Cemetery Exploration
Team D: Joann, Jason, Keith, Cory, Jim, Christine, and Emma

When we first arrived on Johnson’s Island, the class met at the Confederate Cemetery for an observational activity. After being divided into three groups, we were assigned to look through the cemetery and find patterns of human behavior, looking at the tombstones, observing structure and design. Then we had to come up with hypotheses to explain the patterns. This activity stimulated our observational skills, as well as the importance patterns can play in the research process. Along with looking for patterns and hypothesizing, we had the opportunity to hear the voices of the prisoners buried in the cemetery via primary documents of diaries and letters, introducing us to the men and the culture we would be learning more about as the week progressed.

Dig Bingo!
Team C: Ashley, Samantha, Adam, Mason, Branden, and Jeffrey

We chose to write about Dig Bingo, not only because we were the only ones to get bingo thus far (and we thought we never would), but because it is something that can be used for a great tool in the classroom! When we were first given our bingo sheet we assumed it was just the activity for the day and it would be no big deal, little did we know it wasn’t as easy as it looked! As we began digging and sifting as a team we soon realized how difficult it was going to be. Being a young competitive group we quickly learned the techniques to finding artifacts in the dirt. We were able to find pieces of chamber pots, possible tea cups, animal claws, parts of medical and relish bottles, and pottery to get our bingo. Getting bingo after three days of digging was one of the most exciting things about the week.

Bingo was not only a fun, competitive game but it also made us slow down and pay attention to detail. Being patient and carefully sorting through our dirt was very important. We were forced to slow down and categorize each of the objects we found and why they would be classified as they were. It was a good experience for the group and we all feel it was effective in making us be diligent young archaeologists! Games like Dig Bingo can be used with people of all age, from young school age children to older adults. It is a game that motivates students to pay attention to detail. Dig Bingo is an activity that motivated us to find cultural artifacts and focused our minds determining the artifacts’ original functions.

We had a lot of fun and got more out of digging than I thought we would! We learned to work as a group to keep our unit level, learned new vocabulary, learned the very elaborate process of digging and also the excitement in finding something as small as a piece of glass that can tell stories of the past!

Leveling
Team B: Tracey, Nicole, Christine, Sheila, Jane, and Keri

Throughout the excavation process it is important to keep a level surface within the unit. This ensures that features within the subsoil can be identified. Features are intrusions in the soil that can give clues to our findings. By maintaining a leveled surface, artifacts and features can more effectively identified and recorded.

To ensure a level unit there is a simple process to follow. The excavator begins by turning on the Robo Laser which projects a red laser beam. This projected beam is level, and by holding a meter stick perpendicular to the ground we can measure the depth reached. As the excavator continues scrapping with the trowel, the centimeters increase.  Numerous and frequent measurements are necessary to maintain a uniform depth. It allows the excavator to determine which areas need further excavating.

The highlighted artifacts group B found included: a spittoon fragment, a bed pan fragment, a chamber pot, and two pieces of a hard rubber ring with silver engraved inlays.  Additionally, we found large quantities of brick, flint, window glass, animal bone, and metal nails.  We were able to use the level technology to record what depth the artifacts were found.

Note from Dr. Bush

I read the comments and wanted to add the picture of the hard rubber fish that Dave Fadley discovered years ago during his first experience at Johnson’s Island.  We are currently using this image as part of our new t-shirt for the site.  We are very proud of the Experiential Learning Program which has been developed by myself and Dr. Marcia George with the help of our able field assistants like Dave Fadley and many teachers and volunteers making wonderful suggestions.  As Dave stated so well, it is not like going to work.

Hard Rubber Fish made from hard rubber and shell.

In the beginning, it all looked the same. Bucket after bucket, screen after screen, a seemingly endless supply of very small rocks filled our working days. But as we approached the end of that first week, we began to look into those screens from a new perspective. It was not simply a bucket of dirt we were sifting, it was a mysterious mix of discovery and possibility, waiting to reveal its secrets to us. Yes, there were rocks, lots and lots – and lots – of rocks, but we quickly came to appreciate their true potential, the potential to draw us in, make us question, and, in doing so, provide us a glimpse into our own history and culture.

