A Report of Archaeological Investigatins at the Heckelman Site (33ER14): 2013 Season

A REPORT OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT THE HECKELMAN SITE (33Er14):

2013 SEASON

Brian G. Redmond, Ph.D. Principal Investigator

and Brian L. Scanlan

Supervisor of Archaeology Field Programs

Archaeological Research Reports, No. 164

April 2014

© Cleveland Museum of Natural History 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................2

PURPOSE AND METHOD OF INVESTIGATION ......................................................3

RESULTS ........................................................................................................................5

Features ...............................................................................................................5

Post Molds and Alignments...............................................................................11

Structures............................................................................................................12

MATERIAL ANALYSES AND DESCRIPTIONS ........................................................14

Flaked and Ground Stone Artifacts .................................................................14

Ceramics .............................................................................................................17

Faunal Remains ..................................................................................................21

Floral Remains ...................................................................................................22

Bone Artifacts .....................................................................................................22

Radiocarbon Determinations ............................................................................24

DISCUSSION AND PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS ...............................................24

REFERENCES CITED ....................................................................................................26

APPENDIX 1: Botanical Inventory of the 2013 field season..........................................28

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This project was made possible by the cooperation and support of the following

individuals and institutions. Land owners Richard and Terry Speer granted permission for

excavations on their property and supplied material and logistical support for the

excavations in the form of storage facilities, vegetation control, and other site preparation

and surveillance. The Speers also graciously provided water and allowed for flotation to

be conducted on-site. Their efforts are greatly appreciated. Howard P. Leber Excavating

ably carried out bulldozer stripping for the project area.

Partial funding for the 2013 excavation was provided by grants from the Albert G.

& Olive H. Schlink Foundation and the Laub Foundation. Additional support came from

the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH). CMNH field supervisors Brian

Scanlan and Jim Bowers admirably oversaw the day-to-day field operations. Special

thanks to our superb, all-volunteer field crew members including Brian Mickey, Sharon

Denslow, Char Shryock, Allison Shryock, Marsha Rine, Annie Boyle, Michelle Neudeck,

Lee Goodman, Glen Boatman, Amber Wallace, Mindy Bedrossian, Meghan Marley,

Chad Waffen, Avery Waffen, Angie Cascone, Jonathan Marcaly, Amy and Emily

Winnicki, Janice Pearson, Robert Koonce, and Josh Bardin.

In the laboratory, Ann DuFresne supervised the processing and cataloging of all

materials from the excavation with the help of Jim Bowers. Numerous volunteers

including: Jack Abbott, Natalie Andras, Jackie Artman, Joann Broadbrooks, Alex

Callina, Yvonne Carter, Tom Dalhausen, Evelyn Gelbke, John Harmon, Phil Kleinhenz,

Luane Lasky, Stuart MacDonnell, Ryan Oergel, Joe Petrulis, the late Abigail Pincus,

Daniel and Cathy Pugh, Ted Schvimer, Karl Smith, Nancy Somnitz, John St. John,

Ronald Vranich, and Gil Winer processed the artifacts from the field and carried out the

inventory. Meghan Marley analyzed the lithic and ceramic artifacts and worked on the

reconstruction of several vessels.

All the aforementioned individuals and institutions are thanked for contributions

to this project. Any errors or omissions in what follows are the sole responsibility of the

authors.

INTRODUCTION

This report describes the background, methods, procedures, and results of the

2013 excavation season at the Heckelman site (33Er14). Controlled excavations were

conducted as a joint project between the Department of Archaeology of The Cleveland

Museum of Natural History (CMNH) and the Firelands Archaeological Research Center

(FARC). Excavations began on June 10 and concluded on July 28, 2013. The

investigation was directed by Brian Redmond with the assistance of Brian Scanlan.

3

The Heckelman site is located in Milan Township, Erie County, Ohio and is

situated on a prehistoric beach remnant overlooking the Huron River floodplain to the

south, approximately 15 kilometers (9.5 miles) upriver from Lake Erie (Figure 1).

Detailed descriptions of the natural and cultural settings of the Heckelman site as well as

the history of archaeological research and the results of geophysical surveys conducted

on the site in 2008 can be found in the 2009 Report of Investigations (Redmond and

Scanlan 2010:4-10).

Figure 1: Location and topographic situation of the Heckelman site.

PURPOSE AND METHOD OF INVESTIGATION

The work carried out by the CMNH from 2008 to 2012 provided a foundation for

the 2013 research design and for planning subsequent excavations (Figure 2). The 2013

field work was designed to address two specific research goals. The first goal was to

further identify and characterize cultural deposits associated with the Early Woodland

utilization of the site. CMNH excavations of the oval enclosure feature from 2009

through 2012 produced data that indicate its Early Woodland temporal affiliation. The

2013 excavations were designed to further investigate the nature of the Early Woodland

component by excavating inside the area bounded by the oval enclosure feature. The

second goal was to further investigate a semi-circular post mold outline designated as

Map showing exact site

location deleted in this web

version.

4

Structure 4 following the 2012 field season (Redmond and Scanlan 2013:1 9-22). It was

hypothesized that the side of this structure was to be found to the east and north of the

2012 excavation area. The methods of investigation employed at the Heckelman site in

2013 were, therefore, designed to systematically recover the kinds of archaeological data

most useful for addressing the following research questions:

1. What was the nature of the Early Woodland activity within the oval enclosure

ditch, including potential settlement data?

