OCTOBER 22, 2005

From: Scott Beld
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005
To: Oxbow Archaeologists
Subject: 20MD263 - October 22, 2005

Hi Oxbow Archaeologists,

We found so much on Saturday that it took me longer to make the figures for this weeks update – thus it is being sent out late.

On Sunday (Oct. 23) we hosted the MAS Fall Workshop and had a pretty good turn out considering it was also the Midwest Conference last weekend. I’ve posted some pictures from the Fall Workshop on the front page of our website (HOME). I think most everybody is in the pictures somewhere, except me (I was behind the camera) and a few of the Clinton Valley folks who left early. Special thanks to Dennis and Kyle for helping set up, Marianne for catering the lunches and John for helping set up Sunday!!!

On Saturday, John, Marianne, Nik, Conrad, and I excavated at 20MD263 (see Photo 1). We opened unit 1S-108W and trowelled the 25-30 cm level in units 1S-110W and 1S-108W on the north side of our 3x4 m excavation block. The good news is that we found several diagnostic artifacts in these units on Saturday. The bad news is that there is only a 1 meter wide strip left north of these units before we encounter the area of soil removal. Thus most of the site has been destroyed. While we were removing the upper levels of 1S-108W in the morning, Nik found a rimsherd. In the afternoon, John and Nik found two more rimsherds from this vessel (see Photo 2) as well as an expedient notched projectile point (see Photo 3) while trowelling the 25-30 cm level of 1S-108W. This rim has oblique fingernail impressions across the top of the lip.

I trowelled the 25-30 cm level of unit 1S-110W and found two rimsherds of a different vessel (see Photo 4). This vessel has vertical cord impressions on the exterior lip of the vessel. Both of these vessels probably date after 1200 A.D. I also found a bear phalanx in this level.

In addition we continue to find large numbers of Bayport chert flakes, bone fragments (mainly deer with some fish vertebra), and some bodysherds. It looks like we have a nice late prehistoric occupation in this area!!

Yesterday afternoon, I waterscreened the remaining 1/8” screen bags and we washed artifacts in the RB in the evening (John, Nik, Conrad, Brigitte, and me).

Saturday is supposed to be a nice day, so we will plan on excavating at 20MD263. The 25-30 cm level of two units still need to be trowelled and I’d like to excavate the next three units to the north.

Hope to see you at the site Saturday!

Scott

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Scott G. Beld, Ph.D.
Research Associate II
The University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology
1109 Geddes Road
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079
Phone: 734-764-0489 (UMMP Main Office)
734-763-9253 (My Office)
Fax: 734-936-1380
Email: sbeld@umich.edu
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