Phase II Archaeological Evaluation, Site 44CE069, Fort A.P. Hill (AP2012.001)

The Fort A.P. Hill Cultural Resource Manager, under the Environmental Division of the Directorate of Public Works within Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, has completed Phase II archaeological evaluation investigations at Site 44CE0469, Fort A.P. Hill, Caroline County, Virginia. Site 44CE0469 was originally identified during a Phase Ia, reconnaissance-level, survey conducted in association with proposed forestry activities. The Survey Area measures approximately 0.4 hectares (1.0 acre) in size.

The objective of the archaeological evaluation of Site 44CE0469 was to determine (1) the site’s subsurface integrity and (2) if the site is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The investigations included (1) pedestrian surface survey and (2) the excavation of three 1x1-meter (3.3x3.3-foot) test units. The fieldwork resulted in the recovery of 191 artifacts, including one surface collected artifact and 190 artifacts from three test units, and the identification of four cultural features. No intact cultural deposits were identified at the site.

Site 44CE0469 represents an early twentieth-century farmstead occupation with remnant late nineteenth-century components, and with twentieth-century military disturbances. The site measures approximately 35x90 meters (115x295 feet) as defined by extant roads and historic vegetation. Soil profiles encountered during the archaeological evaluation indicate that the site has been extensively disturbed, with the majority of artifacts having been recovered from redeposited soils. The general soil profile consists of Ap-horizon soils and disturbed B-horizon soils overlying subsoil. Four cultural features were identified at the site: Feature 1 – a possible builder’s trench associated with an extant foundation wall; Feature 2 – a brick foundation and cellar; Feature 3 – a brick-lined well; and Feature 4 – a concrete slab and brick foundation. However, these features have been extensively disturbed by military training activities beginning in the 1940s, and several modern military training features were noted during the current investigations. Although some artifacts may date to the nineteenth-century occupation of the site, these components have been disturbed by the early twentieth-century domestic occupation and, more recently, the mid-to-late twentieth-century military development of the property. The majority of the artifacts recovered at the site represent materials that were redeposited when the house and associated structures were destroyed in the 1940s. Subsequently, Site 44CE0469 is recommended as not eligible for inclusion in the National Register under Criterion D. Based on historical research the site is also recommended as not eligible under Criteria A, B, and C.

This collection contains the Phase II Archaeological Evaluation, Site 44CE069, Fort A.P. Hill (AP2012.001) project. This includes the final report (with appendices that include copies of deed book pages and artifact inventory), photo log and photographs.