This blog follows the reconstruction of the Revolutionary War Public Armoury on the James Anderson site
Reconstruction of the Blacksmith's & Public Armoury
July 16, 2012
What’s Happening Under the Tent?
With the Roving Webcam one casualty of a recent summer storm, it has been difficult to keep tabs on archaeological progress at the south end of the Armoury lot. A new camera is expected to arrive sometime this week. Until then, we offer this update on recent discoveries.
Over the last six weeks archaeologists have been engaged in excavating postholes of all shapes and sizes. In fact, it is probably safe to say that western side of Lot 18 (on which the Armoury was located between 1778 and 1780) is one of the most clearly marked boundaries that we have encountered in the Historic Area. Where one posthole was dug, there are often 6 or 8 replacement holes. As archaeologists have tackled these postholes– sorting out their order and excavating them in sequence– the Armoury site has begun to look a bit like a moonscape.
Why the determination to mark this boundary through time? We’re not entirely sure. Certainly there was a need to protect the Armoury and its contents, but the Armoury tenure was brief, and it would not seem necessary to replace fence posts six or eight times over the course of two years. One possible explanation is that the fence was erected early in the 18th century and maintained to keep wanderers (human and animal) out of the ravine that lay just west of the Armoury.
Postholes have so defined our recent work that we were delighted to discover something that wasn’t a posthole. Late last week we began digging into a large straight-sided pit that has been visible on the surface for a number of weeks. It appears to measure about 8′ north-south, and is at least that long running east-west (though that dimension has yet to be determined). It has carefully dug sides that slope gently inward toward the bottom. So far, the pit is at least 3’ deep, and contains artifacts that appear to have come from the Armoury: French gun flints, pieces of lead used to secure those flints in the gunlock, and clinker. There are also artifacts relating to other activities on the site: lead shot still attached to the sprue, ceramic fragments, tobacco pipe bowls and stems, and animal bones…the remains of meals. So what is this feature? There are a number of possibilities: it could be a very small cellar (less likely due to the sloping sides), a very large privy (this possibility was raised because it sits immediately adjacent to the Armoury privy discovered in 2000…but this would be quite large for a privy). Today’s hypothesis is that it’s a saw pit. As we dig further and learn more about this feature, you’ll be the first to know. Until then, a few pictures…..
Meredith Poole, Staff Archaeologist
- 21st century view of the Armoury's 18th century fenceline.
- Matt mapping some of the Armoury's many postholes.
- Andy begins excavation of the northwest pit.
- Wes excavates a section of lead shot with sprue attached.
- Jeff screening fill from the straight-sided pit.
- Wes excavating the as-yet-to-be-identified feature.
- The pit cleared of diggers. .
- The red line indicates what we know about the size of this straight-sided pit.
- French gunflint and lead that helped secure it into the gunlock.
- Under the tent.
- Eleanor shares in the archaeological excitement!
Funded by a generous gift from Forrest E. Mars Jr., of Big Horn, Wyoming.
iCitizenForum
Christine Hansley says:
Hi Meredith,
Thanks for the update and photos. Please explain why you think it might be a “saw pit”. What would the Armoury need to saw of a length that one would be needed? I could see the carpenter/builder shop having one. One man above and one in the pit to use a whipsaw to cut boards. But it seems unlikely for the Armoury. Wood for the forges would be cut like firewood. True??
I’m glade to see “Lady” Eleanor enjoying the shade of the tent and coolness of freshly excavated soil/clay. One smart kitty.
Stay cool,
Chris
Meredith Poole says:
Chris~
First, let me say that a saw pit is just today’s best guess. What we’re thinking, however,is that the saw pit may have been used in the Armouy’s construction….though probably not significantly longer. In other words, the carpenters would have brought their “shop” to the site, constructing elements in place.
Garland Wood, our own Master Carpenter, came over this afternoon to have a look. He likes our working hypothesis, though he says he’d be more convinced if the pit ran the other direction. So we will continue to dig and see what turns up next!
Christine Hansley says:
Hi Meredith,
Thanks for the info. Sounds reasonable to me. Todays carpenters bring a generator and all their power tools to a site.
Why would Garland think the pit sould run in a different direction? Why would it make a difference?
Happy digging,
Chris
CWResearch says:
Chris~
Garland’s comment was only that the location of the sawpit would have butted the short end right up against the fenceline. And he has a point. What we may want to consider is 1) that some of the rails may have been removed, or 2) that the fence may not have been standing when the sawpit scaffold was in use…..alThough given the number of postholes we’ve excavated, it’s hard to imagine a time when the fenceline WASN’T standing!
