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
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-----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