Feature 47

Description

by H. Trawick Ward

Feature 47 was located northeast of Structure 13 at 203.8R62.5. This pit was observed at the base of the plowzone as a roughly circular patch of dark brown sandy soil (Zone 1) that contained several animal bone fragments, charcoal, and pockets of ash. Toward the outer edge of the feature, the soil was lighter in color; a small pocket of yellow mottled fill was located along the southern edge. Except for the bone, relatively few artifacts were contained within Zone 1. European artifacts consisted of a few glass beads and one piece of lead shot. This upper zone was approximately 0.6 ft thick and overlay Zone 2, which was defined by mottled clay with a mixture of sand, orange clay, ash, and some darker soil similar to Zone 1. This fill contained numerous animal bones and many more potsherds than the upper zone. In addition, pockets of ash and sand were noted throughout Zone 2. European-made artifacts from this zone consisted of glass trade beads.

The walls of the pit sloped inward at the bottom, giving it a barrel-shaped profile. The bottom was flat and extended to a depth of 1.6 ft below the subsoil surface. The top of the pit measured 2.6 by 2.7 ft.

This feature may have originally served as a shallow storage pit or perhaps as a soil recovery facility. In either case, it was ultimately filled with household refuse, consisting primarily of animal bones. The ash, sand, and charcoal deposits indicate that hearth areas within structures were also cleaned and their contents dumped into the pit along with the other debris.