Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Introduction

From 20 November through 10 December 1996, Colonial Williamsburg's Department of Archaeological Research conducted Phase II archaeological investigations at Site 44WB90 located east of the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor's Center in Williamsburg, Virginia (Figure 1). This project was undertaken to identify cultural resources that would be impacted by proposed construction in the area. A Phase I survey (Pickett 1996) prompted additional testing due to the recovery of eighteenth-century artifacts in three clustered shovel tests. Pickett (1996) hypothesized that this cluster represented a domestic structure. The aim of the Phase II investigation was to substantiate and delineate these findings.

The Phase II investigation centered around the area of the positive tests. Excavation located an eighteenth-century structure with an English-bond, brick hearth. The boundaries of the site were delineated by testing outside the areas of concentration. This report serves as a summary of the Phase II investigation and its findings. A recommended strategy for further investigation is also included.

The principal investigator of this project was Dr. Marley R. Brown III, Director of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Department of Archaeological Research. The project was conducted under the direct supervision of David Muraca, Staff Archaeologist with the Department of Archaeological Research. Project Archaeologist Margaret W. Cooper was responsible for conducting the fieldwork and writing the final report. Assistance in the field was provided by Pamela Eby and Kelly Sullivan. Laboratory processing and preliminary artifact analysis were conducted by Gwyneth Duncan. The final drawings for this report were prepared by Heather Harvey.

Environmental Setting

Site 44WB90 is located on a narrow terrace of land located east of the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor's Center and west of the Colonial Parkway (Figure 2). It is situated northeast of rooms 5245-5275 of the Woodlands Suites hotel complex on the Visitor'sCenter property. The project area is wooded with a mature growth of pine, Live Oak and American Holly along with moderate secondary vegetation. The project area is on a ridge with a gentle slope to the south and a ravine to the north. This ravine, a tennis court to the west and a private home to the east defined the edges of the tested area. The site is approximately 70 meters above mean sea level. Soils consist of friable sandy clay loam and a sandy clay subsoil. As evidenced by redeposited subsoil clay beneath the topsoil, there has been some disturbance in the project area.

Figure 1. Project area location.

Figure 2. Plan view of Visitor's Center.

Historical Context

Site Historical Context

Williamsburg served as the capital of Virginia from 1699 to 1780 and witnessed considerable expansion and change during this time. By the second half of the eighteenth century, peripheral neighborhoods were settled as the population of Williamsburg grew. Perhaps foreseeing the rise in property value for these lands, Lieutenant Governor Francis Fauquier purchased two tracts which adjoined the Governor's Palace Lands. In January 1760, a 52 acre tract was purchased from John and Elizabeth Ferguson for £250. In May of that same year, Fauquier bought a 35 acre tract from Matthew Moody which contained "one or more houses" (Gibbs 1980:3) for £ 70. In 1768, these total 87 acres were then sold in 1768 by Fauquier to the Council in order to enlarge the Palace Lands (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Palace Lands.

The project area appeared to be located within the 35 acre tract previously owned by Matthew Moody. In 1747, Moody had purchased the land from Thomas Penman along with 46 additional acres to the southeast. It is uncertain how Moody used this land but it is unlikely that he ever lived there himself. He began to subdivide the land to the southeast of the project area in 1750. It is possible that the northwest tract which contains the project area may have been leased from Moody for agricultural purposes.

Previous Archaeological Research

Site 44WB90 was identified in June 1996 during a Phase I survey of locations under consideration for future development. Before this time, there had been no archaeological investigations in this area. Concentrated findings of eighteenth-century domestic and architectural debris in three shovel tests on the eastern edge of the project area prompted further investigation. This material was recovered within the first 55 cm of soil.

Testing during the Phase I investigation consisted of one hundred and thirty-five shovel tests, each 40 cm by 40 cm. A total of twenty-three positive shovel tests were excavated. Three tests located in a close proximity to each other had a significant amount of eighteenth-century artifacts. The artifacts recovered in these three clustered tests included hand wrought nails, wine bottle glass, table glass, a pipe stem fragment, brick bats and a fragment of plaster. The other positive tests near this area contained glass, nails and brick fragments. The remaining positive tests were located apart from this concentration and consisted of either isolated finds or modern artifacts.

In summary, the Phase I survey indicated a possible eighteenth-century domestic site and recommended further testing. The proposed Phase II involved the placement of 75 cm by 75 cm square test units at 10 m intervals over an estimated area of 60 m by 40 m. Thus, the Phase II aimed to substantiate the existence, date, and boundaries of this site and to determine if any intact sub-surface features were present.

