Harding,

Thanks for responding so quickly.  We did consider an ice house, but there was
no sign of micro stratigraphic build up which typically results from dragging
the ice to the icehouse followed by subsequent seasons of slow melt. It is also
at least 100 yards from the nearest house dating to pre 1740.  That would also
if it is not associated with the nearby house dating to circa 1740 to 1780.

I should note the floor is also uneven, suggesting the surface was not walked on
with any regularity and there were three small areas where it appeared that an
animal, possibly a groundhog or dare I say a wolf was digging into the
bottom/floor.  I like the suggestion that the green stone slabs surrounded the
entrance hole at the top.

Bill Liebeknecht


On July 24, 2012 at 5:10 PM Harding Polk <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Out here in the southwest it would make a nice Basketmaker period pit
> structure.  Thinking more historically - an ice house? The greenstone slabs
> could have surrounded a central entrance hole in the top?
>
>
> Harding Polk II
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill <[log in to unmask]>
> To: HISTARCH <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tue, Jul 24, 2012 2:39 pm
> Subject: Re: Early 18th century feature in Delaware
>
>
> Sometimes you excavate a feature that just defies all logic and every once
> n a while we find new features types which either have not been defined
> efore, have been misidentified or simply written off as a natural anomaly.
> ecently, near Middletown, Delaware at the Elkins A site (circa 1740-1780),
> unter Research, Inc. excavated a feature which we had initially considered
> o be a well or the cone for well, (located 45 feet from an mid-18th century
> tone-lined root-cellar).  It has now become one of the most puzzling and
> xciting features at the Elkins A Site, and possibly on the Route 301
> roject to date.  This circular feature is situated on the side of a shallow
> ully that defines the northern boundary of a mid 18th century homestead.
> he feature measures approximately 15 feet in diameter and extends three
> eet below the plowzone (See photos in attached blog).  There are posts
> ositioned approximately every three feet around the base perimeter.  Each
> ost is angled inward 10 to 30 degrees with rocks jammed in around the base
> o prevent the post from falling into the pit.  Several green sandstone
> labs situated in the upper center of the fill exhibit no signs of trimming
> r shaping (they do however contain thousands of fossils not thought to be
> elated to the function of the feature).  No other artifacts have been
> ecovered from this enigmatic feature.  The lack of artifacts suggest that
> t predates the house, as otherwise household refuse (in the form of a sheet
> idden) would have undoubtedly been part of the upper fill.  There is no
> entral shaft (ignore the central rectangular test and two small auger tests
> hown in blog image). This area has experienced between one and two feet of
> oil deflation.  The fill inside the pit appears to be the same soil
> xcavated from the pit suggesting it was banked against the pit or packed
> gainst branches woven between the posts and either fell back into the pit
> hen the posts were removed or rotted away.  So what is it?  We have had
> everal professionals visit the site with interesting ideas, but none are as
> et completely satisfactory. We have ruled out a well, privy, cistern,
> pring head, windmill, brick/clay pit or silo.  One exciting suggestion is
> hat it is a wolf trap.  Construction of wolf traps was mandated in this
> rea during the 1670s and 1680s as attempts were made to eradicate wolves as
> ests.  The small crossroads settlement of McDonough, a couple of miles
> outh on what is now Route 13, was originally called "Trap".  A competing
> ossibility is a "field root pit" type of root cellar used to store staples
> uch as potatoes, carrots and turnips.  Field root pits are often
> ectangular but can be circular. Some also have peaked roofs.  We have taken
> oil samples for flotation and chemical analysis which is underway.  We also
> ave carbon samples as we cannot rule out a prehistoric origin.  Your
> houghts are welcome.  See the attached Route 301blog sponsored by DelDOT
> elow for digital photographs, weekly updates regarding our site as well as
> wo other data recoveries along the corridor.
> ttp://blogs.deldot.gov/category/us301/archaeology-updates/
> Bill Liebeknecht, MA, RPA
> rincipal Investigator
> unter Research, Inc.
> renton, New Jersey