Meredith
Chuck Trefz says:
Thanks so much for the update. I missed watching the progress lately. Hope to visit before you wrap up this summer.
Meredith Poole says:
Chuck~
Glad the update is useful. The new webcam arrived this afternoon, so we should be back in business tomorrow! Our Armoury excavation should wrap up around the end of August. Please introduce yourself if you visit.
Noel Poirier says:
Ah…Meredith, you should be getting so used to seeing sawpits!
Meredith Poole says:
Noel,
You’d think I’d have recognized it immediately! It does look an awful lot like the Kendall-Gardner sawpit (and like the one we found at the Wray site). We’ll let you know how it shapes up (literally!).
Ron Trabandt says:
Hi Meredith,
The updated pictures makes one drool. So glad to see all of you again. Hopefully, the rest of the dig through August will uncover more treasures and eventually structures will begin to sprout in the areas where all of you have labored so faithfully and diligently. Looking forward to the new webcam and the views that follow.
Ron
Meredith Poole says:
Ron~
The new webcam is now up. I hope you’re getting images as you read this!
Mimi says:
The soil lines are so very clear in the pit. Looks like there is a LOT more to excavate in there. Glad to hear the camera will be up again tomorrow.
Christine Hansley says:
Hi Meredith,
Thanks for explaining Garland’s theory. I’ll keep watching and reading. I learn something new everytime I read this blog. Thanks for all you do.
Stay cool,
Chris
Meredith Poole says:
Chris~
Thanks for your interest! It’s nice to know that there are people out there watching.
That said, we were just discussing how unproductive we must look to our webcam viewers. In fact, when sites are complicated (as this one is) archaeologists spend a lot of time look closely at dirt…studying the subtle soil color changes that will help us to determine where one posthole ends and another begins. Sometimes we call each other over and a group of us will render our opinions about soil changes. Though it may sound defensive, I want you to know that we really ARE doing our jobs!
Christine Hansley says:
Hi Meredith,
I had no doubt you and the others are working. As with Astronomy photography, where you stand around looking through a telescope at one object for an extended period of time, I can relate to standing around and looking at a posthole. Looks boring to someone not present. With such subtle changes that can mean so much, I agree, a meeting of the minds is the best way to go.
Have you had any luck finding anything out about the layer of soil that seems to be missing? As I recall it was a 19thC layer. Are you finding anything in the postholes?
Have a good evening,
Chris
Christine Hansley says:
Hi Meredith,
Huzzah! Huzzah! It’s great that all 6 cameras are up and running. Did one specific donor give the funds for the 6th camera? Is there some company or product we should be supporting? I’m eating my share of Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms to help Mr. Mars continue his philanthropy to CWF.
I hope the rain you had cools the place off a little bit. All it did in Chicago was make it muggy.
Have a great weekend,
Chris
Meredith Poole says:
Chris~
We’re happy to have all of the webcams up and running, too! Like you, I continue to eat my M&Ms (have a particular fondness for the unusual flavors…mint and coconut!)
For the time being, the rain seems only to have boosted the humidity, as you indicate it has done in Chicago. We are promised cooler temperatures for next week. If we find them, we’ll send some your way!
Russell says:
Hi Meredith,
Glad to see the webcams all functioning again, and thanks for the ongoing narrative about developments! It looks like you got some rainwater ponding on the site, I hope that didn’t disturb your careful work too much(?). Regarding all the fenceposts, I was wondering what the typical life expectancy would be for a wooden post in the ground there? Does that help at all with understanding the associated timeline, assuming they were replaced over & over in the same location due to their rotting out?
Meredith Poole says:
Russell~
You’re brave. I couldn’t bear to check the webcam this morning. I have an unofficial report of 5″ of rain last night. Monday will be a bailing day. Despite the 3 layers of tarp that we have covering the site, the rain always finds a way to creep in.
While we’re on the subject of dampness, I’ll say that in this climate, a buried wooden post has a lifespan of no more than 30 years…and often considerably less. And your question about whether this provides a rudimentay timeline is a good one. Unfortunately, one of the problems that we’re having is that the postholes have no artifacts in them…nothing to help us date the individual holes. So while we are able to establish an order for the postholes (and technically for the fences that they represent), it is a relative order. We know which fence came first, second, third, etc., but we’re not able to determine when they stood.
On a brighter note, the large straight-sided hole…what we’re hypothesizing is a saw pit…is shaping up nicely. Once it is bailed, we’ll try to get a new image up!
