Archaeological Investigations at the Posey Site (18CH281) and 18CH282 Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (2005.012)

Summary

The two sites were located and initially tested during a survey of limited portions of the facility in 1985. At that time, the Posey Site was interpreted as a probable Contact Period deposit thought to date from ca. 1600 A.D. to an unknown terminal point. Several intact subsurface features were discovered, one of which yielded material radiocarbon dated to 1575 +/- 90 years A.D.

The fieldwork conducted during the present investigation consisted of the excavation of 510 shovel test pits and 37 1.5-by-1.5-meter units. Several features - including postmolds, a possible pit, and sections of an intact midden deposit - were located and some were excavated or tested. This report describes the results of this fieldwork as well as a reanalysis of the 1985 materials.

Approximately 8000 artifacts and 4000 fragments of faunal material were recovered during the present project. Artifacts included large amounts of ceramic, lithic materials, hand wrought nails, brass fragments and other metal artifacts, bottle glass, shell and glass beads, and other materials. The majority of the ceramic assemblage was Potomac Creek Plain, although lesser amounts of Camden, Yeocomico, and several types of wheel thrown wares were also recovered. Lithic materials included European flint as well as local quartz, quartzite, and chert. Faunal materials consisted primarily of indigenous bone fragments, and indicated exploitation of adjacent woodland and riverine environments. Five pig tooth fragments, however, raise important questions about the diet of the site’s occupants, although the majority of the faunal materials were recovered from plow disturbed contexts.

Artifacts recovered from the site indicate a single occupation component, probably Native American, dating to the period between 1650 and 1700 A.D. The site functioned as a locus for the manufacture of trade goods, and for the reprocessing of materials acquired through trade. Changes in the morphology of ceramic vessels produced on the site have been interpreted as indicative of a transitional phase in a process of Native American cultural change that occurred through the second half of the 17th century.

The results of the fieldwork and subsequent analysis support a determination of National Register significance for the Posey Site.

This project contains digital materials from this archaeological investigation of the Posey Site, Indian Head, Maryland as well as from the Colonial Encounters: The Lower Potomac River Valley at Contact, 1500-1720 AD project.

Cite this Record

Archaeological Investigations at the Posey Site (18CH281) and 18CH282 Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (2005.012). ( tDAR id: 391714) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8QR4ZH0

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Culture
Archaic • Early Archaic • Euroamerican • Historic • Late Archaic • Middle Archaic

Material
Building Materials • Ceramic • Chipped Stone • Fauna • Fire Cracked Rock • Glass • Macrobotanical • Metal

Site Name
18CH252 • 18CH281 • 18CH282 • Posey Site

Site Type
Archaeological Feature • Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex • Settlements

Investigation Types
Data Recovery / Excavation • Site Evaluation / Testing • Systematic Survey

General
Compliance • Navy • Phase II

Geographic Keywords
Indian Head • Mattawoman Creek • Potomac River

Temporal Keywords
Historical • Prehistoric

Spatial Coverage

min long: -77.171; min lat: 38.577 ; max long: -77.097; max lat: 38.599 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory Federal Curator

Sponsor(s): Navy

Repository(s): Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory

Prepared By(s): Southern Maryland Regional Center

Record Identifiers

Maryland Historical Trust Report #(s): CH 89

MAC Lab Accession Number(s): 2005.012

Notes

General Note: The following physical records are held at MAC Lab: Field Notes, Lab Notes, Maps,Oversized Maps, Black & White Negatives, Black and White Contact Sheets, Kodachrome Slides, Photologs, List of Documentation

General Note: Date Collected:5/29/1996-8/6/1996

This Resource is Part of the Following User Created Collections

Resources Inside this Project (Viewing 1-11 of 11)

Documents

  1. Analysis of Faunal remains from the Posey Site (18CH281) (1998)
    DOCUMENT Full-Text Andrea Shapiro. David B. Landon.

    This report describes and interprets a collection of faunal remains from the Posey Site (18CH281) in Charles County, Maryland. In 1996, archaeologists from the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum excavated more than 500 shovel test pits and 37 1.5 x 1.5 meter test excavation units to delimit site boundaries and determine the integrity and significance of the site. These excavations recovered a large artifact collection and approximately 4000 faunal remains. This report covers a subset of the...

  2. Archaeological Investigations at the Posey Site (18CH281) and 18CH282 Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Charles County, Maryland (1999)
    DOCUMENT Full-Text James Harmon. Grace S. Brush. David B. Landon. Andrea Shapiro.

    This report summarizes the results of a program of background research, archaeological fieldwork, and analysis conducted for the Department of Natural Resources of the Indian Head Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Charles County Maryland. The subject of the project was the Posey Site (18CH281) and 18CH282, two archaeological sites located near Mattawoman Creek aboard the Surface Warfare Center. The investigation was undertaken by the Maryland Historical Trust’s Southern Maryland...

Images

  1. Artifact Photographs, Archaeological Investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head (2014)
    IMAGE Southern Maryland Regional Center.

    This project contains artifact photographs from archaeological investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head, Maryland.

  2. Artifact Photographs, Posey Site, Colonial Encounters (1 of 3) (2014)
    IMAGE St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, Maryland. Colonial Encounters Archaeological Project.

    These photographs were generated by archaeological investigations of the Posey site during the Colonial Encounters: The Lower Potomac River Valley at Contact, 1500-1720 AD project. This record (part 1) includes the first 50 images.

  3. Artifact Photographs, Posey Site, Colonial Encounters (2 of 3) (2014)
    IMAGE St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, Maryland. Colonial Encounters Archaeological Project.

    These photographs were generated by archaeological investigations of the Posey site during the Colonial Encounters: The Lower Potomac River Valley at Contact, 1500-1720 AD project. This record (part 2) includes the next 50 images.

  4. Artifact Photographs, Posey Site, Colonial Encounters (3 of 3) (2014)
    IMAGE St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, Maryland. Colonial Encounters Archaeological Project.

    These photographs were generated by archaeological investigations of the Posey site during the Colonial Encounters: The Lower Potomac River Valley at Contact, 1500-1720 AD project. This record (part 3) includes the next 12 images.

  5. Excavation Photographs, Archaeological Investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head (2014)
    IMAGE Southern Maryland Regional Center.

    This project contains excavation photographs from archaeological investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head, Maryland (includes photos from Roll 1, 2, 4, and 5).

Datasets

  1. Artifact Catalog, Posey Site (18CH281), Colonial Encounters (2014)
    DATASET St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, Maryland. Colonial Encounters Archaeological Project.

    This database was generated by archaeological investigations of the Posey site during the Colonial Encounters: The Lower Potomac River Valley at Contact, 1500-1720 AD project.

  2. Artifact Inventory, Archaeological Investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head (2014)
    DATASET Southern Maryland Regional Center.

    This project contains artifact inventory from archaeological investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head, Maryland.

  3. Bead Analysis, Archaeological Investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head (1996)
    DATASET Southern Maryland Regional Center. Amy Porter.

    This record contains both an archaeological bead analysis and inventory for beads collected during archaeological investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head, Maryland.

  4. Column Sample Bead Data, Archaeological Investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head (2014)
    DATASET Southern Maryland Regional Center.

    This record contains an additional archaeological bead inventory for beads collected during inventory from archaeological investigations of the Posey Site, Indian Head, Maryland.