JUNE 12, 2004

From: Scott Beld
Sent: Sunday, June 13, 2004
To: Oxbow Archaeologists
Subject: Ponton Site - June 12, 2004

Hi Oxbow Archaeologists,

We made it out to the Ponton site yesterday afternoon. When we arrived it looked like it was going to rain so we worked in the lab in the morning. John O., Michael W. (1st time, from Germany, came with John), Marianne, Francis and I did lab work. About 11:30-12:00 John, Francis and I went over to the site and continued excavating Feature 4. On Wednesday, Tom and the crew mowed the site so we didn’t have to deal with the tall weeds (see Photo 1)!

John and Francis worked on Section 3 of Feature 4. John made the first and one of the most interesting finds of the day – a brass filigree pattern knife handle fragment (see Photo 2 - "Artifact of the Week") in the 35-40 cm level. This is from a trade knife handle and we found a complete example at the Cater site (see KNIVES)! You may recall that last week I found pipe bowl fragment in Section 1. We washed this in the morning and it turned out to be a stone pipe bowl fragment similar to the ones from the Chippewa Occupation at the Cater site (see Photo 3)! Both of these artifacts come from the upper fill zone of Feature 4 that probably dates after the Ponton occupation. It is unclear at this point whether these artifacts date from an earlier Chippewa occupation in the vicinity that were incorporated into the feature with other surrounding debris or whether there was a subsequent Chippewa occupation at the site. This is one of the things we’ll want to investigate – Art had mentioned to me that he found some trade silver just outside the eastern limit of the mowed area. Tom mowed this area on Wednesday, so we may want to put some test units over there sooner rather than latter!

In the next level, 40-45 cm, John found a couple Annular sherds, an iron band fragment about 1 cm wide, and a buckle fragment at 42 cm (see Photo 4). I had trouble photographing the sherds in the lab, but you can see them fairly well in the picture of John removing them from the feature (see Photo 5). John also found two pins while trowelling this level (see Photo 6).

In the 45-50 cm level, Francis found a white clay pipe stem fragment and another pin (see Photo 7).

At the end of the day I trowelled the last level of the feature in Section 3 – 50-55 cm and didn’t notice any artifacts.

I worked on finishing Section 1 of Feature 4 most of the afternoon. In the 45-50 cm level I recovered a Brown Transfer sherd (see Photo 8). And in the next level, 50-55 cm, I recovered a large Brown Transfer rimsherd at about 54 cm near the bottom of the feature (see Photo 9). These two sherds are from a plate. I’ve been able to identify it (on the basis of the border of the large rimsherd) as coming from a series of earthenware -- “Picturesque Views” – that was manufactured by James and Ralph Clews between 1829 and 1836. (The reference for this is Ellouise Baker Larsen, American Historical Views on Staffordshire Chine, pages 61-70.) Most of the patterns in this series had pictures from the Hudson River valley in New York though there were also some of New York City and Pittsburgh. You will recall that we have found several “Clews” backmark fragments on the site (see our website pages "CLEW" BACKMARK and Clew Backmark). Also those of you who worked in the lab this winter may recall that we washed a Brown Transfer sherd with a sailboat on it. This sherd also came from one of these vessels. Larsen notes that part of the marks on the “Picturesque Views” series included “… a printed view, in colors, of a lake, sailboat, and trees with name on white band across the center.” Now we just need to find the sherds with the names of the patterns on them!

The bottom of the feature was pretty much between 54 and 55 cm – there were a few parts that extend to 60 cm, particularly on the east end of the section. Some of this appeared to be rodent activity.

On Wednesday we’ll meet at the RB for lab work. I managed to dry several flotation samples, so one of the things we’ll do is set up the flotation tank. Next Saturday, we’ll plan on excavating at the site. I’ll need to draw the profiles of Sections 1 and 3 of Feature 4 before we can excavate Section 2, so we may dig a little plow zone to start the day.

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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