Russell says:
Hi Meredith,
Wow, 5″ is a lot of rain, and it looks like you’re getting even more. I was afraid that the puddles were an unhappy development for you, best of luck with the bailing. I would think if the holes get muddy you will have to wait for the soil to dry out before proceeding? I just hope the walls of the holes don’t wash into the holes, I would imagine that’s the even worse possibility. Glad to hear the presumed saw pit is coming along well!
Meredith Poole says:
Russell,
You have accurately pegged the pitfalls of doing archaeology during a Virginia summer. After this afternoon’s deluge, it may be a few days before we’re able to navigate the site…even after the water is bailed. And you’re right, the sidewalls (of which we are inordinately proud) are often one of the first casualties of foul weather.
I stopped by the site this evening at around 6 (Eleanor had to be fed) and all was looking a bit grim. I don’t think any of us would mind if it stopped……
Russell says:
Meredith,
I’m glad to see this morning that the rain has stopped, although the forecast still shows some chance of rain the next few days. Please do keep us updated on the situation, I wish you the very best of luck!
Christine Hansley says:
Hi Meredith,
I just looked and saw you folks out at the site. From the web view, it doesn’t look as bad as it could have been. It looks damp rather than swamped. I hope that is really the case.
While you’re drying out, maybe you would be so kind as to answer another question, please.
Have you had any luck finding anything out about the layer of soil that seems to be missing? As I recall it was a 19thC layer. Are you finding anything in the postholes?
Stay dry and cool,
Chris
Meredith Poole says:
Oh Chris, you simply missed the swamped part. We only have one electrical outlet so for the time we were pumping water out of the site with an electric pump (and there was plenty of water), the webcam was down. Now it is exceedingly damp. In fact, it will likely be a couple of days before we can get back in. But these things happen.
As for your question, there is a bit of a 19th century layer that we’ve identified. We still suspect that we’re missing some of this site’s 19th century history, however. And there was definitely some grading after 1940. We know this because when we dug inside the reconstructed (in 1940) tin shop foundations we found plowscars…but there have been no plowscars outside of that foundation. All very curious, but part of the story we will have to weave together!
Christine Hansley says:
I’m sorry to hear how wet the site realy was. I see from the web-cam you were out at the site with shovel in hand aroud 1:45 this afternoon. What, if anything will you and the others be doing until the site is dry enough to really work? Did the rain do any damage to the dig site? Any collapsed holes?
At least it’s cool for you today.
Chris
Meredith Poole says:
Chris,
There are a few holes that appear to be damaged, but therein lies the beauty of all of our recording. They have been mapped, profiled, and recorded already, so the damage is to the site’s appearance, and not to the information.
This afternoon you saw us opening additional area in order to expand around the sawpit. We were digging through the parking lot surface, so it was a rough afternoon. And the cool temperature may be relative. It was in the mid 90s!
Christine Hansley says:
Hi Meredith,
Thanks for the info. I said “cool” because the temp info on the web-cam said 73 for most of the day. Including as I write this. How far are you going to expand around the saw pit?
Thank you for your time in answering all the messages you receive. I know you sometimes do these in your “off” time, probably from home. Please know I, and all of those who write in, appreciate it very much.
Have a good evening,
Chris
Meredith Poole says:
Boy, that thermometer needs some serious adjustment! It was definitely in the mid 90s today, and with a competing degree of humidity!
In order to catch the rest of the sawpit (if that is, indeed, what it is) we are going to expand 2 meters to the west, and 1 meter (or 1.5 m) to the north. The 2 other sawpits we’ve dug in the Historic Area are 15′ long, so we’re working on the assumption that this is an average length. As for the width, an excavation in 2000 caught the other side, providing us with a width of about 7′.
No thanks necessary for answering blog questions. It’s a pleasure! My computer (whether at work or at home) is in an air conditioned space!
DAVE S says:
WOW! the new Armoury camera is something! and how easily I become spoiled.
It is fun to pop in from time to time. Every once in a while, I’ll see all of you huddled aroung, looking at dirt. One can only guess what surprise has been uncovered.
It makes me anxious for the next post on ye olde blog!
Rick Brouse says:
Hello Meredith & Co. Yes, I’m still alive! It’s been quite some time since posting anything. I have a non-archeology questions ~ & perhaps you’ve posted this already ~ what is the schedule for erecting the new shop adjacent to the blacksmith shop?