“The most exciting find for me was the hard rubber ring.” Hannah

“I have got to say that my experience at Johnson’s Island will remain one of the highlights of my education. I have learned much in the field of historical archeology as well as made a slew of new friends. My favorite part of the curriculum occurred in the last week. Dr. Bush demonstrated the basics of flint knapping; a skill I very much would like to develop.” Juli

“My favorite find didn’t actually make it into the field specimen catalog”. Phillip S.

“The most exciting find that I found was a piece of green glass embossed with ‘PT’.” Darcy

“To me, the best part of this field school was being able to find and learn about historic and prehistoric artifacts and features. Unlike some other sites with both types, here they were independent . The prisoners and builders of the prison were probably oblivious to the Native American hearth below their feet. My favorite aspect of this experience was the opportunity to interact daily with artifacts from many periods.” Marc

“I liked this feature [the hearth] because it was visible and marked by more than stained soil.” Brittany

“The Johnson’s Island Field School was my first glimpse into the world of professional archaeology. It has been intense, enlightening, and rewarding.” Phil

“I enjoyed finding a couple of buttons which would have been on trousers. I have sewn many of these on men’s pants as a civil war re-enactor and find it interesting to discover two original versions of something I’ve so frequently used.” Beth

As we wrap up this, our final report, we consider the fact that archaeological field work is, in many ways, about numbers – 2 x 2 square meter units, N212 E140 North Easting coordinate, 84 centimeters Below Temporary Datum (BTD) depth, 12 flakes of chert found in the screen. As the 2009 Johnson’s Island Field School is about to end, and we reflect back over the past five weeks, we have decided to give you few of our own numbers as a going away present:

Number of days spent excavating on the site: 24
Number of miles traveled in the van to and from the site: 2,160
Total hours spent in the van: 64
Number of hours spent in the archeology lab: 15
Number of 2 x 2 sq meter units excavated: 15
Number of building post hole features excavated: 3
Number of prehistoric cooking hearths discovered and excavated: 1
Number of Field Specimens unearthed and cataloged: 90
Total number of Field Specimens cataloged at Johnson’s Island since 1989: 8,042
Number of bone, flint, nail, glass, brick, and ceramics unearthed by a single field team: 2,138
Number of times field crew stopped for ice cream on the way home: 4
Highest Fahrenheit temperature in degrees recorded in the work tent: 101
Number of meter sticks accidentally broken: 2
Number of stores in area selling replacement meter sticks: 0
Number of 2009 Field Crew who thinks field school rocked this year: 10
Number of who would return next year: 10

It has been a great experience, and we appreciate all of you who have been following our progress over the past weeks. See you next year!

Tyler, Phil, Tim, Juli, Beth, Brittany, Marc, Phillip, Darcy, and Hannah – The 2009 Field Crew

This ring represents one of the archaeologically significant aspects of this site.  Over the years, we have recovered evidence of this hard rubber craft activity in almost every context.  Even in the hospital we have evidence of their working with materials necessary for jewelry.  The piece of shell noted as FS 8012 was discovered in the soils underneath Block 6, the prison hospital.  As you can see from the picture, a section of the shell was cut from the rest of the piece.  The cut marks are very clear and undoubtedly this piece was lost by a prisoner saving it for use in such items as the ring above.  We have recovered several pieces of hard rubber waste from the manufacturing of rings, brooches, and other trinkets.

Figure 1

One of the more intriguing finds of the past couple of weeks has been the fragments (referred to collectively as the “vessel cluster”) of a Kaolin clay tobacco pipe unearthed while excavating Block 6, the hospital block (Figure 1). Kaolin, a soft, white mineral, was first mined centuries ago in China, and used as an ingredient in china and porcelain. The clay began to appear in Europe in the early 1700’s, where it found its way into the manufacture of the relatively inexpensive pipes that today bear its name.

Since the fragments were discovered in ground that would have been beneath the wooden floor of Block 6, we immediately wondered “How did they get there?”

