Jane. Perhaps the following would be of some help to you. We were involved
in a very awkward and limiting excavation which provide some good lessons in
the kind of archaeology that you are facing. I have pasted the abstract and
methdology from our project report below along with the reference. Perhaps it
can provide some ideas to help.
Mike Polk
Sagebrush Consultants
Ogden, Utah
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
Polk, Michael R., MITIGATION OF OGDEN CITY BLOCK 37 (SITE 42WB357), PROPOSED
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE SITE, WEBER COUNTY, UTAH
Sagebrush Consultants, Cultural Resource Report No. 1255, Ogden, Utah. 2002.
ABSTRACT
In November 2001, Sagebrush Consultants, L.L.C. (Sagebrush) contracted
with the General Services Administration (GSA) to carry out archaeological
excavation and research tasks of up to 10 privy, ash pit and other remnant cultural
features located in Block 37 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah. These features
were previously identified during the testing and evaluation phase of the
project.
The entire block, designated as site 42Wb357, and measuring 52,256 m2
(12.91 acres), is to be developed for use as an Internal Revenue Service Center.
This project was undertaken at the request of GSA in order to recover
information present in extant archaeological resources existing within the block.
The project is located near downtown Ogden and is bounded by the following
streets: Wall Avenue on the west, 22nd Street on the north, Lincoln Avenue on the
east and 23rd Street on the south. Sanborn Fire Insurance Company (Sanborn)
maps, sewer connections records, Polk Directories, and histories of the city
indicate that the block was occupied early in the history of Ogden, at least by
the 1870s. A review of Sanborn maps dating from 1884, 1890, 1906 and 1950 show
portions of the block which were historically used for railroad and
industrial activity, and other areas which were much less disturbed from initial
occupation to the present. It was the goal of this project to mitigate the effects
to archaeological features identified during the testing phase of the project
through data recovery, analysis and report preparation.
The proposed project, specifically, consisted of carrying out additional
historical research, as necessary, sample excavation of 15 identified historic
features, full excavation of 10 of those features, analysis of the artifacts,
and preparation of a report based upon the historic information, excavation
information and artifact analysis. Ultimately, upon completion of the
fieldwork, a total of 23 archaeological features were identified with excavation of 20
of them being carried out. After excavation, in excess of 6800 artifacts
were retrieved from the features excavated. Upon completion of the project, all
provenienced artifacts were to be turned over to The Boyer Company, the
property owner. Analysis of 1197 faunal bones recovered from the project was carried
out by Jennifer Hamilton of the University of Idaho.
Several features were identified and not excavated, or only partially
excavated, due to a variety of constraints on project activities. These include:
Feature 2 (sampled using test units); Feature 21 (only half of the feature
excavated); and Feature 23 (not excavated). In addition, there were seven other
historic features which were excavated, but which, prior to excavation, had
been severely compromised by damage from the remediation efforts or other
activities. Some of these features were very shallow and others contained very few
artifacts. Features which lost integrity included: Feature 3, Feature 4,
Feature 5, Feature 7, Feature 10, and Feature 16. Features which provided the
most and best information were features 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and
22.
Features carefully analyzed and compared within the report included six
privies, three ash pits and two cultural middens. The mean date for all of the
features ranges from 1896 to 1904, the year after the first sewer connection
was made on Block 37. All of the privies identified during the project
appeared to be similar in a number of ways. Nine privies could be identified as
being oriented north-south and east-west, following property lines, and all were
generally a rectangular shape from the top. Sizes varied somewhat, but seven
were three to four ft long (north-south) by three to four ft (east-west) in
size. The two unusually large privies, features 6 and 21, were 8 ft and 7 ft
long, respectively. The number of artifacts found within each of the privies
varied quite a lot. Excluding those privies where only 7 (Feature 12), 14
(Feature 11), 0 (Feature 14), and 0 (Feature 23) artifacts were recovered, the
numbers ranged from 169 to 2626. Feature 21 was the only feature where clear
stratigraphic layering could be discerned. The stratas were separately excavated
and revealed significantly distinct chronology with the upper strata (Level 1)
having a mean date of 1893 and the lower one (Level 2) have an mean date of
1880.