Kenneth Schwarz says:
Rick- Good to see that you are still following the project! Our plan is to build the tinsmith shop chimney in late summer, while the framing and wall and roof coverings are being fabricated out at Great Hopes farm. We plan to raise the frame late in the year, perhaps mid-December, in the hope of having an operating shop by spring of 2013. Exact dates are influenced by many factors, so keep an eye on the blog for more details.
Rick Brouse says:
Thanks Ken. Yes, being in the architectural / construction field, I know vrey well about “factors”. I’ll keep an eye out and perhaps try to plan a mid-December visit.
Kerry Lancaster says:
Ken
Were there any records of the tin makers using wooden forms
such as tree stumps or other wooden implements along with
metal stakes. I know some of my tin knocker friends use them today but I am thinking always 18th century.Last Is Eleanor
in training to make linen sacks for the tin kettles yet?
She seems to be laying down on the job. I guess if you have work up to your ears you can do that.Thanks as always
Kenneth Schwarz says:
Kerry- There are indeed wooden forms- mandrils for bending conical forms, and stumps with round depressions for making dished (concave)forms. We plan to have examples of both in the new shop. We recently received a second donation of early tinsmith tools (more about that soon) which include early examples of wood mandrils.
Eleanor is suffering from the heat, like the rest of us. I have not seen much action on her part in recent days. She finds the coolest spots in the soil and just stretches out for hours at a time as you saw in Meredith’s photograph. She is indeed “sacking out” but not making any linen sacks.
Russell says:
Hi Meredith,
What’s the situation with recovering from the deluge? From the webcam, it looks like some digging has resumed, but at also looks like some bailing continues in the NW corner? Glad to see the webcam thermometer has been fixed, so we can know what sort of conditions you are working under
Kenneth Schwarz says:
Russell- Bailing and digging out have resumed. Most of the water is gone, but the water washes a fine silt into the excavated site, which has to be carefully removed before actual excavation can resume. It is messy and frustrating work. Much of the silt has the consistency of chocolate pudding, and it all still needs to be examined for potential artifacts that may have washed into the excavation. Needless to say, it is not very exciting work. The cleanup is nearly complete, and productive excavation is resuming. We will keep you posted on any interesting finds.
Russell says:
Kenneth,
Thanks for the update. The webcam is great, but sometimes it’s hard to tell exactly what happening! Glad to hear things are progressing, even though I can imagine that the cleanup is not much fun…
Jim H. says:
Ken and Meredith, we do appreciate the effort put forth to keeping us informed. I have learned a lot of useful information and also about the challenges of excavation type archaeology! Can’t wait until the excavations are complete and summary information about what was found and learned becomes available.
Mimi says:
Hope to see you all on Sat. Will there be any excavating happening then?
Kenneth Schwarz says:
Mimi- The Archaeologists normally have weekends off, but the blacksmiths don’t! I will be in the shop on Saturday. Stop in and say hello! I can at least point out where the excavations are taking place, and we can look at the post hole depressions in the tarp. Chance of rain over the weekend, so the site will be covered in order to avoid a couple of more days of cleanup.
Kenneth Schwarz says:
Jim- Glad to hear that our work is interesting and informative. That is what this place is all about- bringing history to life from the ground up! Or perhaps I should say from below ground and up…..
Mimi says:
Ken-thanks again for the “tour.” We really appreciate getting to see things and hear directly from you. Is there some way I can post the picture I took of you and Eleanor-she was really posing for the camera!
Christine Hansley says:
Hi Meredith and Dig Crew,
It’s good to see you now have a tarp that is one piece. Having those smaller tarps overlapped just didn’t keep the rain out. Too many places for water to flow under and downhill.
Have you found anything interesting in the last few weeks?
Have a good day,
Chris
Dave Hucaby says:
I’m a latecomer to the discussion, but enjoying it just the same! Regarding the post holes, how would one dig a post hole in the 18th century? Perhaps if a post eventually rotted or broke off, digging another hole just adjacent might be the easiest way to repair the fence.
Meredith Poole says:
Hi Dave~
We welcome latecomers to any of our discussions! Lacking posthole diggers, 18th century folk used shovels. When archaeologists talk about postholes, we are referring to the soil discolorations where those holes have been dug. They usually appear as rough squares in the ground. A postmold is the evidence of a once-standing post (a circular shape inside the square). When the post rotted–as you say—the post may have been yanked out, and the hole, backfilled. Then another posthole was dug immediately adjacent. What’s curious to us about the Armoury fenceline is how often it was repaired and replaced. With six or eight replacement holes for each post, this was a well-maintained boundary to be certain!