2. What was the spatial extent and temporal affiliation of prehistoric structure(s)

inside the oval (and possibly related to the oval enclosure ditch), specifically the

pattern of large posts identified as Structure 4?

Archaeological excavation of the Heckelman site began on June 10, 2013. In

order to expedite the identification of subsurface deposits a bulldozer was employed to

strip two perpendicular transects. The first, or “northern transect,” measured six meter-

wide (north to south) by fifteen long (east to west) and had its southwest corner at 520N

521E. The “eastern transect,” measured nine meters long (north to south) by 6 meters

wide (east to west) and had its southwest corner at 511N 530E. These two transects were

continuous and adjacent to areas excavated in 2010 and 2012 (Figure 3). Plow zone

deposits were removed by the bulldozer to approximately five centimeters above

subsurface interface (i.e., approximately 25 cm B.D.). Hand excavation then began in the

stripped area within individual 3 x 3 meter units. In addition, two 2 x 2 meter units were

excavated to the southwest of the bulldozed area. These units were adjacent to one

another and had their southwest corners located on the 504.5N line, at 523E and 525E

respectively. Each of these units was excavated fully by hand, removing and discarding

plow zone fill.

Staff archaeologists and crew members were then assigned to 3x3 m and 2x2 m

units. All units were aligned to the site grid and identified by the north and east

coordinates of their southwest corner stakes. Excavation took place by hand, using

straight-edged shovels and trowels. Remnants of plow zone fill were removed and

discarded unscreened until subsoil and intact subsurface feature fill were exposed. The

floors of excavation units were shovel-scraped or leveled with trowels, and obvious

cultural features were assigned feature numbers, whereas other areas of soil staining of

questionable cultural origin were identified as soil “zones” and assigned letter

designations. Possible post molds or “PPM”s were given individual numbers (sequential

numbers were assigned starting with “PPM 1” in each unit). Once a unit floor was

completed, it was digitally photographed, and all features and zones visible on the floor

were mapped in plan using metric tapes and recorded on standard CMNH excavation

plan forms.

All features, zones, and selected post molds were sectioned in half or by quarter.

For each PPM that was cross-sectioned, the diameter at the point of definition and the

maximum depth below datum were recorded. Selected possible post molds were cross-

5

sectioned to verify their cultural origin. The fill of each pit feature was removed either in

10 cm intervals or by cultural strata, if such could be discerned. All fill was dry-screened

through 6.35 mm (¼ inch) hardware cloth. In addition, five- to ten-liter samples of fill

from feature contexts were collected for water-flotation processing. Charcoal and other

carbonized botanicals were recovered by hand during excavation or collected during

sediment screening. All artifacts, and material samples from the 2013 excavations were

returned to the Department of Archaeology at CMNH for processing, cataloging, and

analysis. Artifacts were washed, sorted, inventoried, and labeled with catalog numbers

(CMNH Identification No. 3086A). Soil samples collected for water flotation were

processed at the Heckelman site during the 2013 excavations.

The identification and preliminary analyses of all diagnostic artifacts recovered

during the 2013 season have been completed and are reported herein. As of this writing,

expert analyses of floral remains have been completed; however, the faunal remains have

not been so examined. Two samples of nutshell were submitted to Beta Analytic Inc. for

AMS radiocarbon dating. The results of these assays are discussed below.

RESULTS

As described above, the strategy for the 2013 field season focused on: better

understanding the activities within the oval enclosure ditch, exploring the nature of

structure(s) within the oval enclosure, and the possible temporal and functional

connection of structures to the oval enclosure. To accomplish these goals, a total of

110.75 m2 of surface area was exposed through the excavation of fourteen excavation

units: ten 3x3 m; one 1.5x3 m; one 3x2 m; one 1.5x1.5 m, and two 2x2 m in size (Figure

3). Results of these excavations are described below.

Features

During the 2013 excavation season a total of 43 soil anomalies were identified

and recorded as “features” (Table 1). Forty-one of the cultural features were excavated

completely, two others were either partially excavated (sampled), because the remaining

portions extended beyond the limits of the excavation units or were not begun due to time

constraints. To facilitate description, the completely excavated features were grouped into

classes based on the morphological variables of orifice length (long-axis diameter) and

width, depth below datum, and profile form. These morphological classes follow criteria

devised during feature analysis in 2010 (Redmond and Scanlan 2011) and comprise:

Small (n=13), Medium (n=9), and Large Basins (n=5); Large Post Molds (n=13); and

Indeterminate (n=3). Two of the indeterminate features (13-24 and 13-43) were not

sectioned due to time constraints and the third (Feature 13-31) was too heavily disturbed

by rodent burrowing for assignment to a morphological class.

Small Basins (n=13)

Features 13-03, 13-05, 13-06, 13-08, 13-12, 13-17, 13-18, 13-19, 13-20, 13-22, 13-35,

13-36, 13-41

6

Figure 2. Heckelman site excavation plan

Figure 3: Plan of CMNH block area excavations, 2009-2013.

7

Table 1. Inventory of Features

Fea.

No.

Unit

Coordinates Type

Plan

Form

Degree of

Excavation

Max.

