Sounds like a graduated septic flow system to me , are the iron pipes
located at the top of the well wall? If so this would allow the solid
waste to settle and allow the liquid to flow further down the system and
into the final waste containment area and thus absorbed into the pea
gravel field

-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Janet Jordan
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2007 1:26 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: archaeological feature

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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