Research Goals

The results of the Phase I survey served as a basis for developing the research design for the Phase II investigation. As discussed in Chapter 1, the Phase I study recommended that further work should focus on substantiating the domestic related findings. Thus, the Phase II investigation attempted to define the spatial and temporal boundaries of the site and identify areas of artifact concentration and sub-surface features.

Project Limitations

An overview of the land as well as the results of the Phase I survey revealed limitations that may affect the archaeological integrity of the area. This property had been periodically subjected to plowing in the nineteenth or early twentieth century. Other human modifications included recent leveling activities for a tennis court and an earlier leveling episode, possibly for a dirt road. During the Phase II investigation, the presence of redeposited subsoil clay beneath the topsoil indicated further disturbance. The severity of this disturbance may have impacted another house site which was identified by historical research but not recovered archaeologically during the Phase I (Pickett 1996). The fieldwork and subsequent analysis were completed with these limitations in mind.

Field Methods

The testing method employed for this project consisted of 75 cm by 75 cm excavation units placed systematically every 10 meters. A review of the shovel test results served as a guide for the placement of test units on the site. A 10 meter interval grid was created using a transit. The base point was arbitrarily assigned the grid coordinates 500 North/ 500 East. All units were assigned coordinates in respect to this datum point. These designations referred to the northwest corner of the unit.

A total of twenty-seven excavation units were selectively placed in order to cover the potentially significant areas identified by the Phase I investigation. Sixteen of these units were placed at 10 meter intervals to identify a general area of artifact concentration. In order to pinpoint a more exact location, eight excavation units were placed at 5 meter intervals within the area of general concentration. As a final step, three larger test units were placed in selected areas. These units identified the exact location and boundary of the site.

The units were excavated using shovels and trowels. All of the soil was sifted through a ¼-inch screen. Although the topsoil and plowzone were excavated together, other soil layers were excavated by natural boundaries and removed to the subsoil. At the subsoil level, the base of the unit was examined for any intrusive cultural features. All information 10 regarding soil stratigraphy and recovered artifacts were recorded on Context Record Forms. The artifacts were bagged according to context number. Except for brick, mortar and shell, all artifacts were saved. However, the presence of brick, mortar and shell was noted on the context form. Profiles were drawn selectively in order to record a representative stratigraphy of the units. Three features were encountered and documented using measured drawings. Features were excavated only if their relationship to the eighteenth-century occupation was ambiguous. Both black-and-white photographs and color slides were taken of the brick feature using 35 mm cameras. Every unit was back-filled.

Laboratory Methods

The artifacts recovered during the investigation were washed and sorted. A computerized coding system at the Department of Archaeological Research was used to inventory the artifacts. No conservation was attempted on any of the material. When possible, all contexts were assigned a terminus post quem (TPQ) which represented the date after which the context was deposited. The artifacts were placed in acid-free polyethylene bags for storage at the Department of Archaeological Research.

The results of the artifact analysis were incorporated with the field data and constituted the basis for report preparation. The plowing of the site mixed modern with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century artifacts. Thus, the TPQ for many contexts may not correlate to the period of occupation. For this reason the twentieth-century artifacts, while included in the artifact inventory, were excluded from artifact totals presented in Chapter 3.

Stratigraphy and Feature Description

As stated above, this Phase II survey consisted of placing twenty-seven excavation units across the project area. Since the land had been plowed, a relatively simple and uniform stratigraphy was encountered. However, some units exhibited signs of more recent disturbance. Three features were encountered during this excavation.

Eighteen units consisted of a 5 cm layer of topsoil above a plowzone layer which averaged 35 cm in thickness, but ranged from 20 to 60 cm. This fluctuation was primarily due to erosion which occurred on the sloping terrain. The plowzone was a friable, sandy clay loam which varied from brown to dark brown. Cultural material, such as brick, nails, ceramics glass and bone, were contained in this layer. Excavation of the plowzone revealed a brownish yellow clay subsoil. A profile of the north wall of excavation unit 505 North/ 530 East illustrates this stratigraphic sequence (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Test unit profile.

However, some units revealed different stratigraphy. Two units, located at the base of a slight slope, contained an additional layer beneath the plowzone. This strata was a dark greyish brown sandy loam which contained no artifacts. The layer was most likely the result of alluvial deposits from the surrounding terrace. It was excavated separately from the plowzone and removed to the subsoil level. The thickness of this layer was 12 to 22 cm.

On the western and northern edges of the project area, seven units revealed a light, yellowish brown clay with pebble inclusions just beneath the topsoil. These units were located either adjacent to tennis courts or within a possible dirt road. Twentieth-century leveling activities in these areas may have disturbed or removed the plowzone. These units were not excavated below this redeposited clay layer.

