Today was the last of our Volunteer Saturdays. We had a great turnout of students and volunteers -- and despite the heat had a great day. Once again, the day started with bailing water from the plastic.
Our thanks to the volunteers: Howie Brainerd, Jennifer Clinton, Garret Cole, Daniel Connatser, Ellis Durham, Tony Ford and son Gregory, Ann Funkhouser, Susan Ghorbani, Susan Jordan, Caroline Kiev, Alicja Kutyla, Mark McKee III, and Chris and Steve Robbins.
Our students and volunteers worked on excavating a variety of features today -- including sections of wall trenches, large postholes, and a series of small pits outside the structure.
Just to the east of the wall-trench structure, we identified several small pits today. Although our excavations did not get far enough to begin to interpret what these pits were used for originally, they did yield some interesting artifacts such as this handle from a medium-sized pottery vessel.
This handle should date to around A.D. 1200 or slightly before. In a nearby pit, we uncovered another cache of carbonized corncobs.
Work on the east wall trenches met with great success -- including the identification of a large number of postmolds.
And a small ash-filled posthole just outside the easternmost wall trench.
Work resumed on several of the north wall trenches. Below Lynne and Alicja work on one of the north wall trenches while Caroline works on another in the background.
On the west wall, we continued work to identify the ends of several of the wall trenches.
Chris Robbins and his father Steve assisted in these excavations -- Steve was handy with the wheelbarrow as well.
In the center of the structure, we identified another probable large post and began excavating it. At this point, we haven't completed enough of the feature to be certain -- but it definitely looks like a post similar to that excavated last year. If this proves to be the case, we probably have a series of three large posts in the center of the structure.
This posthole produced another handle from a smaller pottery vessel -- this handle should date around A.D. 1250.
On the way out today, I took a quick tour around the property in an attempt to photograph a big, camera-shy fox squirrel who's been playing tag with me for two years now. Once again, no fox squirrel photo. But, I did discover this beehive in an ancient cedar tree in the back forty.
The students and staff are now ready for a welcome day off from the heat and humidity. More news on Monday.