Length(cm)

Max.

Width(cm)

Max

Depth

(B.D.)

13-01 504.5N 525E Large Basin Ovoid Complete 112 98 35

13-02 504.5N 523E Large Basin Circular Complete 100 100 66

13-03 504.5N 523E Small Basin Ovoid Complete 40 40 19

13-04 504.5N 523E Large Post Circular Complete 27 27 29

13-05 504.5N 523E Small Basin Circular Complete 18 18 21

13-06 511N 530E Small Basin Ovoid Complete 40 24 21

13-07 511N 530E Medium

Basin Ovoid Complete 70 60 51

13-08 514N 533E Small Basin Circular Complete 29 29 29

13-09 514N 533E Medium

Basin Circular Complete 54 54 39

13-10 517N 533E Large Basin Ovoid Complete 130 85 11

13-11 517N 533E Large Post Circular Complete 19 19 43


13-13 511N 533E Large Post Ovoid Complete 50 60 69

13-14 511N 533E Medium






13-19 520N 530E Small Basin / Circular Complete 30 30 38




13-23 520N 533E Medium


13-24 520N 521E Indeterminate Ovoid Unexcavated 70 40 0

13-25 520N 527E Medium


13-26 520N 254E Medium


13-27 520N 530E Medium



13-29 520N 533E Medium


13-30 520N 533E Large Post Ovoid Complete 30 25 58

13-31 523N 533E Indeterminate Irregular Complete 0 0 0






13-37 523N 533E Medium

Basin Ovoid

Complete

75 60 32

8

Fea.

No.

Unit

Coordinates Type

Plan

Form

Degree of

Excavation

Max.

Length(cm)

Max.

Width(cm)

Max

Depth

(B.D.)






13-43 523N 530E Indeterminate Ovoid Unexcavated

These small, round to flat-bottomed pits ranged from 18 to 50 cm in diameter

(max. length) and 13 to 40 cm in depth below datum (Table 1). Most were circular to

ovoid in plan and contained relatively low frequencies of debitage but high frequencies of

pottery and FCR, some revealed evidence of burning. Notably, Feature 13-17 contained

a hammer stone as did Feature 13-20; projectile points were recovered from Features 13-

25 and 13-40. The original functions of most of these ubiquitous small pits remain

uncertain; however, two pits, Features 13-08 and 13-19, contained large concentrations of

charred material and most likely represent smudge pits.

Figure 4. Cross-section profile of small pit, Feature 13-17, showing flat-bottomed

profile, pottery sherds in fill, and hammer stone (at arrow).

Medium Basins (n=9)

Features 13-07, 13-09, 13-14, 13-23, 13-25, 13-26, 13-27, 13-29, 13-37

9

Medium basins had maximum diameters from 54 cm to 75 cm and extended from

21 cm to 53 cm below datum (Table 1). Most were circular to slightly ovoid in plan and

appeared rounded- to flat-bottomed in profile. Like the small basins, the medium basin

class contained significant amounts of cordmarked pottery and FCR (Figure 5). The

contents of Feature 13-37 were unusual in that they included thin, grit-tempered sherds

and more than 200 flakes of Upper Mercer chert.

Figure 5. Pottery cluster exposed along the north wall of Feature 13-26, a medium-

sized basin.

Large Basins (n=5)

Features 13-01, 13-02, 13-10, 13-21, 13-40

Large basins had maximum diameters that ranged from 100 cm to 160 cm and

exhibited depths from 11 cm to 66 cm below datum (Table 1). Most were circular to

10

slightly ovoid in plan and were moderately rounded- to flat-bottomed in profile. Artifacts

recovered from large basins were more plentiful than with other feature types and

included varying amounts of charcoal and carbonized nutshell, burned and unburned

bone fragments, pottery fragments, chert flakes, and FCR. Most of these large basins

appear to have served as storage pits which were afterwards filled with refuse. Feature

13-01 contained deer mandible and maxilla fragments, a hammer stone, ground bone

fragments, and two pottery rims. One rim appeared cordmarked, while the other closely

resembled Late Prehistoric period, Mixter Dentate pottery. Feature 13-02 (Figure 6)

produced thin, distinctively cordmarked pottery that is reminiscent of Late Woodland

Green Creek ware. Also recovered from Feature 13-02 were two pieces of clay daub with

stick or grass stem impressions (Figure 13: B), and a small fired clay cone. Feature 13-10

was a shallow oval stain that appeared to be the basal layer of a large pit feature; it

yielded a single “hump-backed” biface (Figure 10: D). Features 13-01 and 13-10 were

rather shallow and contained small amounts of Late Prehistoric artifacts.

Figure 6. Profile of large basin, Feature 13-02, showing FCR and stratified fill.

Large Post Molds (n=13)

Features 13-04, 13-11, 13-13, 13-15, 13-16, 13-28, 13-30, 13-32, 13-33, 13-34, 13-38,

13-39, 13-42

11

The largest post molds were assigned feature numbers and excavated using the

same methods applied to pit features. In plan, these features could not be distinguished

from small to medium basins, and, like the latter, had modest diameters which ranged

from 19 to 50 cm. Upon sectioning, these features revealed their deep profiles, slightly to

strongly-sloped walls, and rounded to slightly pointed bottoms which extended from 29

to 69 cm below datum (Table 1). With one exception, the large post molds contained

very modest frequencies of cultural materials such as small amounts of charcoal, burned

and calcined bone, pottery, chert flakes, and FCR. Notably, Feature 13-30 contained a

thin, cordmarked rimsherd that most closely matched Green Creek Cordmarked vessel

fragments found in association with Structure 2 (Redmond and Scanlan 2012) (Figure 13:

C). These large posts and their relation to specific cultural activity are discussed below.

