JUNE 6, 2009

From: Scott Beld
Sent: Sunday, June 07, 2009 8:29 PM
To: Oxbow Archaeologists
Subject: Sias East - June 6, 2009

Hi Oxbow Archaeologists,

    Nik, Kevin, and I made it out to the site yesterday. I pretty much got a full day in at the site (it started to sprinkle as I drove out).

    In the morning, we excavated the plow zone (0-20 cm) of unit 3S-103W (see map-6-6-09). We found several flakes and bone fragments.

    In the afternoon, I finished the 25-30 cm level of unit 2S-100W. Last week I excavated the first half of this level (25-27.5 cm) and recovered several flakes and bone fragments. Yesterday I excavated the second half (27.5-30 cm) and found very little material (only a couple flakes and bone fragments). I also excavated the 30-35 cm level and only recovered 3 flakes, 1 bone fragments and 1 F.C.R.

    I fininshed the afternoon, excavating a unit (0S-110W) in the original area of the 110 West Block to make sure there is nothing deeper. In the 40-45 cm level, I recovered a Middle Woodland rimsherd (see Photo), as well as 4 bone fragments, and 3 F.C.R. We actually found another rimsherd from this vessel in the 30-35 cm level of this unit (see Middle Woodland Rimsherd). The vessel has dentate tool impressions made immediately below the lip with deep punctates raising interior bosses and a striated/tool impressed interior lip. This vessel along with one of the other rimsherds we recovered last year (see Incised Middle Woodland Rimsherd) are likely variants of late Middle Woodland pottery type Reuben Linear defined at the Schultz site. These rimsherds go well with the date (380 A.D.) we got last year! The 45-50 cm level of 0S-110W had 3 F.C.R.

    This week we will meet at the Resource Building Wednesday evening. We will probably be working outside washing 1/8" screen bags and doing flotation if the weather permits. Next Saturday we will plan on excavating at Sias East.

Hope to see you at the site.

Scott

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Scott G. Beld, Ph.D.
Research Laboratory Specialist - Intermediate 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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