We know that, in his haste to meet the construction timetable of less than four months from mid-November 1861 until February 1, 1862, the prison construction contractor utilized freshly cut and unseasoned wood. As wood ages over time and begins to lose its moisture, individual boards are subject to shrinkage. This can result in gaps appearing between boards – such as those used to construct the floor of hospital Block 6 – as well as cause knot holes to appear, as the knot shrinks and finally drops out of the board. Based on this, one possibility for how the fragments ended up under the building is that the pipe was dropped onto the floor of the hospital, shattered, and the resulting pieces were later swept through the nearest floor board gap, or large knot hole, during cleanup. Another possibility is that the pipe belonged to one of the workers involved in the dismantling of the block buildings immediately after the war, someone who perhaps lost it out of his pocket as he was removing the lumber.

Speculation aside, we will likely never know for certain who owned the pipe, nor how it came to end up in pieces buried under layers of earth, only to be uncovered again by the flick of our trowel almost one hundred and fifty years later. All we can do is return it as close as possible to its original condition, ever mindful of the incredible journey it endured on its was to our laboratory.

Evaluation & Re-Fitting

Having been recorded and bagged at the field site, the thirteen fragments that were once part of a fully functioning kaolin clay pipe were brought to the Heidelberg University archeology laboratory. Initial examination of the bowl fragments by Juli, Phil, and Dr. Bush (Figure 2) revealed clearly visible signs of carbon residue, indicating that the pipe had been used.  Also visible was the stem hole; the stem itself was not among the recovered fragments, however (Figure 3).

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Recognizing that sizable portions of the pipe bowl had been recovered, and using the carbon residue as a guide, our team began the process of piecing together the individual fragments that made up the vessel cluster. As is the case with any good jigsaw puzzle, much trial and error ensued, with the goal being that, in the end, all of the fragments would find a “home.” In this we were lucky, as we discovered when we finished our “dry” ( i.e., unglued) assembly, and the specimen tray of fragments was empty (Figure 4).

Having figured out which pieces went where, the only remaining step was the actual gluing process. For this we used polyvinyl acetate (PVA), a clear-drying adhesive that is particularly effective on porous materials such as clay. PVA is brushed onto the edge of one half, and then pressed against the other until the adhesive sets (Figures 5 & 6). One after another, each of the fragments were glued into their original place, until the finished pipe emerged from what before had been simply a plastic bag of disassociated parts (Figure 7).

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

And with that, “Kaolin Clay Tobacco Pipe, Field Specimen #7983”, took its place among the almost eight thousand specimens that preceded it, and we returned to the site, trowels in hand, to unearth the next mystery.

The first level of the latrine excavation

Our excitement this week has been narrowly focused on feature 40, the latrine. Although we do find important items in the hospital block, in feature 40 we are presented with a unique opportunity. We know the exact dates that this latrine was in use, affording us a snapshot in time of the everyday life of the common prisoner. What we find in the hospital block is debris that has fallen through floorboards and a few features, mostly expressed as disturbances in the subsoil. We are currently excavating one such feature under Block 6 that may be Native American in origin. We do find interesting artifacts, such as ceramics, plate glass, and smoking paraphernalia. Yet the pieces we find here are fragments of an incomplete whole. It is in the latrine that we have the chance to find items intact enough to be refitted and displayed. How exciting!

Students digging toward the next level

Think of the latrine. An open pit that no one would dare enter. Something might slip from a pocket and fall into the murky depths accidentally. A soldier in a thin coat in the middle of an Ohio winter might not even feel something slip from his hand. Anything lost here would not be recovered. In the hospital block, lost items may be noticed. When valued belongings went missing, a search was conducted until the object was again found. What falls into the latrine stays in the latrine.

Overview of the second level of the latrine

The latrine feature allows us the opportunity of a concentrated source of cultural materials. A place where we may find anything that a prisoner might carry in his daily life. We may have the good fortune to find what the soldier might lose.

The field school is divided into three groups, and we rotate to provide an equal opportunity to experience the excavations of the latrine. Every day, we excavate a few more centimeters revealing more and more at each level. One crew works in the latrine during the morning, one crew works it during the afternoon, and anyone not scraping away in this location works the open units of the hospital compound.

Close-up of bottle fragments

Close-up of a barrel band

Close-up of a piece of cut shell

Preparing the white board for archival pictures

We document every artifact we find, marking every protrusion with a push pin; as a reminder to take care and investigate further. The field specimens we catalogue separately, making careful note to document the provenience, or specific place and level associated with discovery. We take pains to photograph everything, because we cannot go back to reexamine the site. As we continue excavating, we take apart the previous levels. Without proper documentation, everything we do would be lost.

