Investigations at 20WN21 – a multi-component site in Wayne County, Michigan

In June and August of 2018, myself and fellow Eastern Michigan University alumni and students helped conduct excavations and site surveys at 20WN21. I mentioned this site in an earlier post – I analyzed Late Woodland ceramics from this site. Since I’m expanding that analysis significantly, I wanted to share my experiences excavating this site (it’s also low-key my favorite local site at which I’ve worked). Dr. Brad Ensor has a field school each summer (EMUAFS – Eastern Michigan University Archaeology Field School), and the field school’s goals for the 2018 season were ambitious. Brad requested the help of past field school students, and of course, we delivered and did a fantastic job at the site. It was also fun – despite the weather being in the high 90s, we had a blast.

The landscape of 20WN21 - the site sits on a terrace overlooking the Huron River Floodplain

On a weekend in late June, a crew of 6-7 of previous field school students helped conduct broad excavations of 20WN21. The excavation units were three meters-by-three meters large, and were excavated in 10-centimeter arbitrary levels, unless there was a natural or cultural soil change. The soil was screened, and the artifacts were collected according to their horizontal and vertical proveniences; they were then sorted according to their material categories. The artifacts were then re-bagged and re-labeled with their provenience information before we left the field. This is the general procedure for collecting artifacts professionally in the field, although some archaeologists don’t sort the artifacts until they are being cataloged and washed in the lab. As long as the artifacts are kept with their original context information, it’s fine – every archaeologist does things differently. The excavation units yielded mostly Pre-Contact Indigenous artifacts, most of which date to the Late Woodland period. Very few Euro-American artifacts were recovered from these units. Each level of the excavation units was recorded via paperwork – a level summary sheet – when the current level was dug out. Soil colors, the depths of the level from each corner, and artifact quantities are recorded on these sheets. When full excavation units were dug completely, the unit walls and floor were mapped out. Since our plan was to just dig out a couple of the levels that weekend, we didn’t get to map anything.

Excavation units at the end of the day. We had to put up caution tape to prevent visitors from entering the excavation units. 

Part of the crew, in the middle of excavating and screening a level. 

We had an incredibly solid crew in June – I met and made friends with a few archaeologists/historical preservation folks and worked with folks that I already met in previous classes.

An awesome bunch. 

The fieldwork at 20WN21 went for a longer period – a full week – in early August 2018. The weather this time was much more temperate, and the leaves were already beginning to fall – a situation that made for a very picturesque time in the field. We had a slightly larger crew this time – 8 or 9 people – and we conducted an extensive site survey. We dug shovel tests – holes that were 30-35 centimeters in diameter, approx. 70-75 centimeters deep, 10 meters apart – at 20WN21, which is a typical method for site surveys in Michigan. In order to dig the tests in accurate locations, we used a field compass and pacing. Similar to the excavation units, the shovel tests were dug in 10-15-centimeter levels, to ensure that the vertical proveniences of the artifacts were recorded accurately. Once we hit sterile soil (at this site, it was sterile clay), we stopped digging the test, recorded soil colors and depths, and artifact proveniences. We got a lot of shovel tests done during this week.

Tim, who is screening soil from a shovel test. 

Dr. Brad taught us how to measure elevations for topographic map making that week, using a tripod scope and meter stick. This is a useful skill for folks who make maps by hand. The EMUAFS does not teach students how to use handheld GPS units – although the EMUAFS is CRM-oriented, most CRM firms use GPS units to store maps and record the locations and contents of shovel tests – which is one of the few downsides to the program. However, the level mapping method is still useful, especially in locations where GPS units don’t have satellite power. While Brad taught some of the volunteers how to use the tripod scope, he put me in charge as a crew chief. This required me to tell the rest of the crew where to dig their shovel tests and to place the shovel tests in an accurate position on the map, in addition to other responsibilities as a crew leader overall.

At the end of each day, the artifacts were transported to the anthropology lab, located at Eastern Michigan University. The artifacts were given catalog numbers and were then washed. Once dry, the artifacts were re-bagged using paper bags with the artifacts’ catalog numbers and provenience information. The artifacts are then stored for curation and analysis. The analysis bit takes more time; each single artifact is measured, weighed, and its other attributes were recorded. This data was then entered on a series of spreadsheets, via Microsoft Excel. The lab work conducted by the EMUAFS is extremely similar to the ways in which other archaeological labs do lab work, except for minor differences in the terminologies used for some artifact categories.

Newly washed Euro-American artifacts, drying in the lab. 

The whole reason we were digging at 20WN21 in the first place is because the Huron-Clinton Metroparks want to expand the parking lot nearby for a new boat launch which will lead into the Huron River. The parking lot expansion will also make the Metropark more accessible. However, this expansion would destroy 20WN21, and considering the amount of material culture that was recovered from the site this year, the planned construction must be put on hold. In CRM, this is called the “mitigation” process – the client (in this case, the Huron-Metroparks) pays us, the CRM archaeologists, to conduct field work to see if an archaeological site is present or if anymore information can be analyzed from a current site – and, depending on the results, the client either goes on to finish the construction on the land or they can’t continue due to the historical and cultural significance of the site.

Tim Maze and myself did some work for Dr. Brad a couple of times before he requested the help of more volunteers (we just happened to be the closest help at the time). Overall, volunteering for the EMUAFS was a genuinely beneficial experience and resume/CV builder.