1. Archeological Excavation At Danbury Site 33OT16 Ottawa County, Ohio June, 2004

2. Danbury Site Location www.mapquest.com June, 2004

3. Background While doing the initial preparation for building a housing development, a developer found many Native American artifacts very close to the surface of his land. He invited archeologists to do a site survey and found a very “rich” area. Archeologists from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History were invited to the site to study and to clear it. Why do you think the developer called the archeologists?

4. “Salvage Archeology” Probably because very few people would choose to build a house on an Indian graveyard, the developer was eager for the archeologists to study and remove any bones that were found. They would later be reburied in an area chosen and sanctified by present day Wyandots. The earth moving equipment was ready to begin the next step. The archeologists had to work fast.

5. The Actual Process Earth Moving equipment removed the soil to below “plow level” (about 12-18 inches). Earth Moving equipment removed the soil to below “plow level” (about 12-18 inches). A grid was made using a global positioning system. The individual units were 2 meters square. A grid was made using a global positioning system. The individual units were 2 meters square. The archeologists did a visual survey to find promising areas, marked them with stakes and graphed the entire area. The archeologists did a visual survey to find promising areas, marked them with stakes and graphed the entire area.

6. Scrapping the top layer

7. Site Map Fea feature BF burial feature O Pit feature o PPM –possible post mold Note reference numbers Field Manual, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Archeology in Action 2004 p. 26

8. Laying out units Next the units were laid out using nails and string so that the perimeters were marked. Next the units were laid out using nails and string so that the perimeters were marked. Then layers of soil were carefully removed Then layers of soil were carefully removed Each unit was checked for features. (Features are discolorations in the soil that may mark how the area was being used, i.e. midden, fire pit, burial Each unit was checked for features. (Features are discolorations in the soil that may mark how the area was being used, i.e. midden, fire pit, burial

9. When features were found, they were mapped again as well as photographed.

10. How would you make sure the graphs and drawings of the unit were accurate?

11. “Pinning the features”

12. Two tape measures were put on parallel edges and a third one was used to find coordinates for a graph. Two tape measures were put on parallel edges and a third one was used to find coordinates for a graph. Even the color of the soil was recorded for both the feature and the surrounding matrix. Even the color of the soil was recorded for both the feature and the surrounding matrix.

13. Drawing the feature plan Two people moved the tape that went across the middle of the feature and a third called out the measurements from the tape. The fourth person used that data to make a feature plan.

14. Feature plans These feature plans are from an ossuary, or bone pit. They show what was actually seen before the bones were removed from the unit.

15. While I was there, the archeologists worked on two burial features. These turned out to be ossuaries. An ossuary is a bone pit. The native Americans here either reburied their dead, or at least postponed winter burials until the ground was soft enough to dig. ** Out of respect for the dead, there are no pictures taken of the ossuaries.

16. Then another layer of soil was removed. Then another layer of soil was removed. The goal was to reach the bottom of a feature –the area where there was no change of soil color from the matrix. This is a post mold. The goal was to reach the bottom of a feature –the area where there was no change of soil color from the matrix. This is a post mold. Then the depth of the feature was measured and the shape graphed again. Note the level on the string to make sure that measurements are accurate. Then the depth of the feature was measured and the shape graphed again. Note the level on the string to make sure that measurements are accurate.

17. Postmold Here is a picture of a post mold that has been excavated. Below it is the feature plan of the same post mold. The fact that it is pointed in important. Recent posts tend to be flat rather than tapered.

18. Pottery fragments The crew digging in the midden, trash pile, uncovered several pieces of Early Woodland pottery.

19. The position of the piece was graphed and photographed again. The position of the piece was graphed and photographed again. Then the piece(s) were removed, covered in foil, and put in a bag marked with the site number, the unit number, the date, all the people working on the unit, and any other useful information or description. Then the piece(s) were removed, covered in foil, and put in a bag marked with the site number, the unit number, the date, all the people working on the unit, and any other useful information or description.

20. Everything removed from the feature was screened so no small parts were lost.

21. Flotation Soil from around the bones in the ossuaries was collected and sent to Ohio State University for flotation. These samples will be put in a container with a screen on the bottom and a spout on the top. Water is pumped in from the bottom and small bits of material float to the top and are collected in a small screen by the spout. The small fragments of bone, pollen, fish scales and other materials will be further studied there. This photograph is from another project involving students from Loyola University working on a different site.

22. Other Artifacts A few broken projectile points were found. A few broken projectile points were found. Several large pieces of charcoal, suitable for dating were also uncovered. Several large pieces of charcoal, suitable for dating were also uncovered. Most other evidence of early industry like baskets, weaving, textiles, and mats were too fragile to survive. Most other evidence of early industry like baskets, weaving, textiles, and mats were too fragile to survive.