From: Scott Beld
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:46 PM
To: Oxbow Archaeologists
Subject: Sias East - May 19 and 21, 2007
Hi Oxbow Archaeologists,
We made it out to the site on Saturday and had a good day excavating despite an
occasional sprinkle. Becky, Marianne, Dave, Nik, Greg, Lia, Diana (Wayne State
grad student), Chris, and I made it out (see
Photo 1 and Map - May 19, 2007).
In the morning we excavated units 0S-109W, 0S-110W, 1S-107W, and 1S-110W to 40
cm. We had excavated these units to 35 cm last week. We found a few flakes and
bone fragments.
In the afternoon, Chris finished trowelling unit 1S-108W, 30-35 cm that he began
last week. It contained numerous flakes and bone fragments as well as a small
rimsherd of late prehistoric Vessel 1, a point tip (see
Photo 2), a Middle Woodland
rimsherd (see Photo 3), and a
scrap of copper (see Photo 4 –
small and scrappy but probably the most interesting thing we found this week).
The Middle Woodland rimsherd is from a different vessel than the one we found
last week. This one has nodes raised on the exterior surface with no other
decoration preserved. The scrap of copper is the first one we found this year.
We’ve found to other copper artifacts at the site – an awl in the 2005 season
and a bead in a 1/8”screen bag from the 2006 season.
Greg, Diana, and Lia trowelled unit 1S-109W, 30-35 cm. They recovered flakes,
bone fragments and a couple biface fragments that were heat modified.
I began trowelling unit 2S-110W, 30-35 cm and found flakes, bone fragments
(including a deer phalanx and metapodial), a small rimsherd of Vessel 1 and a
scraper fragment (see Photo 5). Yesterday, I
went up to CNC and spoke to the board in the evening. During the day, I finished
2S-110W and began excavating 2S-109W.
I’ve put together the bear mandible fragments and took a picture this past week
(see Photo 6). Terry confirms that
it is a bear mandible and is from the right side and that the wear on the teeth
(particularly the back tooth) indicates it is from an old bear.
This brings up one piece of news -- Terry will be visiting us on the weekend of
July 21 and will conduct a faunal id workshop on Saturday, July 21. We are
tentatively planning on doing the workshop in the morning and maybe digging in
the afternoon (if we have time). We’ll have more details and information about
signing up soon.
Another piece of news -- CNC is seriously considering expanding the Visitor
Center. This is important for us because the Visitor Center is the site of the
Naugle site. Excavations were conducted at the site in 1973 and 1974 prior to
the construction of the Visitor Center and published in the Michigan
Archaeologist in 1976. One of the things that was found at Naugle in 1973 was a
copper point. In keeping with this weeks “copper theme,” I’ve attached a picture
of it (see Photo 7 – there was also a
copper bead found at the site). Last Wednesday, Dennis showed me the areas that
might be impacted. Beginning in a week or so, we’ll probably start testing these
areas to see what is left. We’ll probably work at Naugle on Wednesday evenings
and Sias East on Saturdays.
Tomorrow we’ll do lab work at the Resource Building. On Saturday we’ll plan on
excavating at Sias East.
Hope to see you at the site.
Scott
*************************************************************
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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