| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| ColonialWoman |
Posted - June 05 2003 : 3:49:02 PM
Since it's so near the movie site, I thought some of you who have visited the Morganton area would be interested to know that once again Warren Wilson College is doing an archaeological study of a 16th century Native American town on a tributary of the Catawba River. They began the study in 1986.
Here is what it says on their website:
"Our goals this year are to expose one entire structure, to excavate selected squares within another to assess the nature of floor deposits (to plan for excavating these structures in their entirety), to uncover contiguous areas within the arc formed by the four confirmed structures (to expose and excavate pits and postholes), and to conduct excavations south of the mound to learn more about what that part of the town looked like during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Our recent finds have convinced us that this site was the center of a native chiefdom as early as the 1400s and that it is the place where Spaniards built a fort and colonial outpost in the 1560s. The native people called their town "Joara." Members of the Spanish expedition that built Fort San Juan at this native town called their own settlement "Cuenca."
If you would like to know more, go to http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~arch/fs2003/main.html
I am happy to say that I am working on the dig and finding it fascinating. |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| richfed |
Posted - June 13 2003 : 05:49:50 AM
Fascinating stuff, Susan ... keep on keeping us posted! WOW! The Spanish? Here? In Mohicanland? |
| ColonialWoman |
Posted - June 13 2003 : 12:21:30 AM
It is definitely not for people who do not like to get dirty. You need to be very familiar with a shovel, wheelbarrow, and trowel. We have been working in the plow zone (disturbed top soil) but are now down to the tops of structures so we should be seeing more artifacts from about 400 years ago. All areas have found points and pot sherds; we have found two Spanish wrought nails which are very important in proving Spanish occupation of the town.
This is supposed to be a 20-year project. |
| Fitz Williams |
Posted - June 08 2003 : 3:59:50 PM
quote:
I'm a shovel bum and sifter and very proud of it! LOL!
They are the ones who find the artifacts in situ (or not). The supervisors only take credit for it! |
| Theresa |
Posted - June 08 2003 : 1:15:29 PM
Hey Susan, I've thought about going down to Fort Toulouse and doing the same thing. I drove down last summer while their excavation of the French colonial farmstead was going on and it was all men and one woman who was sifting and hosing. Looked like dirty, sweaty, and hard work but quite rewarding. Good luck! |
| ColonialWoman |
Posted - June 08 2003 : 1:09:29 PM
I'm a shovel bum and sifter and very proud of it! LOL! |
| CT•Ranger |
Posted - June 05 2003 : 11:38:45 PM
Are ya a supervisor or a shovel-bum? 
Good to see others out there involved and interested in archaeology. Keep the reports coming.  |
| Theresa |
Posted - June 05 2003 : 6:37:38 PM
oooo....this sounds very interesting indeed. Thanks, Susan!! |
![The Mohican Board! [Bumppo's Redux!]](images/wwwboard.gif "The Mohican Board! [Bumppo's Redux!]")