Post Molds and Alignments

During the course of the 2013 field season, 307 PPMs were identified and

documented. Only a limited number of PPMs were sectioned due to time constraints, and,

of these, 50 PPMs proved to be of prehistoric origin. Post mold summary data are

provided in Table 2.

Table 2: Post Mold Summary Statistics

N=50 Diam.

(cm)

Depth

(cm)

Depth

(actual) (cm) Depth (masl)

Average 9.0 11.8 25.0 200.42

Std. Dev. 3.2 8.1 10.0 0.08

Maximum 19.0 30.0 56.0 200.54

Minimum 4.0 3.0 10.0 200.19

The 2013 excavations also exposed multiple lines of stockade posts, some of

which correspond with lines that were recorded previously. Posts representing stockade

lines (A and B), discovered during 2010 and subsequent excavations, were identified in

units of the northern bulldozer transect (i.e., on the 520N line) (Figure 7). These lines run

eastward from 521E for the entire 17 meter length of this transect. At least two and

possibly three discrete lines of stockade posts can be discerned; however, they overlap at

several points, somewhat obscuring a clear pattern. Nevertheless, this configuration does

appear to terminate just east of the 521N line, thereby confirming the formal opening or

gateway through the stockade line proposed after the 2012 excavations (Redmond and

Scanlan 2013: 15). On the eastern end, at least two of the stockade lines appear to

continue onward toward the eastern ravine for an unknown distance. But the end of a

possible third line of stockade posts seems to turn to the southeast and away from the

ravine (Figure 7). Such a deviation may indicate that the stockade enclosure for the Late

Prehistoric period village settlement closed short of this natural barrier.

12

Structures

One of the stated goals of the 2013 excavations was to further investigate an arc

of larger posts (Structure 4) identified during the 2010 and 2012 excavations (Redmond

and Scanlan 2013: 19-22). Excavation of four 3x3m units in the eastern transect exposed

three large post molds (Features 13-11, 13-13, and 13-15), but these post molds alone

failed to form a recognizable eastern wall line for Structure 4 (Figure 8). Subsequent

excavation in the northern (west-east oriented) transects, consisting of six 3x3m units,

likewise revealed no definite eastward extension of Structure 4. Thus, Structure 4 may

represent an open or C-shaped post configuration that enclosed some form of ritual-

ceremonial (non-domestic) activity space. Incomplete post configurations of comparable

size and form have been identified as both submound and open-air structures on Early

Woodland (Adena) sites in the upper Alum Creek drainage (Alum Lake area) of southern

Delaware County, Ohio. The Alum Lake buildings are interpreted as constructions

related to mortuary processing (Hay 1994: `137-230); however, a similar function cannot

be demonstrated for Structure 4.

Figure 7. Plan of multiple stockade post lines exposed in 2013.

An apparent arc of six large post molds (Features 13-11, 13-28, 13-30, 13-32, 13-

33, and 13-39) was exposed in units 517N 533E (and its eastern extension), 520N 533E,

and 523N 533E (Figure 8). Two other large post molds that were situated adjacent to this

alignment (Features 13-15 and 13-38) may be related to this possible construction, which

has been designated “Structure 5.” The six primary post molds ranged in diameter from

19 to 30 cm and extended from 35 to 63 cm below datum. Spacing between these post

molds ranged from 1.4 to 2.0 meters. A comparison of diameter and depth measurements

13

for Structures 2, 3, 4, and 5 reveal that the posts of Structure 5 overlap in size the smaller

posts of Structure 4 and exceed most post dimensions recorded for Structures 2 and 3

(Figure 9). The Structure 5 posts had rounded to slightly pointed bases, and most

contained little or no cultural material. One notable exception is Feature 13-30, which

produced several fragments of a thin, finely cordmarked rimsherd that most closely

resembles Green Creek Cordmarked (Figure 13: C, see below). This is currently the only

available indicator of cultural affiliation for Structure 5. Pottery of this type was also

found in several features associated with Structure 2 (Redmond and Scanlan 2012) and in

Feature 12-36 (Redmond and Scanlan 2013: 30-31).

Figure 8. Proposed plans of Structures 4 and 5.

The nature of Structure 5 remains uncertain. If the post mold arc continues

eastward, then if might represent a circular configuration measuring as much as eleven or

twelve meters in diameter. This would approach the size previously estimated for

Structure 4, when its hypothesized eastern extension remained undocumented (Redmond

and Scanlan 2013: 20). This large diameter and the relatively wide spacing between the

recorded post molds suggest that this may have been an open, unroofed structure, such as

a post circle, rather than a dwelling of some kind. Little more can be said without

additional excavation in the area to the east of Structure 5.

