SCRAP Fieldschool 1997: Excavations at the Jefferson II Site (27-CO-29).

Richard Boisvert, Deputy State Archaeologist, New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources, 1997

1997 saw a return to the North Country for the annual SCRAP summer field school. Not since 1989 when two weeks of excavations were carried out at the foot of Mt. Jasper had the program mounted a large scale effort above the notches. Six weeks of intensive effort was invested in one of three Paleoindian sites previously identified by Paul Bock. Each of these sites had been investigated in a very preliminary fashion, and one was determined to be appropriate for the summer field school. The Jefferson II site (27-CO-29) was put up for sale and while the land owner was supportive of research and protection, no guarantees of similar support from potential future owners could be assumed. Therefore this site was given priority for investigations.

Research at the site began well in advance of the field school. Paulette Pappas, graduate student in Hydrology at UNH, executed a program of remote sensing across the site using electrical resistivity and ground penetrating radar. Her efforts resulted in the identification of major geomorphological structures within the site, including a distinctive band of fine sands extending across the site that was otherwise typified by ablated till and the remnants of an esker. This allowed the field school to specifically target the deep sands and recover artifacts at depths up to a meter below the surface. Additional geological research was provided by Woodrow Thompson and Chris Dorian who surveyed the geomorphology of the site locality and portions of the Israel River Valley. They were able to outline relevant portions of the early postglacial period and provide contextual information for the Israel River Complex sites. Dorian also assisted in field survey to narrow down the bedrock source of the locally available rhyolite that was used by the Paleoindian occupants of the sites.

Field investigations began on June 23 with orientation and shovel test pitting. Over the course of the field school transects of STPs were excavated in order to establish site boundaries and identify loci of intense or special purpose activities. Site boundaries proved to be elusive as it became apparent the site was significantly larger than anticipated. Boundaries were confidently identified only at the juncture with heavily disturbed areas. Probable loci within the site were isolated, however, and an overall structure of the site is slowly emerging.

Two blocks were excavated within the site, a 5 by 7 meter block centered on a STP which had produced a large biface fragment and a 3 by 3 meter block positioned on the fine sands. The larger block yielded a large and significant inventory of Paleoindian materials. Six fragments of fluted points were recovered. Two of these refit and represented a fluted preform which was 4.5 cm wide and 7 cm long. This specimen is viewed as being exceptionally significant as it is clearly at an early, preform, stage of manufacture yet is also fluted on both faces. These specimens, as well as one other, were made from local rhyolite. Two other specimens, a fluted tip fragment and a basal corner or "ear", were made from a dusky red chert which is almost certainly chert from the Munsungun Lake formation in northern Maine. An additional specimen, also a basal corner, was made from an unidentified greenish gray chert which is assumed to be non-local. Also recovered from the surface near the large block, prior to the initiation of the field school, was a basal fragment of a fluted point made from the locally available rhyolite. Seven triangular biface fragments which were evidently broken during manufacture accompanied these point fragments. Large retouched flakes were also recovered from the same excavation block, one of which was made from the dusky red (Munsungun?) chert and the remainder from local rhyolite. Accompanying these materials were several thousand waste flakes, representing all stages of manufacture. These lithic materials were found in a moderately thick plow zone and to a depth of 35 cm below the base of the plow zone. These deposits were embedded in a dense glacial till with abundant rocks ranging in size from small cobbles to large boulders. This made excavation difficult and in the lowest levels less than 40% of the surface area could be excavated.

The smaller excavation block stood in distinct contrast to the larger block. Here stones within the matrix were few and confined to a small cobble size. Artifacts were much less common in this block, although a distinctive end scraper of local rhyolite was recovered. Several possible dark stain features were identified in this block, one of which occurred in the northwest corner and necessitated an expansion of three one meter squares. After long consideration in the field, we concluded that most, if not all, of these stains were of natural origin and probably related to spodic soil features which are common throughout all of the investigated portions of the site.

The size of the site and the density of materials in the large excavation block led to an incomplete investigation of the site. As a consequence, additional work will be needed to finish even the modest goals of the field school. At this juncture, we anticipate that the 1998 field school will continue the research at the site, expanding upon the larger excavation block, investigating an additional area where shovel test pits suggest that relatively high proportion of exotic raw materials are concentrated and pursuing a more conclusive definition of the site boundaries.

This year’s field school attracted more than the usual number of visiting archaeologists. Passing through the site were Nate Hamilton, Art Spiess, Mary Lou Curran, Art Whipple, Douglas Jordan, Karen Mack, Brownie Gengras, Don Gilmore, and several SCRAP volunteers from previous years who had succumbed to the lure of easy money and joined the crew surveying a gas pipeline in northern NH.

Laboratory work will proceed through the winter and we fully expect that additional significant data will be identified as we process the last of the unwashed materials and carry on with the cataloging.