the artifacts provided a mid-nineteenth century date of manufacture. The overall density of artifacts was very low.

Stratigraphy and Feature Description

In 28DG, a total of thirteen test units were excavated. A stream which runs beneath the shop north to the back of the lot divided the area. On the western side, nine of these units were placed at ten meter intervals. On the eastern side of the stream, four units were excavated at five meter intervals. These thirteen excavation units contained a variable stratigraphy and two cultural features.

Of the nine units on the west side of the stream, three test units contained evidence of erosion and deposition along the stream bank. The two excavation units (7 and 4) adjacent to the stream contained only 4 cm to 13 cm of brown (10YR5/3) sandy clay loam beneath the topsoil. Within this layer were light inclusions of brick, charcoal and nineteenth-century artifacts. South of these units, excavation unit 1 contained a 15 cm thick layer of brownish yellow (10YR6/8), redeposited clay beneath the sandy clay loam layer. This clay may have been deposited as late as the third quarter of the nineteenth century; perhaps, to counteract erosion of the stream bed. Beneath the clay, the meandering stream had deposited a 4 cm to 20 cm layer of fine, brown (10YR4/3) silt. This silt overlay the yellowish brown (10YR5/6) clay subsoil.

The western edge of the Anthony Hay lot exhibited nineteenth- and twentieth-century trash deposition. Two excavation units (2 and 3), contained a 15 cm to 20 cm layer of very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2), sandy clay loam with heavy inclusions of brick, coal, charcoal, oyster shells, window glass, and other artifacts. The TPQ date of manufacture for these artifacts ranged from the late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century. Beneath the modern trash layer was a layer of plowzone, described in detail below, and the yellowish brown clay subsoil.

In five of the nine units on the western stream bank, topsoil removal revealed a relatively simple stratigraphy composed of a 16 cm to 36 cm plowzone layer above the clay subsoil. A profile of the north wall of excavation unit 5 depicts this sequence (Figure 5). The plowzone layer consisted of a dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2), sandy clay loam mottled with yellowish brown (10YR5/6) clay. The soil contained light inclusions of brick, oyster shell, charcoal, ceramics, glass, metal and bone. The TPQ date of manufacture for the artifacts in this layer ranged from the late eighteenth- to mid nineteenth-century. In excavation 18 Figure 5. 28DG, north wall profile, Unit 5. Figure 6. 28DG, north wall profile, Unit 13. units 2 and 5, located in the center of the Anthony Hay pasture, no artifacts with a post-1775 date of manufacture were recovered from the plowzone.

On the eastern stream bank, four units were placed at 5 m intervals. Stratigraphy varied from unit to unit. Two of these units (10 and 13) on the south and north edge of the excavation were 100 cm deep. The northern unit (13) exhibited a relatively simple stratigraphy. Beneath the topsoil, this unit contained a 24 cm thick layer of redeposited yellowish brown (10YR5/6) clay. This clay contained no artifacts. Under the clay was a 13 cm layer of olive brown (2.5Y4/3), sandy loam followed by a 46 cm deep layer of light olive brown (2.5Y5/4), sandy loam. These two layers contained very light inclusions of brick, shell, charcoal, ceramics, metals and glass. Subsoil existed beneath these layers. The artifacts provided a TPQ date of 1869 for the layer above subsoil. A profile of the north wall of this unit depicts this stratigraphy (Figure 6).

The south unit (10) also measured 100 cm deep. This unit contained a more complex stratigraphy than excavation unit 13. Removal of the topsoil revealed a 14 cm to 18 cm layer of dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2), sandy clay loam layer. This layer was mottled with brownish yellow (10YR6/8) clay and contained light brick inclusions. This layer was followed by a 36 cm deep layer of light olive brown (2.5Y5/4), sandy loam which contained five red bricks. These bricks were not in course, yet they appeared in a east/west linear pattern. The bricks had no mortar attached. This layer contained other light inclusions of shell mortar and charcoal. Beneath this layer, a possible feature was encountered. This feature comprised three dusky red bricks end to end in an east/west direction. The bricks had no mortar attached to them, were crumbled, and had been pressed into the layer below. These may have been the fragmentary remains of a dry-laid brick walkway. The bricks were drawn in place and removed in hopes of assigning a date to them. The layer beneath provided a TPQ date of 1762. This layer was composed of 10 cm to 20 cm thick, yellowish brown (10YR5/4) sand. Beneath this level, a 20 cm thick layer of strong brown (7.5YR5/6), redeposited clay existed above the undisturbed subsoil clay.