14

MATERIAL ANALYSES AND DESCRIPTIONS

Flaked and Ground Stone Artifacts

Excavation in 2013 produced only 13 flaked and ground stone artifacts, and most

were derived from feature excavation. Brief descriptions of some of the more noteworthy

stone tools are given below. A complete inventory with metric data is provided in Table

3.

Bladelets

Only one bladelet fragment (3086A468-01) was recovered in 2013. It was found

in PM 4 in Unit 511N 533E at the plowzone-subsoil interface. It is a proximal fragment

with edge-wear on one margin (possibly a notch) and is made of Flint Ridge chert (Figure

10: A).

Figure 9. Comparison of structural post dimensions.

15

Projectile Points and Bifaces

The broken stem (3086A451-01) of a projectile point made from Wyandotte chert

was found in Feature 13-27. The stem has a rounded base, which supports the suspected

Early Woodland affiliation of this pit (Figure 10: C). The single triangular point

(3086A478-01) is of the Madison variety and is made of Columbus-Delaware chert

(Figure 10: B). It was recovered at the plowzone-subsoil interface near the north wall of

unit 511N 530E and is derived from the Late Prehistoric period occupation of the site.

Another projectile point (3086A449-05) is a complete specimen of a corner-notched

variety made of Pipe Creek chert. It was recovered from the margin of Feature 13-25,

and, consequently, its association with this pit is not unquestioned. It most closely

resembles a point from the Late Archaic, Brewerton series (Justice 1987: 115-116)

(Figure 10: E).

Table 3. Inventory of Stone Artifacts from 2013 Excavations

Catalog

No. Unit Feature Tool Type

Max.

Length

(mm)

Max.

Width

(mm)

Max.

Thick.

(mm)

Wt.

(g)

Lithic

Type

3086A426

-12

505.3N

523.6E 13-02 Anvil stone 86 65.1 53.2 472 Granitic

3086A450

-02

520N

524 E 13-26 Anvil stone 115 86.5 61.9

108

6 Granitic

3086A468

-01

513.6N

533.5E PM 4 Bladelet 12.6 11.7 2.3 1 Flint Ridge

3086A451

-04

521.98N

532.38E 13-27

Preform/Cache

Blade 61.8 44.2 10 30 Flint Ridge

3086A441

-02

520N

527E 13-17 Hammer stone 53.2 50.5 48.2 197 Granitic

3086A441

-04

521.7N

527.36E 13-17 Hammer stone 77.1 66.6 28.9 287 Granitic

3086A445

-02

520N

530E 13-20 Hammer stone 93.5 61.1 62.2 682 Sandstone

3086A434

-04

517.67N

534.33E 13-10

Humpback

Biface 33.3 16.6 10.2 5 Delaware

3086A451

-01

520N

530E 13-27

Projectile

point, base,

stemmed

14.8 12.3 5.8 1.5 Wyandotte

3086A449

-05

522.4N

527.87E 13-25

Projectile

point, corner-

notched

38.5 27.5 5.7 7 Pipe Creek

3086A478

-01

514N

531.5E

PZ/inter

face

Projectile

point,

triangular

26 14.5 5.8 2 Delaware

3086A431

-03

511N

530E 13-07 Siltstone Bar 99 30.3 7.4 39 Siltstone

3086A453

-02

520N

533E 13-29 Siltstone Bar 71.9 20.5 4.5 10 Siltstone

16

Figure 10. Selected flaked stone artifacts from excavation.

During flotation processing of sediment from Feature 13-40, a complete stemmed

point was found. Unfortunately, during packaging of the flotation residue, this point was

misplaced and has not yet been found. A single digital image of the point reveals it to be

a heavily reworked, knife or spear tip with a rounded stem (Figure 11). The form

resembles Early Woodland style points recovered from other contexts at the Heckelman

site.

A small, humpback biface (3086A434-04) made of

Columbus-Delaware chert was recovered from the fill of

Feature 13-10, the bottom remnant of a large pit (Figure

10: D). This tool was most likely used as a knife or

scraping implement and the form is most common in Late

Prehistoric midden and trash pit deposits. A much larger

biface is the large triangular preform with convex margins

found in Feature 13-27. It is made of a mottled variety of

Flint Ridge chert and resembles Robbins type cache blades

found—in more refined forms—in later Early Woodland

(Late Adena) contexts in the Middle Ohio Valley (Justice

1987: 188) (Figure 10: F). This temporal estimate matches

nicely with the late second to mid-fourth century B.C.

radiocarbon date estimate for this feature (see below).

Figure 11. Stemmed point

recovered from Feature

13-40 flotation sample.

(Image courtesy of Brian

Mickey)

17

Ground Stone Tools

Two anvil stones and three hammer stones were recovered from four features

(Table 3) (Figure 12: A-C). The hammer stones show signs of battering and pitting on

one or more margins, and the anvil stones have more localized wear in the form of

distinctive pits. Finally, two examples of a previously unrecognized ground stone

implement were recovered. These bar-shaped stones (Figure 12: D) are thin, worked

slabs of siltstone or very fine sandstone that have rectangular to trapezoidal outlines and

show little evidence of use. At first these artifacts were assumed to be water-worn

fragments of the local sedimentary bedrock that had accidentally made their way into

cultural features; however, they have turned up in a number of pits over the last five

seasons and do not now appear to be natural rock inclusions. Perhaps they were selected

for their natural shapes by the Early and Middle Woodland inhabitants of the site and did

not require human alteration for use. Unfortunately, the lack of obvious wear on these

siltstone bars makes any interpretation of their function imprudent at this time.