A view from the top--taking pictures of a hospital unit

In archaeology, we are only able to recover a sample of what is present. Excavating the entire site would be destructive, as well as impractical. The sample is best represented through our thorough documentation.

It’s in the field specimens, those incredibly telling artifacts of particular usefulness and uniqueness, that we find the most excitement. And the latrine promises countless specimens for this year’s team.

A sad day for the Field Specimen board (all Field Specimens are placed on this board for everyone to view during the day)

Excavation of a possibly prehistoric feature, found under the hospital block

Figure 1

Historical archaeology, like archaeology in general, must focus on key aspects of research while maintaining meticulous documentation.  In order to achieve this, multiple levels of technology are required.  Low-tech resources such as trowels and shovels are as important as more sophisticated tools such as digital cameras and computerized artifact-mapping software.  Consequently, different tools and pieces of equipment are required to keep the site up and moving (figure 1).  Though digging in the ground may not seem hard, we have to be very careful not to disturb the artifacts or place undue influence on the historical record. As a result, we use everything from simple beams of wood to complex machines that shoot leveling lasers across the grid.

Figure 2

Low-tech resources are central to an archaeologist’s ability to conduct fieldwork.  Some examples are trowels, bamboo skewers, small dust pans, plastic buckets, shovels, hedge clippers, improvised scoops made from used milk jugs, simple wooden planks, plumb-bobs, a grinding stone, as well as numerous other tools.  The trowel is one of the key tools, being a constant on all archaeological sites around the world. The main advantage of trowels is their small size, which allows for penetration into otherwise awkward areas such as around rocks or under roots blocking access to underlying layers. A grinding stone lets us keep our trowels nice and sharp (figure 2).

Figure 3

Shovels (figure 3) do get used sometimes on the site, but only for very specific purposes. Generally, a shovel will be used to remove sod or topsoil and the corresponding vegetation to clear space for the archaeologists to actually begin excavating. Sod is too difficult to dig through with a trowel but those using shovels must still be careful that they do not disturb the underlying soil more than necessary. The aim is simply to remove any obstructive ground cover without penetrating any cultural layers. We also use machetes, a saw, and an ax during the beginning stages of excavations.

Some of the other simple tools and gear archaeologists use (figure 4) include foam knee pads, meter sticks, and wooden stakes and planks.  Knee pads allow us to work for extended periods of time in somewhat uncomfortable positions.  Meter sticks are invaluable in maintaining consistent levels as the excavation progresses.  Wooden planks allow us to avoid stepping on “clean” units that are already at the previously agreed-upon depth of excavation.  Also, wooden stakes allow for the creation of a semi-permanent grid system.  Two different types of canopies are used to protect the site from the sun and rain.  A weather port is utilized in our larger excavation of a section of the prison hospital (figure 5).  A smaller canopy is used to shelter the somewhat fragile excavation of one of the prison latrines (figure 6).  A small water sprayer is used to units to prevent drying out and cracking of the excavated surfaces (figure 7).

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

High-level technologies, while extremely helpful, are not truly necessary.  Many tasks that are completed with such technology can be otherwise performed with simpler devices but require more time and effort.  One of these tools is a total station (figure 8), which combines a surveying device called a transit with software used to map the exact coordinated of artifacts and features in the soil.  An accompanying tool called a rod allows the station to zero in on exact points on the surface of the site (figure 9). Two different types of electronic levels (figures 10 and 11) are applied to the site in order to sustain proper strata, or layers, within the site.

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Digital cameras (figure 12) are perhaps the most important type of high-level technology employed at Johnson’s Island.  They are used to document important artifacts, specific cultural layers, and to chronicle the excavation process, similar to what we are doing here.  Only a few years ago, archaeologists were restricted to film-based cameras, which could take a limited number of exposures and require a long time to develop.  Before that, sites were documented using hand-drawn diagrams and maps, which could be woefully inaccurate.  Video cameras add a new dimension that allows for methods to be examined by other archaeologists.

