JUNE 2 & 4, 2005

From: Scott Beld
Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2005
To: Oxbow Archaeologists
Subject: Riverbank Testing - June 2 and 4, 2005

Hi Oxbow Archaeologists,

We made it out to the site yesterday and Wednesday.

On Wednesday, John and Nik opened a test unit (#1) in the field between the riverbank and the Ponton terrace (see Photo 1). We had identified a flake concentration at this location when we surface collected the field at the beginning of May. We recovered several Bayport flakes and fire cracked rocks from this unit.

I drew the west profiles of the 85 m west riverbank units on Wednesday.

Yesterday, John, Nik, Dave, and Marianne completed Test Unit 1. They finished the day by beginning a new unit at 60 m West on the riverbank (25 m east of the unit we just got done excavating – see Photo 2). I’d like to see if there is a higher density of cultural material at this location. We’ll try to get this unit excavated through the first buried A-horizon on Wednesday and then close it. We excavated it to 30 cm yesterday and recovered a couple Flint Ridge and Upper Mercer flakes at 20-30 cm.

I spent the day working on the 85 West test units. I drew the east and north profiles in the morning. After I finished the profiles, I excavated a shovel test in the center of the units as a quick test to see if there were any more buried A-horizons (see Photo 3). There were none visible. I excavated it 75 cm (150-225 cm below the surface) and the sediment was a brown (10YR4/4) silt with some small pebbles (I’d estimate 1-2 dozen in a screen). I suspect that the bottom dark layer we found represents the beginning of soil development at the site and that the brown silts with pebbles below represents point bar deposition (from the river) or lakebed deposits (the ground surface here is at or just below 605’ above sea level and this particular spot probably would have been inundated by Lake Algonquin). I finished the day throwing 3.5 cubic meters of dirt back in the hole (see Photo 4)!

On Wednesday, we’ll meet at the Ponton property. We need to lay out some units and get tripods to the Ponton site for the workshop on Saturday. Then we’ll work on riverbank unit 65 West. I suspect I’ll be at the Riverbank site by the time most of you arrive in the evening.

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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