Following the animal (wolf) trap thread...  If there is a hole in the top, and bait down inside on the floor, or just in the entrance hole, would force the animal to jump down into the structure with no way to get back out.  


Harding Polk II
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-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
To: HISTARCH <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tue, Jul 24, 2012 7:37 pm
Subject: Re: Early 18th century feature in Delaware


Harding,
Thanks for responding so quickly.  We did consider an ice house, but there was
o sign of micro stratigraphic build up which typically results from dragging
he ice to the icehouse followed by subsequent seasons of slow melt. It is also
t least 100 yards from the nearest house dating to pre 1740.  That would also
f 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
ith any regularity and there were three small areas where it appeared that an
nimal, possibly a groundhog or dare I say a wolf was digging into the
ottom/floor.  I like the suggestion that the green stone slabs surrounded the
ntrance hole at the top.
Bill Liebeknecht

n 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
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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