As you can clearly see, we use many different tools in our excavations at Johnson’s Island.  Aside from a couple devices, all are equally important to the proper excavation and upkeep of the site.  Because proper documentation and excavation methods are mandatory to a legitimate archaeological dig, these tools are invaluable to our work.

Like surfers in search of the perfect wave, we arrived this past week from distant, and not so distant places, from California and Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio, drawn here by the perfect dig, a site unique in both the richness of its archaeological artifacts and the stories of challenge and hardship they reveal. We have come to the Johnson’s Island Civil War Military Prison site.

Illustrated here is a map of where we are excavating. Johnsons Island is a reasonably sized landmass just north of the city of Sandusky. Until recently, the only transportation to and from the island was by boat. In the 1970s, a causeway was built to service the quarry.

Just as was done by our predecessors, JI Field Crew 2009 will be posting a weekly report of our activities on Johnson’s Island over the next five weeks. After much discussion among ourselves, we have decided to take a different approach this year, and depart from the collectively written, itemized accounting of the week’s work (often chock-full of references to “2 x 1 m sections” and the “plow zone subsoil interface”) that has been the norm for field crews over the past few summers.

Instead, the responsibility for reporting each week has been assigned to one of the three “dig teams” into which we have divided ourselves, the better to work the site effectively and to share the workload. This week’s report serves as the “scene setter,” and as such is along the lines of the more traditional collaborative writing approach. Starting next week, however, each weekly report will reflect the individual styles and approaches of those on the dig team who wrote it.

Photos by Juli Six

The canopy in this photo is designed to protect current excavations from the elements.	Pictured here is our fearless leader, Dr. David Bush.	Tim Connolly sharpens his trowel before digging. The trowel is the key tool in the kit of any archaeologist.
A laser level assists us in monitoring the depth of our unit. This helpful device has been nicknamed “the angry bucket.”	The team hard at work.	Hannah excavating.
A plastic scoop is used to clear away loose soil.	Tim carefully screening the soil from his unit	Groups C and D searching for artifacts in excavated fill.
As we excavate, easily identified artifacts are deposited in a red plastic container.	Features, visual representations of discontinuity in soil composition, are marked with colored push-pins.	A completely outlined feature.
A unit’s location in space in time, known as its provenience, is recorded using a dry-erase board.	A properly marked unit, ready to be photographed	Field specimens are bagged and collected on a board for review.
		The rest of the day’s events are recorded in next week’s post.
At regular intervals, artifacts collected are sorted and counted.	Lunch is taken a short distance from the canopy.

This year we have a very diverse group of students in the Heidelberg University field school. They come from all ends of the country and have quite a varied background.

The first week we worked on the interior of Block 6. We will be continuing this part of the excavation throughout the summer. We have encountered many artifacts related to the medical treatment of the prisoners, and anticipate much more.

Beginning the second week, we will be starting on the northern half of Feature 40, the latrine we excavated half of last year. This latrine we determined was used in late 1862 and early 1863.

As always, we hope you enjoy our relating our findings to the interactive dig and please ask questions you may have in comments below.

Currently, a group of Heidelberg College graduate students is participating in a class titled “Archaeology for Educators.” We are continuing the work at Johnson’s Island Prisoner of War Depot, excavating in two main areas: part of the hospital block and one of the hospital’s latrines.

Archaeology for Educators participants

Drs. David Bush and Marcia George, the instructors of the program, provide us educators with an experience similar to what is provided for school groups visiting the site. As an introduction, we began with an activity in the Confederate Cemetery near the archaeological site. We looked for patterns of human behavior in the arrangement and design of the cemetery. Based on our observations, we made hypotheses about our observed patterns. Next, we went to the site and were instructed on the basics of excavating. As our students would do, we were introduced to the game Dig Bingo, where when items are found they are identified and placed into a category like contraband, hygiene, or prisoner wealth.

FS 7369

FS 7368

Mike Woshner speaks to the group

In addition to the excavation, we are learning the historical context of Johnson’s Island. Each day we read primary documents such as Civil War prisoner journals and letters. We receive a multi-vocal perspective by examining the journals and letters from several prisoners from Johnson’s Island and Andersonville, as well as considering the views of Federal guards at the Johnson’s Island. We also toured the well-preserved remains of Fort Johnson. Furthermore, we examined previously excavated artifacts from the site such as various bottles, a prisoner-designed ring, and a hard rubber comb. As an additional learning experience, Mike Woshner (author of India Rubber and Gutta Percha in the Civil War Era) worked with us and spoke on hard rubber pieces from the time period. These experiences lead to great conversation and allow us to make meaningful connections to the items we find.

