Highbanks and river romping

Over Thanksgiving break mother and I went out to Highbanks to the Nature Center to take a closer, hands-on look at the artifacts that are there. They were artifacts from Baby's excavation that are on loan from OHS.

I really wanted to see if there was basal grinding on any of the points and I did feel grinding on all three, most noticable on the broken point. I also examined the pot sherd more closely and will hopefully get some more information about my observations soon. The sherd is grit-tempered and may be from the base of a vessel or the side-piece of a very large vessel due to the very slight curve. There is a dark coloration on the interior surface which suggests it was used for cooking. There also seems to be burnt sections on the broken edges. Mother suggested this was from oils on hands that had touched it over the past 50 years. I think it may be that the vessel broke in the fire while cooking and that it how broken edges were burnt. In any case the Highbanks staff (Elizabeth and Debbie) were as wonderful and helpful as always. I love bouncing ideas off of them and getting their input on my project.

A few days later, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, mother and I decided to go to a chert outcrop suggested to me by Jim Murphy. This was located along the East bank of the Olentangy River, North of Highbanks. I invested in some fishing waders and got to it. The River was pretty high and rather fast on Saturday so I had to be careful not to fall. The tributary river that the outcrop is visible at was beautiful!

We collected a bunch of samples of chert and had a wonderful time. Stay tuned for the results of the chert analysis!

earthworks, embankments, and walls

A few little updates for this week. I am currently working on the Theory chapter of IS and it is going pretty well so far, which could either be a good thing or horribly awful because I am overlooking something very important. There are only a few more days until I return home for Thanksgiving break where I will be visiting Highbanks again, this time to look at the artifacts on display there. I actually get to have the case opened and touch them!!!!

A little more about the theory chapter:
As of right now I am discussing the various theories on the purpose/usage of earthworks. I am looking at the latest theories, starting with Prufer. The main ideas that I am coming across are "Vacant  Center" theory, also known as the "Dispersed Sedentary Theory", The "Corporate Center Plan", "Central Place", etc. The main theory that I will be working with will most likely be the "Vacant Center" theory which basically says that Hopewellian communities made up of single- or multiple- family households are scattered across the landscape but concentrated around the centrally located burial and ceremonial precincts. These precincts are not directly occupied and coincide with the "Hopewell mortuary cult". It is implied by Prufer that the hamlets that surround the centers constitute as a community, hamlets are self-sufficient. These ceremonial centers are vacant only in the sense that there is no permanent residential population. The centers, with their surrounding 'communities' are then scattered along rivers.

It is an exciting chapter in that I now get to explore the function behind the Orange Township earthworks in a broad and narrow scale.

Stay tuned for more updates!!

A call for help!!!

This is a mini call for help

I am trying to identify the projectile points which were excavated in the 1951 Baby excavation at the earthworks. Right now all of my IDs are coming up as being Archaic. This is a slight problem since this site is supposed to be Late Woodland. Hmmmmm... does anyone have any ideas about these points?

These three pictures were taken at Highbanks and are as close as i can probably come to them, this is all I got !

If anyone out there has any ideas please let me know!

Thanks !!!!

Updates for begining of November

Just a few updates to start off the month.
Currently I am in the middle of labeling all of the artifacts. It is a very long and tedious process that is taking a good chunk of my time. I am struggling with the labeling supplies that I have to use currently and battling with Paraloid B-72. This is the base coat for all of my labels and then the writing itself is done with India ink and a fountain pen...torture really. Labeling artifacts must be a level of hell Dante forgot to put in.
Any way, I am on artifact 460 and have a few hundred left to go. Mother was ever so wonderful and helpful by coming in last weekend to help me label a couple hundred artifacts! Where would I be without her?
Here are some other updates that are important but that I don't really want to go into very much:

• I wrote and submitted Chapter 1 of thesis
• I was denied Copeland Funding which translates into not having the funds to do more carbon testing
• I am working on my Theory chapter, specifically looking at mounds and earthworks
• I am in the process of organizing my other chapters and research plans for the chert which I will probably do some statistical analysis on as well

Stay tuned for more updates!!