August 23 and 30, 2003

From: Scott Beld
Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2003
To: Oxbow Archaeologists
Subject: Ponton Site - August 23 and 30, 2003

Hi Oxbow Archaeologists,

Well we finally made it out to the site yesterday and several units (see map). This is the first update in several weeks!

On Saturday, August 16 only John O. and I showed up so we processed flotation samples at the Resource Building all day. This together with Wednesday evening flotation has allowed me to reduce the flotation backlog to less than a dozen samples. I’ll probably finish them this Wednesday!!!

On Saturday, August 23 – Greg, Lia, Kevin and I excavated unit 515R497 at the Ponton site. The entire floor of this unit was mottled brown, yellow and orange sandy gravel feature fill. We recovered an iron handle in the southeast corner of this unit (see 515R497.jpg).

Yesterday, August 30 – Marianne, Kevin, Greg and Lia excavated at the site.

515R496 – Marianne, Kevin and I began the day excavating this unit. The entire unit floor is feature fill. In addition to the usual brick fragments, nails, flat glass, earthenware, etc., we recovered part of a door lock.

516R496 – shortly after Marianne and Kevin left, Greg and Lia arrived and we excavated this unit. About half of the floor of this unit (southeast) is feature fill (see 516R496.jpg). Another fragment of the door lock and a stoneware fragment were noted in situ. The major find of the day, a U.S. Artillery button was found in this unit (see button-front.jpg and button-back.jpg). This is a two-piece brass button. The front has an eagle with an “A” on a shield. The reverse has “SCOVILLE” “WATERBURY”. This is the Scoville Manufacturing Company in Waterbury, Conn. This company began making buttons about the time of the War of 1812 and continued into the twentieth century. From what I’ve gotten off the web – this button is at least Civil War age and probably also the variety in use before the Civil War. I’ll be getting some references to get a more precise range for this button!

516R497 – Greg, Lia and I excavated this unit. The south ¼ of this unit is feature fill.

516R498 – Greg, Lia and I excavated this unit. The feature extends into the southeast corner of this unit.

516R499 – I excavated this unit in the evening. No features were noted in this unit.

Because I left the site about 8 P.M. as the sun was setting, I didn’t have time to photograph many of the artifacts again. I’ll try to do this on Wednesday. We were recovering quiet a bit of earthenware yesterday. I noticed Old Blue, Blue, Red and Brown Transfer, Blue Edge, and Polychrome Handpainted as well as some Annular and stoneware. We also recovered a nice projectile point (probably Middle Woodland).

On Wednesday, we’ll probably be doing lab work – finishing the flotation and washing artifacts. Next Saturday, we’ll excavate at the site again.

Hope to see you at the site.

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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