In Block 6, the hospital, we are continuing to uncover small artifacts, which would have been swept in between the floorboards. As we excavate to deeper levels, we continue to find more nails, brick, glass, flint, and pieces of bone. Most of the glass we have found appears to be from windows, but several pieces have been embossed from Adams and Faye medical bottles. In addition, some pieces of white pottery and yellow ware have been uncovered. Recently, we’ve uncovered mortar, glass, and an intact nail. These items in the transit have been mapped out. Therefore, we are also learning about the importance of data collection in archaeology.

Larger artifacts are being uncovered in the latrine. Several parts of pipes, yellow ware, tin cans, teeth, buttons, rat skulls (FS 7368), and large lime deposits are all currently being recovered.

“Archeology for Educators” is proving to be a fruitful class for the educators involved. We are able to appreciate the uniqueness of the Johnson’s Island site in its welcoming of us and of grade school students. As educators, we are amazed by the opportunities available at Johnson’s Island. Given the chance to engage in archeology, students are truly engaged in the wonder and joy that occur in hands-on, meaningful learning. It is an unforgettable experience.

Working at the site

by David Bush

This post hole feature (F117) has now been excavated to the actual post mold.

It seems the summer has gone again so quickly. We have had a great deal of excitement in our excavations thus far, and what is planned for later this fall certainly will be a fitting conclusion. We are down about 20 centimeters into the Block 6 latrine and anticipate another 20 centimeters to go. We are just getting to the clay layer which was placed into the latrine when it was finally closed, so underneath this clay will be the layer of “night soil” which should contain artifacts lost while in use. I expect that we will get into these layers with our students this fall.

We have also excavated the second central post hole down to the actual post mold. F117 has been exposed to the point where just the post mold is present. As you can see from the picture, left, there are many pieces of mortar in the actual area of the post. We will be excavating out this post mold as well later this year, but don’t anticipate the depth to run more than 2 centimeters.

Piece of pipe bowl (FS 7358)

One of the many interesting artifacts that we have uncovered this year was a portion of a kaolin smoking pipe bowl with an unusual maker’s mark (FS 7358). Having no luck in finding it referenced in the few books I have on maker’s marks for pipes, I sent a picture of this to Smoke Pfeiffer, an historical archaeologist who has spent much time studying smoking pipes. He informs me this mark is called “krijgsman” and is from Gouda, Holland. It was used on ceramics made between 1670 and 1887. The mark has been found on at least one other Civil War site, in South Carolina. How common this mark is I do not know at this time.

Bone buttons (FS 7151, FS 7282, FS 7378)

We discovered three bone buttons this past year from the hospital and the latrine behind the hospital. FS 7151 and FS 7282 are very common bone buttons which we typically uncover. FS 7378 is a two-hole button that is quite unusual. As you can see, the button has a different overall design as well as only having the two holes. It is in excellent shape and came from F40, the latrine. At this time I am not sure if the number of holes is significant to its use, but we will have to see.

Pieces of an Adams & Faye bottle

We have also found three pieces of an Adams & Faye patent medicine bottle from New York. This presents an interesting question as to exactly how many bottles are represented by these three pieces. One might say three, but in fact, it may just be one. Although because of the lighting used to photograph them they look a bit different, they are all essentially the same color and thickness. Therefore, since they do not repeat any letters from the two panels that have embossing, they may just represent one bottle that had broken. On one side panel is the name “ADAMS & FAYE” and on the other panel is the name “NEW YORK”. I don’t have much information about the maker of this patent medicine. This is not one of those medicine bottles from the Civil War that is reported much. This does raise the question as to why it is found so abundantly at Johnson’s Island. We have found several complete examples of this bottle in various contexts at this site.