The other two excavation units (11 and 12) on the eastern side of the stream were moderately deep. Excavation unit 11 was not excavated to subsoil because a circular feature 19 appeared at a depth of 23 cm in the northwest corner of the unit. This feature was partially excavated and the artifacts recovered provided a late nineteenth-century TPQ date. Test unit 12 contained a 2 cm to 7 cm thick section of brownish yellow (10YR6/8), redeposited clay above a 45 cm thick layer of light olive brown (2.5Y5/4), sandy loam with light brick inclusions and a few late nineteenth-century artifacts. Beneath this layer a yellowish brown (10YR5/6), clay subsoil existed.

Artifact Description

A total of 521 artifacts were recovered from site 28DG. This total includes fragments of refined and course earthenware, delftware, stoneware, porcelain, container glass, wine bottle, window glass, flowerpots, tobacco pipes, architectural hardware, wrought and cut nails, and faunal bone. These artifacts are mostly domestic or architectural. The TPQ for datable excavation units ranged from 1775 to 1933. The dates of manufacture for the majority of artifacts spanned the mid to late nineteenth-century. No artifacts with a post 1775 date of manufacture were recovered from the plowzone in two units (2 and 5) located in the center of the Anthony Hay pasture. In the areas of recent disturbance or deposition, the artifact density was high Yet, overall density of artifacts was very low.

Stratigraphy and Feature Description

Nine excavation units were placed at 10 m intervals across 28FC. Removal of the topsoil and other recent deposition layers revealed a layer of plowed soil. Beneath the plowzone, five units contained features and/or a destruction layer which may be linked to the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century occupation of the site.

As stated above, all nine excavation units contained a layer of plowzone. Plowing occurred on this site up to the present.

Thus, the plowzone included artifacts from the eighteenth century, as well as very modern items such as a 1971 penny. This plowzone was relatively shallow, penetrating to a depth of 12 cm to 27 cm below the surface. This layer was comprised of dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2), sandy loam mottled with brownish yellow (10YR6/8) clay. The soil contained light inclusions of brick, charcoal and shell, as well as moderate inclusions of domestic artifacts. Artifact concentration was heaviest in the center of the excavation, with over 200 window glass fragments recovered from excavation unit 5.

In three excavation units (3, 6 and 9) along the western edge of 28FC, plowzone removal revealed an additional 4 cm to 13 cm layer. This layer consisted of a dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2), sandy loam with light to moderate brick, sand mortar and shell inclusions, and moderate charcoal inclusions. A profile of the west wall of excavation unit 9 depicts this stratigraphy (Figure 7). The TPQ date for this layer ranged from 1810 to 1924. The artifacts in the layer were architectural or domestic in nature. Some artifacts had been burned. This layer may have related to earlier occupation and/or destruction activities. Moreover, it is possible that these artifacts have not been disturbed and relate to 20 Figure 7. 28FC, west wall profile, Unit 9. the early eighteenth- to late nineteenth-century domestic occupation of the site. The artifacts are discussed in more detail below.

Several cultural features existed at the subsoil level. Four units (1, 4, 7 and 9) contained trenches from the previous archaeology conducted by Mr. Knight. In three test units (1, 2 and 5) other features existed with less explicit functions and time periods assigned to them. Excavation unit 1 contained a linear feature along the north edge with a dark greyish brown (10YR4/2), sandy loam fill. The visible portion of this feature was mapped but not excavated. This feature's function and associated time period was not determined, except that it was cut by Mr. Knight in the mid-twentieth century.

Excavation unit 2 contained a feature with yellowish brown (10YR5/6) clay fill which almost covered the base of the unit. This feature was probed to a depth of 15 cm and the fill remained consistent. This may have been a modern utility trench. The feature was not excavated.

Finally, excavation unit 5 contained two features of indeterminate function. The earliest feature almost totally covered the base of the unit. The feature was filled with a yellowish brown (10YR5/4), sandy clay loam and included several brick chunks. This feature was cut by a relatively linear feature with dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2), sandy loam fill. Neither feature was excavated. Potentially, these features relate to the eighteenth- to nineteenth-century occupation of the site.

Artifact Description

A total of 2054 artifacts were recovered from site 28FC. Within the plowzone, the artifacts included 1433 fragments of refined and course earthenwares, delftware, stoneware, porcelain, ceramic tobacco pipes, clear leaded tablewares, wine bottles, colored containers, window glass and wrought and cut nails. These artifacts were mostly domestic or architectural in function. The TPQ for the plowzone was 1971.

The destruction layer beneath the plowzone contained similar artifacts. A total of 211 artifacts were recovered form this layer. These consisted of fragments of architectural 21 hardware, window glass, stoneware, porcelain, refined and course earthenware, wine bottle glass, container glass, tobacco pipes and faunal bone. The TPQ for this layer was 1924.

No artifacts were recovered from the features, as they remained unexcavated. Artifact density was moderate to heavy. Density increased slightly towards the center and north of the excavation.