Figure 12. Selected ground stone tools from pit features.

Ceramics

The pottery assemblage includes a significant quantity of sherds from the cluster

of small to medium-sized pits in the northern section of the excavated area. Most of

these features contained the remains of Early Woodland-era, Leimbach Cordmarked

vessels. The diagnostic portions of this vessel type amount to 16 rimsherds larger than

2.0 square centimeters in diameter. These sherds reveal that most Early Woodland vessels

had vertically cordmarked exteriors and smoothed or cordmarked lips; profiles are

18

generally straight to inslanted (Table 4). Also recovered were two nearly complete knob

handles from Features 13-17 (Figure 13: A) and 13-29.

Table 4. Inventory of Analyzable Rimsherds

Cat. No.

Feature

No.

Exterior

Surface

Treatment

Lip

Surface

Treatment

Lip

Thickness

(mm)

Neck

Thickness

(mm)

Profile

Form Component

3086A425-05 13-01 stamped stamped 7.9 7.1 straight Late Prehistoric

3086A425-07 13-01 cordmarked smoothed 5.5 5.5 straight Late Prehistoric

3086A426-02 13-02 smoothed smoothed 7.4 8.1 unidentified Late Woodland

3086A426-09 13-02 cordmarked cordmarked 5.9 4.8 excurvate Late Woodland

3086A426-09 13-02 cordmarked cordmarked 6.2 6.6 straight Late Woodland

3086A431-07 13-07 cordmarked cordmarked 7.8 6.6 inslanted Early Woodland

3086A431-09 13-07 cordmarked cordmarked 7.3 6 excurvate Early Woodland

3086A447-02 13-22 cordmarked smoothed 6.6 7.8 straight Early Woodland

3086A447-02 13-22 cordmarked smoothed 7.1 9 straight Early Woodland

3086A447-03 13-22 cordmarked smoothed 9.3 7.5 inslanted Early Woodland


3086A450-10 13-26 cordmarked cordmarked 10.1 10 inslanted Early Woodland


3086A450-10 13-26 cordmarked cordmarked 9 11 inslanted Early Woodland

3086A450-12 13-26 cordmarked smoothed 8.2 10.8 inslanted Early Woodland


3086A453-01 13-29 smoothed smoothed 8 7.2 straight Early Woodland



3086A455-01 13-31 cordmarked cordmarked 5.2 6.9 straight Early Woodland


Feature 13-01produced a small rimsherd that was decorated with stamped designs

on the exterior and lip. This vessel most likely represents a variety of Mixter Ware. In

contrast, at least three rimsherds, and the more than 100 bodysherds found in Feature 13-

02 appear to be the remains of a small to medium-sized vessel of the Green Creek

Cordmarked type. The reconstruction of several sections of this vessel by Meghan

Marley reveal an elongated, round-shouldered pot with a slightly excurvate rim. The

exterior surface was impressed with a finely-woven cordage applied at several angles on

the body (Figure 14). At the neck area, the cordmarks shift to a vertical orientation,

much like the larger vessels found in the interior pits of Structure 2 and Feature 12-36

(see Redmond and Scanlan 2012: Figure 20, 2013: Figure 17). As noted above, Feature

13-30, a large post mold, produced several rim and necksherd fragments of a thin, finely

cordmarked vessel most similar to the Green Creek series (Figure 13: C).

19

Figure 13. Selected rimsherds, daub, and appendages from pit features.

The vessel fragment from Feature 13-02 was significantly thinner than all the

Early Woodland vessels, with an average bodysherds thickness of 5.8 mm. This can be

contrasted with the overall average thickness of 10.8 mm for all cordmarked bodysherds

from nine Early Woodland pits recorded in 2013 (Table 5). Average thickness

measurements for smoothed-surface sherds listed in Table 5, suggest that these plain

vessels were somewhat thinner than the cordmarked forms; however, these differences do

not appear to be significant. Overall, plain surfaces appear to be the minority treatment

on vessels from all Woodland components investigated in 2013.

Feature 13-26 produced the largest single collection of pottery sherds from any pit

in 2013 (n=296) (Figure 15). Careful analysis and refitting of these sherds by Meghan

Marley revealed the remains of one medium-size cordmarked vessel. One large rim

section produced an average orifice diameter of 26 cm. The flat lip measures 10.0 mm in

thickness and is covered with obliquely-oriented cordmarks. The rim profile is

essentially inslanting but with a pronounced flaring at the lip (Figure 15). The overall

body form is rather elongated with an estimated height of 31 cm and a maximum

diameter just below the shoulder of 28cm. The vessel wall varies in thickness from 9.0

mm just below the lip to a maximum of 11.7 mm at the rounded base.

Like many of the other Early Woodland vessels, the body surface of this vessel

exhibits overlapping, final S-twist cordmarking with a shift to vertical cordmarks on the

neck. One of the most significant characteristics of this vessel is the presence of several

patches of orange-colored clay paste on a number of bodysherds (Figure 16). These may

be remnants of a rather coarse slip that was apparently added to the vessel exterior after

initial firing. Re-firing of the pot may have produced the bright orange-red color of the

slip. Similar forms of clay slip have been reported on Early Woodland vessels from the

20

Metz site located on a small promontory about 3.5 km downriver from Heckelman

(DeMuth 2013).

