Old Mobile (1MB94) Structure 02, Mobile County, Alabama.
Summary
Structure 2 at the Old Mobile site (1MB94) was first identified from systematic shovel testing that recovered blacksmithing slag from a concentrated area at the western edge of the townsite, adjacent to a swamp. Extensive excavations in 1990 uncovered a blacksmith's work area with forge and associated shelter, surrounded by a maze of fence footing trenches. Palisade-style fences are commonly associated with French colonial structures, but these fences were built and rebuilt frequently during the 9.5-year occupation of Old Mobile. Soil testing revealed high phosphate levels inside one small enclosure, suggesting domestic animals (chickens and pigs are present in the site's faunal remains) were kept in some of the fenced areas. A corncob smudge pit and two historic-style arrowpoints found just north of the forge suggests a Native American male resided on site. Otherwise, domestic debris was scarce. Considerable amounts of broken iron artifacts seem to have been stockpiled here, as were many fragments of broken blacksmith's tongs and other implements. Nails were made on site, as indicated by the presence of nail rod fragments, an item that shows up on shipping manifests tabulating supplies dispatched to the colony in 1701.
Cite this Record
Old Mobile (1MB94) Structure 02, Mobile County, Alabama.. ( tDAR id: 380901) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8R49S5K
This Resource is Part of the Following Collections
URL: http://www.usouthal.edu/archaeology/old-mobile.html
Keywords
Culture
Euroamerican
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French Colonial
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French Colonial Period
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Historic
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Historic Native American
Material
Building Materials
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Ceramic
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Chipped Stone
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Fauna
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Glass
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Metal
Site Name
1MB94
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Old Mobile
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Structure 02
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Structure 2
Site Type
Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex
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Domestic Structures
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Fort
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Hamlet / Village
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Historic Structure
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Military Structure
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Settlements
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Structure
Investigation Types
Data Recovery / Excavation
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Heritage Management
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Historic Background Research
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Reconnaissance / Survey
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Remote Sensing
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Research Design / Data Recovery Plan
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Site Evaluation / Testing
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Site Stewardship Monitoring
General
Fort Louis
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Glass Beads
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Old Mobile
Geographic Keywords
Mobile River
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MOBILE RIVER DRAINAGE
Temporal Keywords
Colonial Period
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Historical Period
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Historical Sites and Artifacts
Temporal Coverage
Calendar Date: 1702 to 1711
Spatial Coverage
min long: -88.026; min lat: 30.942 ; max long: -87.971; max lat: 30.983 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): University of South AlabamaCenter for Archaeological Studies
Project Director(s): Gregory Waselkov
Record Identifiers
2004.077(s): Accession Number
Source Collections
University of South Alabama Center for Archaeological Studies Old Mobile Collection 2004.077
University of South Alabama Archaeology Museum Old Mobile Collection 2004.077
Related Comparative Collections
University of South Alabama Center for Archaeological Studies Port Dauphin Village Collection 1997.005