Greetings,

We had the opportunity to test below the floor on a mid-19th century
cabin site in northern Michigan along the shore of Lake Superior.  I
have posted about this site on HISTARCH a couple years ago under the
heading of Frontier Cabins (which I assume are in the archive).  The
above-ground portion of the cabin was being restored by the Hiawatha
National Forest and as part of the restoration, the floor was jacked up
and we were able to work beneath it (the floor was not attached to the
walls and evidence suggests it was a 20th century addition).  There was
no cellar present.  The archaeological investigation revealed a pattern
of artifact deposition that suggested the cabin was well maintained
prior to 1870 and, perhaps, more neglected after that date.

I agree with Cathy, light is a very important factor.  We used halogen
lamps that we powered with a portable generator.  The nature of the
cabin, little extant chinking, missing doors, etc. allowed enough light
to excavate - so we did not have to run the halogen all the time
(cutting down on heat).  All the holes also kept the air moving,
courtesy of the spring "breezes" off Lake Superior.  The comment about
watching your head is also a good one - I still have a couple of knots.
There is some additional information about the site, including pictures,
 available on our webpage - www.ccrginc.com.

Cheers,

Sean Dunham


Sean B. Dunham, RPA
Commonwealth Cultural Resources Group, Inc.
Phone:  517-788-3550 / FAX:  517-788-6594
e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
http://www.ccrginc.com