Figure 14. Reconstructed shoulder and neck sections of vessel from Feature 13-02.

Table 5. Average Bodysherd Thickness Measurements from Selected Features

Feature No.

Smooth

Avg.

(mm)

Smooth

Sherd

Count

Cordmarked

Avg. (mm)

Cordmarked

Sherd Count Component

13-07 9.9 5 11.5 24 Early Woodland

13-17 0 0 11.6 82 Early Woodland

13-22 12.7 6 11.5 94 Early Woodland


13-26 9.8 30 10.1 154 Early Woodland

13-27 8.4 2 11.9 28 Early Woodland

13-29 10 7 10.7 49 Early Woodland

13-40 8.4 2 9.2 7 Early Woodland


13-37 0 0 7.1 5 Middle Woodland

13-02 0 0 5.8 106 Late Woodland

Totals 52

590

21

Figure 15. Partial reconstruction of vessel from Feature 13-26.

Bone Artifacts

The sole osseous artifact (3086A425-08) is a section of deer antler “stock” that

was scored and snapped at one end. This fragment was recovered from the Late

Prehistoric period pit, Feature 13-01.

Faunal Remains

As has been the case in earlier analyses, the vast majority of animal bone

fragments from features of Early Woodland through Late Woodland ages consist solely

of calcined fragments, which are essentially unidentifiable to even the most

comprehensive taxon. A few identifiable fragments of deer bone (mandible fragments

with teeth, antler fragments) and fish scales were collected from Feature 13-01, the much

younger Late Prehistoric pit.

22

Figure 16. Close-up of fired clay slip remnants on bodysherds of vessel in Feature

13-26 (patch of slip at arrow).

Floral Remains

Seven samples of carbonized botanical remains from as many pit features

(Features 13-01, 13-02, 13-17, 13-27, 13-29, 13-37, and 13-40) were sent to Karen Leone

of Gray & Pape, Inc. for identification. All but three of these pits are associated with the

Early Woodland occupation of the site based on artifact contents and one radiocarbon

determination (Feature 13-27, see below). Feature 13-01 is the only Late Prehistoric

period feature examined, Feature 13-02 was most likely dug during the early Late

Woodland period, and Feature 13-37 is Middle Woodland. All of the botanical samples

were derived from 8- to 17-liter volumes of soil that were processed on-site using

standard water flotation techniques. The methods used in the botanical analysis are the

same as those described in the 2010 season report (Redmond and Scanlan 2011: 31-32)

and in the current report of analysis (Leone 2014: 1-2). The complete botanical

inventory is provided in Appendix 2.

As observed in previous botanical analyses (Leone 2010, 2011, 2013), counts of

plant remains from all feature are relatively low. Charcoal once again predominated but

again at low levels. Only Features 13-01 and 13-02 produced relatively large densities

23

(grams/liter) of oak and hickory remains, respectively (Leone 2014: Figure 1). Nut

densities were also low, except for Features 13-01 and 13-29, with hickory and black

walnut predominating. Native cultigens occurred in only one Early Woodland pit,

Feature 13-29, and included two squash rind fragments and two erect knotweed seeds.

Feature 13-37 produced one chenopod seed. One sunflower seed was found in Feature

13-01, along with four maize cupules and four kernels. Seven chenopod seeds were

recovered from Feature 13-02, along with 15 wild sumac, and, most surprisingly, six

fragments of possible tobacco (Nicotiana sp.) plant stems (Figure 17). Tobacco stems

have not been reported in any published botanical report from the eastern woodlands,

thus, this discovery is unique. No tobacco seeds were found in this sample, and neither

have any Late Woodland pipe fragments been recovered from Heckelman to-date.

Figure 17. Comparison of tobacco stem from Feature 13-02 (left) to comparative N.

rustica stalk (right) (Leone 2014: Figure 5).

24

Radiocarbon Determinations

Following the 2013 field season, three samples of nutshell were submitted to Beta

Analytic, Inc. for radiocarbon assay. One sample (Beta-360246) was derived from the

fill of Feature 13-27, the medium basin which contained the triangular preform or cache

blade. The resulting two-sigma calibrated date range placed this feature in the late

second to mid-fourth centuries B.C. (Table 6), which correlates well with the proposed

Early Woodland period occupation of the site. The second sample (Beta-360245) came

from the fill of Feature 12-46: a large post mold excavated the previous field season and

found to contain a ceramic knob handle. The two-sigma calibrated date range that

resulted is somewhat late and suggests that the use of knob appendages continued up to

the end of the Early Woodland period at ca 1 B.C. (Stothers and Abel 2008: 92) (Table

6). The final sample of nutshell (Beta-378420) was recovered through flotation

processing of sediment from Feature 13-02. This assay produced a two-sigma calibrated

date range of A.D. 560 to 650, which correlates nicely with the early Late Woodland,

Green Creek phase occupation of the site.

Table 6: Heckelman site Radiocarbon Determinations – 2011

Feature

No.

Sample

No.

