Phase I Archaeological Survey on the North Bank of Pine Hill Run, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, St. Mary's County, MD(2012.042)

Summary

On behalf of the Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington, The Louis Berger Group, Inc. (LBG), carried out a Phase I archaeological survey of three tracts at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. The survey areas are along the north bank of a stream known as Pine Hill Run. The survey was conducted as part of compliance efforts for Sections 110 and 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended. The Navy is planning to construct new laboratory facilities on two of the tracts. The purpose of the archaeological survey was to determine the presence or absence of archaeological sites in the survey areas and to assess the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility of the sites, to the extent possible at the Phase I level.

Archaeological survey was conducted on three survey areas totaling 26.5 hectares (65.5 acres). Survey Areas 1 and 2 measure 8.1 and 12.7 hectares (20.1 and 31.4 acres), respectively, located south of Shaw Road. Survey Area 3 measures 5.7 hectares (14.0 acres), on the north side of Shaw Road. The field investigations were conducted in May and June 2011. The primary means of site identification was through the excavation of shovel tests, and a total of 1,043 shovel tests was completed during the survey.

The archaeological survey identified five sites (Sites 18ST854, 18ST855, 18ST856, 18ST857, and 18ST1858), all located in Survey Areas 1 and 2. Sites 18ST856 and 18ST857 are prehistoric tool reduction sites of unknown age. Sites 18ST854, 18ST855, and 18ST858 are late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century artifact scatters. The sites may be associated with domestic refuse dumping; there is a possibility the sites may also be associated with late nineteenth- to early twentieth-century farmsteads pre-dating Navy acquisition in 1942. No features were identified at any of the sites during the Phase I survey. This project contains the official investigation report, along with photographs, a photograph log, artifact inventory, and the cataloging methods used when analyzing the artifacts.

Additional resources are located at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation lab. For further information and access to resources contact the Federal Curator, contact information listed below

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Pine Hill Run, Phase I Investigations, Naval Air Station Patuxent River (2012.042)   •
• Naval Air Station Patuxent River (Main Complex), St. Mary's County, Maryland   •
• Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory Federal Curator; Michael Smolek

Field Director(s): Jason Shellenhamer

Principal Investigator(s): Gregory Katz

Sponsor(s): Navy

Repository(s): Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory

Prepared By(s): Louis Berger

Submitted To(s): Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington

Record Identifiers

Delivery Order(s): 59

Contract Number(s): N40080-07-D-0311

Project Number(s): CXE4845-03

MAC Lab Accession Number(s): 2012.042

Notes

General Note: The following physical records are held at MAC Lab: Field Notes, Artifact Catalog, Report, Color Prints, Photologs, List of Documentation, acid-free copy of all paper records stored in the secondary records storage room

General Note: Date Collected:5/10/2011

Source Collections

Documents and artifacts are housed with the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab. For access to these materials, please contact the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab Federal Curator.