Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 249: Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology; Papers 52-54 on Archeology
David Hume · en
The primary ash deposit, which proved to be the richest on the site,
included delft drug-jar fragments, porringers and bowls, Westerwald
tankard sherds, brown stoneware, Yorktown coarse wares, and much
Colono-Indian pottery. Small finds included pewter spoons, scissors,
part of a sword guard, iron dividers, and a sickle and table knives of
late 17th-century character. Tobacco-pipe fragments pointed to a dating
in the third decade of the 18th century, as also did a single wine
bottle found at the bottom of the pit.
Dating: About 1730-1740, on the above evidence.
PIT E
This deposit lay some 3 feet to the west of Pit D, and it was found on
the last day of excavation. Consequently time only permitted a test
hole (measuring 1 ft. 9 in. by 1 ft. 9 in.) to be made into the pit at
its northwest corner, from which point horizontal probing indicated
that the pit measured 4 ft. by 2 ft. 8 in. and was shown by the test
cut to be 2 ft. 9 in. deep. Unlike the other pits in this series, the
contents consisted of a single brown-soil deposit (T.N. 24) containing
brickbats, oystershells, and a small quantity of ceramics, notably the
base of an ornamental delftware cup and a large part of a Yorktown
earthenware bowl. Of significance was a fragment of Colono-Indian
pottery that joined onto a bowl found in Pit D, indicating that
both deposits were of the same date. Additional finds included pipe
fragments and an iron horseshoe.
Dating: About 1730-1740, principally on evidence of matching sherds of
Indian pottery.
PIT F
This was an oval pit situated 2 feet north of Pit C. Being only
partially within the area of excavation and owing to its close
proximity to the poorly preserved north foundation of the kitchen,
this deposit was only partially excavated, i.e., an area 4 ft. 2 in.
by 3 ft. 9 in. The pit had a depth of 1 ft. 10 in. and contained a
deposit of ash mixed with dirty clay (T.N. 19). From this filling came
several pieces of Colono-Indian pottery, polychrome delftware, Yorktown
earthenwares, Chinese porcelain, part of a heavy wineglass knop, and
one minute sherd of white salt glaze on which the pit's terminal dating
is based.
Dating: About 1730-1740.
OTHER DEPOSITS YIELDING ARTIFACTS ILLUSTRATED
Deposits T.N. 1, T.N. 2.--Deposit T.N. 1 was in a 6-inch stratum
of rich black soil outside the northwest corner of the kitchen and
partially covered by a large tree stump. While some of the black dirt
overlay the corner foundation, its looseness suggests that it was
pushed there during the bulldozing. No traces of the stratum extended
inside the kitchen, and the artifacts were consistently of dates prior
to the construction of the building. Finds included a pewter spoon
handle, brown stoneware with a rare white interior, a tobacco-pipe bowl
with maker's initials "H S," a wineglass stem comparable to that from
pit B, and panes of window glass measuring 2-1/8 in. by 1-7/8 in. and
1-5/8 in. by 2-7/16 in.