There were a total of six ash pits investigated and excavated during the
current project. These include Features 9, 12, 13, 15, 18 and 19. However,
only Features 9, 18 and 19 retained good physical integrity and contained
enough artifacts to provide comparative information beyond basic size and shape.
The term "ash pit" refers to a shallow hole dug into the ground for use as a
location to dispose of household ashes. Ash pits found during the project were
physically quite different than privy features. They tended to be circular or
amorphous in shape, unlike the rectangular shape of the privy features.
Bottoms of these features were always rounded, as opposed to privies which were
almost always flat on the bottom. Sizes of these features were between 867 sq
in and 1809 sq in (about 2 to 4 ft in diameter) with a mean size of 1293 sq
in. Depth of the ash pits, for those which retained enough physical integrity,
ranged between 7 in and 22 in. Artifact assemblages for three of the features
totaled 105, 118 and 263 items with mean feature dates of 1886, 1892, and
1914, respectively.
The items in the category of tableware, food preparation and canning
accounted for the majority of the artifacts found in 9 out of the 11 features. In
the other three features this category is in the top three most commonly
found artifact types. It is interesting to note, however, that Feature17, and
Level 2 of Feature 21, had a higher percentages of lighting related artifacts,
primarily chimney glass fragments. Also, the highest percentage of artifacts in
Feature 9 were those related to architecture. The second and third most
common artifact types found among the features fell within the categories of
hardware and architecture, respectively. Pottery trademarks found in each of the
feature assemblages indicate that most of the pottery on the site was made in
the United States and England. Most of the glass bottles, jars and other
vessels were made within the United States. The most predominant state represented
was Illinois (30), where many bottles were made in the United States during
the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The next most common was New York (9),
followed by Pennsylvania (8), New Jersey (7), Indiana (6), Wisconsin and
California (5), Missouri (4), and West Virginia (3).
The excavations and accompanying historic research on this project helped
illuminate the existence of a valuable urban archaeological data base in
Utah. There is a significant absence of large scale and intensive documentation
of the archaeology of residential, as well as industrial and commercial, urban
historic sites in Utah. Though there were some questions which the present
project were not able to answer or otherwise address, data gathered suggested
new areas of research. These topics include: the development of urban
sanitation programs, cultural landscape use and change over time, and the rise of
consumerism in Utah society and changes in it. At least some of the information
for this research can be derived from a study of the archaeological record.
METHODOLOGY
Prior to beginning excavation at Block 37, a ground survey, in
conjunction with monitoring soil remediation efforts, identified potential features in
the project area. A research design was then prepared that posed research
questions which could be addressed through the results of the excavation.
Presented in this methodology are the methods used in the excavation, the research
questions posed, and the methods used in the analysis of the artifact assemblage
recovered during the excavation.
Previous research and fieldwork on Block 37 resulted in the
identification of a total of 15 potentially intact historic subsurface features located
within seven separate historic feature areas (Polk and Field 2002). These
historic feature areas included what appeared to be 10 probable privy features
(outhouses), four possible ash pit/privy features, and one probable summer kitchen
dump area. Based on this, nine areas were fenced off to protect them until
data recovery could take place. Archaeological excavation focused on these
seven historic feature areas, and as work progressed these features were better
defined to reveal new information.
Methods of Excavation
The original research design proposed that due to the large number of
potential features identified, a sampling process take place rather than a full
excavation. This was because more eligible features were identified than would
be necessary to help answer the questions posed in the Research Design. A
total of approximately 15 separate historic features were identified during the
initial phase of the work, most of which appeared to be privies. With this in
mind, it was proposed that all of the historic features be sampled, but that
the number actually fully excavated be limited to no more than 10.
Modifications were made to the Research Design when an additional 8 features were
exposed and several previously identified features exhibited no further significant
depth or information. In total, 23 features were examined and a portion or
all of 21 of them were excavated.
