Through the Labyrinth and on to the Maze

Enjoying some time at the screen!

Today my partner and I finished our unit at the Lyne site. We had a one by one meter unit on the Eastern edge of the site. Our unit gave us a lot of problems at the start of our excavation because we had roots coming out of our walls and popping up in every other spot they could. They varied in size, getting worse before they got better. On last count I think our largest root was six centimeters in diameter! We had a monopoly on the large tree trimmers for most, if not all, of the first couple of days of excavation. While working through our labyrinth of roots we had a constant hope that under the next root there would be a hidden treasure. We were not disappointed--our first find was clinker, which is what is left when coal is burned. As we broke through new ground, we began finding things between 20 to 30 cm. down from our starting point (what we archaeologists call the datum). We found a rusty nail and half of a rusty nail as well as a piece of brown glass.

Core left behind from flint-knapping.

One of the better finds that we had as we reached about 26 cm.below the datum was our unit's first evidence of native peoples in the area. I don't know how much everybody knows about flint knapping, but when stone points and tools were made the rocks used had distinct features left on them. There are three main forms of stones left behind in the archaeological record: a complete form, the core stone from which flakes were taken, and the flakes themselves that were broken off of the core or a stone while being formed. We found a large core, about the size of a small apple (click the photo for a close-up) and then a flake shortly afterward.

Now that we cleaned our walls and flattened our floor we await taking photographs tomorrow in order to close out our unit. By the end of tomorrow or Friday my partner Greg and I will be starting out in new terrain next to the river at the presently swampy Fort St. Joseph site.

Amber Strick

Photo credits Cathrine Davis

Back to the pits!

We're finally falling into our places here in Niles, some almost literally into their pits. We've been hanging out in town, and trying to get to know the local people who have been more than friendly to us. Out of the five days here, we have had two home cooked meals and have experienced more hospitality than what you’d get at your average hotel visit.

First stop in town: the memorial boulder for the site.

Last Friday was the first day we all had our very first pits and my pit partner, Lance, and I were feeling pretty hopeless around lunch time because the two girls, or archaeologists if you will, in the pit next to us were busy finding ceramics, a bone, and a flake. After lunch, another pit crew found a piece of a ceramic pipe, and after I handed it over to Lance to look at it, he rubbed it for good luck. Soon after our little laugh Lance found a projectile point in a bucket of dirt that I had shovel skimmed. Finally, we got the chance to brag about our spider-ridden pit!

We were excited to come back Monday and find a ton more artifacts, but it was pouring rain as we left Western Michigan University (WMU) to head to Niles so instead of attempting to trudge down the mud-laden hill we had the opportunity to head to the Northern Indiana Center for History. After looking around the museum for a little while, two WMU alumnae who work for the Center for History showed us some artifacts relevant to our work at Fort Saint Joseph and the Lyne Site. While my major doesn’t relate directly to the field school, it is always exciting to meet WMU alumni and I know a lot of my companions are considering the museum an excellent place to apply for an internship.

The second projectile point!

Today we were itching to get back in the field and uncover more artifacts and features. We got our supplies out of the trailer and set up the site quickly and repaired any damage left by the storm. Fortunately, my pit suffered no damage, just contained five cm. of run-off sediment. After we sorted through the especially muddy layer, we got back to where we had left off on Friday. While Lance dry-screened some dirt, I worked on the never-ending task of keeping our walls straight, I found another projectile point! Dr. Nassaney told me it was the first time anyone had found two projectile points in one pit at the Lyne site. This one had been repurposed, meaning that perhaps after a breakage the owner of this item etched the edge into a scraping implement. The rest of our day was spent finding pieces of charcoal and keeping up with the constant task of keeping our pit floor level.

Our work here certainly isn’t easy, but every day we go to the site with excitement for the day ahead. We all wait in anticipation for what we may find next!

Peace, Love & Dirt,

Abby Stoner

Photo credits Cathrine Davis

Weekend update!

Lance holding the projectile point.

Hi everyone!

The students and staff are off for the weekend, but I wanted to take the opportunity to keep you all updated about the project. The group polished off the first week of the field session with a great find--a side-notched projectile point (click on the photo for a close-up)! Lance and Abby had a slow morning with few artifacts, and were pleased when this one surfaced. Hopefully we will have some more information about its origins after a bit of research. Other finds included some chert flakes, whiteware ceramics, glass, and an animal vertebrae. Not bad for two days in the field.

Xiaomeng screening for artifacts.

Students have been learning excavation and screening techniques at the Lyne Site and, based on my time at the site, are fast learners! Everyone should be well-prepared for excavations at the fort site in the next week or so.






I also wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about my involvement with the project. I first began pursuing archaeology as an undergrad at the University of Toronto and had the good fortune of finding a job in Cultural Resource Management (CRM) close to home in Maryland shortly thereafter. CRM archaeology is conducted in compliance with state and federal laws, and I had great opportunities to work on different types of sites conducting excavations, mapping, writing reports, cataloging artifacts, and much more. I also became a part of the Port Tobacco Archaeological Project which catered to my interest in Public Archaeology. Before long I was enrolled as a Master's student at The College of William and Mary, and am happy to report that I have successfully defended my thesis which deals with public and collaborative archaeologies.

Me enjoying the South Bend 4-H fair!

I am grateful to be a part of the Fort St. Joesph Archaeological Project where as the Public Outreach Coordinator I can really explore my interest in and dedication to archaeology that involves various communities. My time in Niles this far has been excellent: I encounter many great people on a daily basis that are very interested in what the project is doing. Even in my off-time I have found plenty of things to keep me busy, whether it be exploring downtown Niles or heading to South Bend for a baseball game.

See you all around town!
Kelley

Photo credits Cathrine Davis and Kelley Walter