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Date: | Fri, 2 Nov 2007 13:26:06 -0400 |
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I'm forwarding this request for information from Chris Murphy, Augusta
State University. Any thoughts would e most appreciated.
Can anyone suggest a probable function for the feature described below
or references related to water purification in the late 19th or early
20th century? We have a feature which consists of three pairs of
(roughly) 4.5 foot square brick “wells” (each about 3-3.5’ deep)
arranged side by side in such a manner that the first pair is on a
slope slightly elevated above the second pair which is above the third
pair. The total length from end to end is approximately 16.5 feet and
a width of roughly 11.5 feet. (We take metric measurements, but it is
most unlikely that this feature was constructed using metric
dimensions.) The upper two pairs of these “wells” have iron drain
pipes that would carry a fluid (water?) to the next pair of down slope
“wells”. We have yet to see any drain in the bottommost pair. The
“wells” have cement floors and preliminary excavations in the “wells”
show that they have pea gravel and larger rocks resting on these
floors.
This feature may have been part of a WW I training encampment (Camp
Hancock) located here in the Augusta, GA area, but we are not certain
that it was part of that installation because although the property
line must have been close, we have not been able to determine if this
structure was within or outside of the military cantonment area. While
the evidence so far points to this structure being related to water
purification, it would seem to be far too small to serve any sizable
military contingent. Camp Hancock apparently had up to 36,000 soldiers
during parts of the 1917-18 time frames.
Any thoughts or suggestions based on this information will be welcome.
Janet Jordan
Lab Supervisor
Archaeology Laboratory
Augusta State University
Augusta, Georgia
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