Research Experiences for Undergraduates
Excavation Update 2/28/06
This past summer marked the close of our seventh season of excavations at Sylvester Manor and our third season as a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Project. The focus of this past summers investigations included the large bone pit unearthed on the Southeast Lawn of property in 2003 as well as the lawn area directly south of the extant Manor House that has seen continuous excavation since 1998. Excavations were also conducted on the North Peninsula, an area known to contain archaeological evidence of Native American habitation as well as a possible “ Negro Garden” mentioned in a late nineteenth century letter written by then proprietor Eben Horseford.
Excavations on the South Lawn have continued to unearth evidence an intensively used space associated with structural remains thought to date to the provisioning phase of the plantation (1652-1680). The large midden first encountered in 1998 has continued to produce a wide range of domestic artifacts, building materials, shell, coral, faunal and botanical remains. Structural remains include an assortment of what are believed to be sill trenches and associated post holes. This past summer evidence of an additional structure was uncovered directly south of the current Manor House. The building appears to have been supported by a stone or brick foundation that had been laid in a trench that was later robbed. Material culture recovered from what is believed to be the interior of the building includes fish remains, evidence of wampum production as well as European manufactured items. It is possible that this structure served as a small work house for Native American laborers.
Evidence of the new structure compliments that from previous excavations that suggest and intensely utilized work area. In some respects the archaeology of this area has a distinctly urban character. This may well reflect its role in the original residential/commercial compound that we believe to have been constructed to support the early provisioning phase of the plantation’s history.
South and Southeast Lawn Excavations
Excavations on Southeast Lawn continued to focus on the large bone pit first unearthed in 2003. As excavations have progressed it has become clearer that the feature represents a large pit or natural feature that contains a series of three depositional episodes. These include a large deposit of bone that appears to be the remains a single slaughtering event that probably took place sometime between 1660 and 1675. Although the remains of several species have been recovered the bulk of the faunal assemblage is represented by large pigs (800 lbs.) that may well have been salted for shipment to Barbados. A later deposit contains building demolition and construction debris. These include evidence of mortar production employing shell and plaster that also used shell as temper. This contrasts with the mortar recovered from the midden that used coral as temper. It is possible that this difference is a temporal marker with coral based mortar representing a later phase of construction
Feature 221 The Bone Deposit
Excavations carried out on the North Peninsula built on the previous summer’s investigations of this area and the discovery of what were first thought to be possible garden remains. Excavations this past summer failed to confirm or refute that interpretation. What was confirmed was the presence of several garden-like features such as planting holes, and domestic debris dating from the late Seventeenth to early Nineteenth Century. The lack of faunal material appears to rule out the possibility that the domestic debris relates to habitation areas.