The first feature encountered was located within the excavation unit located at 510 North/ 540 East. The feature was composed of a friable, brown sandy loam which intruded into the subsoil. Since it extended beyond the unit boundaries, only one edge of this feature was visible in the test unit. The plan of this feature appeared irregular. Because its relationship to the eighteenth-century site was uncertain, the visible portion of the feature was excavated. The feature fill contained small fragments of burnt clay or brick. The base of the feature extended 20 cm into the subsoil and the profile was stepped. Due to the lack of cultural materials as well as amorphous shape, this feature could not be positively associated with the eighteenth-century site. No photographs were taken.

The remaining features consisted of an English-bond, brick hearth and an associated robber's trench. Both of these features were found in the test unit located at 505 North/ 535 East. The bricks-in-course were encountered 16 cm beneath the topsoil. This feature was L-shaped in plan. There was shell mortar between the bricks and at least one brick was glazed. These bricks composed the northern section of the hearth foundation. Both photographs and a brick-by-brick drawing were used to record this feature (Figure 5).

The robber's trench extended along the south and east edge of the exposed foundation. This feature was linear and slightly irregular in plan. The fill contained a brown sandy loam with dense inclusions of brick and shell mortar rubble. This feature was not excavated.

Artifact Description

A total of 347 artifacts were recovered. This total includes of 117 artifacts which were associated with the eighteenth-century site, mainly ceramics, glass, nails, tobacco pipes, metal, shell and bone. These artifacts are mostly domestic or architectural. The overall density of artifacts was very low for an eighteenth-century domestic site.

In order to correlate the artifact density with the location of the brick features, three computer generated surfer maps were created (Figure 6). The first map illustrated the concentration of eighteenth-century artifacts. This map showed three distinct clusters which indicated three separate activity areas. To determine the specific nature of these activity areas, the distribution of ceramics and nails were plotted separately.

Figure 5. Plan view of hearth.

One cluster showed up on all three graphs. Located at 505 North/ 535 East, this cluster overlaid the brick hearth feature. This concentration represented a household activity area. A second distinct cluster was identified at 500 North/ 500 East. This area, which contained eighteenth-century ceramics, was not associated with any known features. This cluster may indicate the location of a household refuse midden. A third distinct concentration clustered at 520 North/ 520 East. This area contained wrought nails and was not associated with any known features. This may be the location of a non-domestic wooden structure.

The ceramic assemblage was composed of delftware, Rhenish German stoneware, white salt-glazed stoneware, Chinese export porcelain, creamware and pearlware. These ware types suggested a mid to late eighteenth-century occupation for the site. These wares were also indicative of household use. Utilitarian kitchen wares were not represented in this collection. Glass was also present, with 22 fragments of green bottle glass and 1 fragment of clear, leaded table glass.

The architectural material included 32 hand-wrought nails. The presence of brick and mortar was noted in the field. The small amount of brick and mortar encountered in the excavation units indicated that the structure was probably constructed of wood which rested on posts.

Figure 6. Surfer maps.

Research Summary

This Phase II project focused on the substantiation and delineation of an eighteenth-century domestic site which was previously identified during Phase I survey (Pickett 1996). This site is located adjacent to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor's Center and the Colonial Parkway.

Testing of the area explored the concentrations of eighteenth-century material located during the initial survey. A total of twenty-four 75 cm by 75 cm units, two 1 m by 1 m units, and one 2 m by 2 m unit were excavated. These test units identified an eighteenth-century English-bond, brick hearth and an associated robber's trench. The sparse amount of brick encountered in the test units indicated that the structure was built of wood and rested on posts. Historical research indicated that the property may have been owned by Matthew Moody and sold in 1760 to Lieutenant Governor Francis Fauquier. Historically, little else is known about the nature of this structure. Archaeological evidence suggested a domestic site of an individual or family which was occupied during the second half of the eighteenth century.

A thin scatter of mid to late eighteenth-century domestic and architectural artifacts were also recovered. There was a high correlation between artifact density and the location of the brick hearth foundation. Artifact distribution maps also suggested the location of a household refuse midden and a non-domestic wooden structure.

Management Recommendations

Due to the historical significance of this site, a Phase III data recovery is recommended. Further excavation of the plowzone in the 40 m by 40 m area surrounding 505 North/ 535 East will allow a more thorough investigation into the function of the structure and the quality of life of its inhabitants. This house was probably occupied by either slaves of African origin or poor whites. A proposed strategy for excavation includes the hand excavation of 5% of the plowzone. Following this sampling a 40 m square area should be machine stripped with complete excavation for all exposed subsurface features.