Time constraints heavily influenced the project, since construction work
for the IRS center could not be started until Sagebrush completed the
excavations. Because of time constraints, Sagebrush proposed to employ a front-end
loader to level and scrape large areas in order to define the exact location of
features. Once a feature was identified, the excavation proceeded as follows,
dependent on the feature type:
Privies - a backhoe was used to dig a trench, external to the feature,
along the length of the privy to reveal the strata and depth of the privy
vault. This was carefully done so that significant cultural deposits interior to
the feature would not be disturbed by the backhoe. If no visible strata were
present, the privy material was hand excavated in one level to sterile soil and
all materials were screened through ¼ in. mesh hardware cloth screens.
Ash Pits - depending upon the situation, methods similar to privy
features were used to excavate these features. All were excavated by hand from the
surface to sterile soil, and all materials were screened through ¼ in. mesh
hardware cloth screens.
Midden - due to the ambiguous shape of the midden, four test units,
measuring 3 by 6 ft, were placed over the midden area. All units were excavated by
hand and materials were screened through ¼ in. mesh hardware cloth screens.
Linear Feature- using the front-end loader, the feature was scraped down
until the length of the feature was exposed. A small area was tested to
determine the nature and depth of the feature and if artifacts were present.
Both vertical and horizontal control of excavations was provided by using
a combination of a Trimble GeoExplorer III GIS unit and a mountain transit.
Permanent points on the landscape were used as datums. A map was prepared
which clearly shows the location of the excavation areas, the original structures
which once lay on the lot (as determined from historic map coverage), and
appropriate modern features on the landscape.
All excavated artifacts were placed into bags which were identified by
bag number, feature location, stratigraphic level, date, material and excavator.
The bags were then removed to the artifact lab for cleaning and later
analysis. All stages of the work included photographs, notes, and sketches of the
excavated units.
The excavations on Block 37 were carried out as specified in the
scope-of-work and the methodology described above with some exceptions. Field
conditions affected the way in which the excavations proceeded and they affected the
resources themselves. During the initial survey, testing and evaluation phase
of this work, as described in Polk and Field 2001, much of the identification
of probable cultural features was done in conjunction with remediation
efforts associated with soil contamination on several parcels of land within the
project area. This effort required front end loader scraping and backhoe
excavation in and around house and industrial foundations. Areas behind dwellings
were also scraped where privies and ash pits were most likely to be found.
While the probable culturally sensitive areas were known prior to this remediation
work (from Sanborn maps, city directories and plat map information),
Sagebrush personnel were only allowed to monitor the remediation work as it was
carried out and not to stop it, even if it penetrated a culturally identifiable
feature. The amount of remediation work varied, from area to area, depending upon
the depth and horizontal extent of contaminants. As such, privies, ash pits
and midden areas were variably affected in different areas. During the
remediation work, in addition to monitoring, Sagebrush personnel were able to mark
known and suspected features as well as photograph and record information
visible on the surface.
Once the area was cleared of contaminated materials, Sagebrush was
allowed to begin excavation work. Many of the features excavated during this
project were found on properties fronting on both 22nd and 23rd Streets. Most of
those on 23rd Street dated to the time period prior to construction of the
portion of the OIW later covering them. OIW was the facility which created much of
the necessity for remediation. Many privies and other features dating from
earlier occupations on 23rd Street were still intact, despite having been
covered over or buried prior to or during subsequent use of the area. Because of
this, it appears that upper portions of some features had been scraped off (in
some cases only the lowest portions of the privies were still intact) and
portions of some had been removed by subsurface excavation. The remediation work
also had an effect upon the area by creating large and extensive holes in some
areas and scraping off additional portions of cultural features in other
areas. Added to this, vandalism from bottle hunters working in the area at night
and on weekends resulted in additional damage to some features. Fortunately,
the damage created by vandals was minimized by fencing that was put up around
each of the historic feature areas described in the initial report.
The factors outlined above affected the quantity and quality of
information that could be obtained from the features. In most areas, it was impossible
to determine where the original ground surface was located and whether or
not upper portions of features had been removed. As a result, accurate
information regarding the depth, shape and size of features was compromised to an
unknown extent. Nevertheless, valuable information was recovered from many of the
cultural features in the form of the location and the nature and contents of
the individual features.
|