Glass button

Finally, we have also found this past week a glass button. This is truly a glass button. Many times in the past, ceramic Prosser buttons were misidentified as glass. However, this is an aqua green round glass button with a copper loop. I believe this is the first such find we have made at Johnson’s Island. I hate to say this, but again I am not sure exactly what garment this was used with, but one suspects maybe a fairly fancy shirt. Any information for any of these items shown would be most appreciated!

As always, there will be more to come as we continue to analyze what has been found and probe further into the latrine.

This week marked the end of our time here at Johnson’s Island, and we were very busy both in the latrine and in the hospital. At the end of last week, we spent most of the morning braving the elements while trying to keep the site dry. We had people both inside bailing out water and outside digging trenches to help with drainage. As a result we worked solely in the hospital building area, but were able to get a lot done.

After we came back from the July 4th break, we were ready to get back to work. This week has seen an increase in the visitors out at the side. We currently have six teachers that have helped all week and will remain to help Professor Bush for a week after we have left. The latrine (Feature 40) was the site of a lot of activity this week. At the start of the week we reached the end of the first level (we dig 10 centimeter levels) and spent a day mapping the artifacts and rocks found in it. After we mapped everything, we switched out people from the hospital to work in the latrine. They began to start on the next level (level 2, another 10 centimeters) Wednesday. So far, some of the more interesting artifacts that have been found in the latrine are: a green glass button, a square bottom from a glass bottle, a piece of corded material, a large metal piece, an animal tooth, and two more tin cans.

Inside the hospital we are continuing to work the 2×2 meter units down to their subsoil. We have five units that have been outlined in pins, mapped and photographed. One more unit is ready to be pinned and mapped Friday. We have been using the Topcon total station to map. Three of us have also been working on postholes that were found upon reaching the subsurface. Two of these (pictured here) are the main postholes from the center-line of the hospital and one is a supporting post for the side, possibly the wall. We have learned from our excavations of these that the main center postholes are square in shape while the side ones are more round. The main center postholes appear as a large square or rectangular shape that shrinks down to a square 7 by 7 inches that undoubtedly reflects the post mold of the center post. The side postholes are mostly the same size all the way down (about 15 centimeters) and slowly start to disappear near their end.

We have all learned the basic field techniques and all feel better about this field of study. This program has helped give us a basis for future career plans and which directions we may wish to go. One of the most valuable things we found on Johnson’s Island wasn’t an artifact, but true friendships that will last a lifetime. We came for archaeological training, but we left with a family.

by David Bush

After starting our investigations in April 2008, we are now finally getting the topsoil removed and exposing the subsurface features which exist within the prison hospital block. We have completely exposed five 2-meter-square units and revealed four post holes. We have tested these and the two central posts (with the black centerline running through them in the plan) are directly in line with the other posts we have exposed the past two years. These posts are approximately 7 inches (18 cm) square, while the postholes revealing them are typically four times larger than the final post mold. The support wall posts and what we believe will be the front wall post are rounded and slightly smaller. Pictured is feature 114, the central post hole in the unit N202E142 (SW corner). This one is very typical of the type of posts we discover. They are not very deep below the plow zone. We have to excavate them about 2 centimeters at a time to eventually get the final impression of the post. From the series of three pictures, you can see that at 51 centimeters below our temporary datum the larger post hole that was dug into which the upright post was placed shows very clearly. In the fill of this post hole are bits of clay along with darker soil and even some mortar. At 54 centimeters below our temporary datum, we see the actual post mold impression. It is square and also contains bits of mortar. Only 56 centimeters below the temporary datum the clay is undisturbed. This 2 centimeter impression is the only indication of the actual size of the upright post.

We hypothesize that the small post mold impression is created by the weight of the post sinking into the clay after construction. The final small square impression is typically about 2 centimeters in depth. Although this may seem somewhat academic, the discovery of post molds does several things. First, it gives us the exact location of this particular building. Second, understanding exactly how this post hole/mold was formed may help in figuring the weight of the structure it supported. Finally, the excavation of these features by students gives them the experience is understanding how the earth is changed with every slight historic disturbance. As they go into their futures as archaeologists, they need all the experience they can gather on the many types of features they will encounter at the sites they will be exploring. Knowing that this feature changes in just 2 centimeters allows them to realize just how careful we all need to be.

Stay tuned, there’s more to come…