October 11, 2003

From: Scott Beld
Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2003
To: Oxbow Archaeologists
Subject: Ponton Site - October 11, 2003

Hi Oxbow Archaeologist,

Well, we finally made it out to the site on Wednesday and Saturday after about a week and a half away from the site (for the site map for this week follow this link: MAP - OCTOBER 11, 2003)! A week ago Wednesday (October 1) it was cold and windy enough that we decided to do lab work and last Saturday (October 4) I had to help with a mastodon between Paw Paw and Bangor. Last Sunday (October 5) was the Fall Workshop at the Castle Museum in Saginaw – their new display on Saginaw Valley archaeology is very good and you should all try to make it over to see it (it will be up for about a year).

Last Wednesday (October 8), John H., Brigitte, John O., Art Pomranky, and I made it out to the site and excavated unit 418R497. We recovered Old Blue and Light Blue Transfer, Polychrome Handpainted and Blue Edge earthenware and a pipe stem fragment (see 518R497 Artifacts in the photo gallery).

Yesterday (October 11), John O., Marianne, Dave, Conrad, and I were at the site. We finished the 515R500 5x5m Block and then moved about 10 m south to continue the 505R500 5x5m Block.

519R497. John O., Marianne, Dave, and I excavated this unit. Diagnostic earthenware included Light Blue and Red Transfer (see 519R497 Artifacts in the photo gallery). We also recovered a Late Archaic (ca. 1500-1000 B.C.) Dustin point (left) and a biface/drill (right), both made of Bayport chert from this unit (see 519R497 Bifaces in the photo gallery).

518R496. John O., Conrad, and I excavated this unit. Decorated earthenware included Old Blue, Brown, and Red Transfer and Polychrome Handpainted (see 518R496 Artifacts in the photo gallery).

519R496. Conrad and I excavated this unit. We recovered Old Blue, Light Blue and Red Transfer, Polychrome Handpainted, and Blue Edge earthenware, pipe stem fragments, stoneware, and a large bolt (see 519R496 Artifacts in the photo gallery).

509R496. I excavated this unit in the afternoon. There were more structural artifacts (brick fragments and nails) and less earthenware in this unit to the south than those to the north. I recovered one sherd of Light Blue Transfer, a sherd of redware, and a bottle fragment (see 509R496 Artifacts in the photo gallery).

508R496. I excavated this unit in the evening and made the BIG find of the day – an iron key (see 508R496 Key in the photo gallery). The inside of the shaft of this key was hollow and is similar to a padlock key I’ve seen. I also found a “Agate” or Prosser Patent button in this unit – these buttons were invented in 1840 and it is evidence of a latter occupation (sorry the picture didn’t turn out).

I think we’ll try to dig this Wednesday, if not I’ll send an email Tuesday. Next Saturday we’ll plan on excavating.

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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