Sample

Material

13C/12C

Ratio

Conventional

Age

2 Sigma

Calibration

12-46

Beta-

360245

nutshell -26.4 ‰

2080+/-30 BP

180 to 1 BC

13-02 Beta-

378420 nutshell -24.1‰ 1450+/-30 BP AD 560 to 650

13-27

Beta-

360246

nutshell -24.2 ‰

2180+/-30 BP

360 to170 BC

DISCUSSION AND PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS

During the 2013 excavations, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and

Firelands Archaeological Research Center tested 110.75 m2 of the Heckelman

archaeological site. The preliminary insights resulting from the 2013 season are as

follows.

The extension of the excavated interior of the oval enclosure to the northeast in

2013 provided important information that can be used to address the dual research

objectives. The narrower of the two focused on the nature of the proposed Structure 4.

Unfortunately, the existence of this construction within the oval enclosure was not

confirmed. Insufficient evidence for an eastern wall line indicates that—if a structure at

all—it was an open (semi-circular) configuration of large posts. A more conservative

interpretation may be that the several large post molds and post pits within the oval ditch

25

represent individual episodes of setting up and, in some cases, taking down of large

ceremonial poles. This area also includes the large fire pit, Feature 10-32, which

produced an Early Woodland date, as did several of the large post molds and the ditch

itself (Redmond and Scanlan 2011, 2012, 2013).

Additional information came to light during the 2013 field season that more

completely addresses the larger question of how the enclosed space was used during the

Early Woodland period. The possible post circle (Structure 5) at the extreme

northeastern corner of the excavation block (Figure 8) may represent further evidence for

ritual-ceremonial use of the enclosed space; however, its age and cultural affiliation

remain uncertain. More pertinent may be the cluster of pit features located to the north of

Structure 4 and among the younger stockade configuration. These small to medium-

sized, flat-bottomed basins contained large amounts of FCR and ceramic vessel

fragments, but little else. It is suspected that these features were created and used during

activities inside the enclosure that accompanied pole ceremonialism, such as the

preparation of ritual meals for the attendees, rather than persistent, domestic tasks. In

addition, the lack of any trace of Early Woodland dwellings within the enclosed space

likewise point to nondomestic behavior.

Thus, it now appears that the oval enclosure was one of the first constructions at

the site and served a ritual-ceremonial function during the Early Woodland era.

Eventually its use was discontinued (by about the Christian era) and the site remained

unoccupied for at least a few centuries until the arrival of the Hopewellian Middle

Woodland occupants, who appear to have practiced more domestic activities, possibly

centered on nuclear or extended family households. Evidence for this subsequent

occupation is most clearly seen in the small clusters of Middle Woodland pits which

include Features 10-21, 10-34, 12-33, 12-34, and 12-35. Feature 12-34, in particular

contained significant quantities of stone tool manufacturing debris, utilized bladelets,

nutshell, squash seeds, and preserved animal bone, in addition to FCR, pottery, and mica

fragments (Redmond and Scanlan 2013: 36); all of which point to active domestic

activity of the kind most often associated with Middle Woodland households (Prufer

Pacheco, Burks, and Wymer 2005; Prufer 1965).

Additional evidence for a continued shift to domestic use of the Heckelman site

can be seen in pits such as Feature 13-02. This early Late Woodland (Green Creek

phase) storage pit contained domestic refuse, including sumac seeds and tobacco plant

stems, as well as the remains of a probable storage vessel. As noted above, this vessel

reveals an affiliation with a more sedentary occupation of the blufftop featuring

substantial, communal dwellings like Structure 2 (Redmond and Scanlan 2012). Further,

the several large fragments of clay daub with stick (grass thatch?) impressions found in

Feature 13-02 may reveal the use of wattle and daub construction methods. Ultimately,

after a nearly 700-year hiatus, the site was re-occupied by a sedentary, Late Prehistoric,

maize-farming population that built semi-permanent dwellings enclosed by a substantial

stockade barrier. This final occupation closed out the long and diverse evolution of this

special location from an elaborate ceremonial center to a series of increasingly sedentary

village settlements.

26

REFERENCES CITED

DeMuth, George B.

2013 Radiocarbon Dating the Metz Site 33ER557. Unpublished report on file in the

Department of Archaeology, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Justice, Noel D.

1987 Stone Age Spear and Arrow Points of the Midcontinental and Eastern United

States. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana.

Leone, Karen L.

2010 Paleoethnobotanical Analysis of the Heckelman site (33Er14) in Erie County,

Ohio. Unpublished report on file in the Dept. of Archaeology, The Cleveland

Museum of Natural History.

2011 Paleoethnobotanical Analysis of the Heckelman Site (33Er14); Results from the

2011 Field Season. Unpublished report on file in the Dept. of Archaeology, The

Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio.

2013 Paleoethnobotanical Analysis of the Heckelman Site (33Er14): Results from the

2012 Field Season. Unpublished report on file in the Dept. of Archaeology, The

Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio.

2014 Paleoethnobotanical Analysis of The Heckelman Site (33ER14) in Erie County,

Ohio; Results from the 2013 Field Season. Gray and Paper Cultural Resource

Consultants, Project No. 14-65301.001. Unpublished report of analysis on file in

the Dept. of Archaeology, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Pacheco, Paul J., Jarrod Burks, and Dee Anne Wymer

2005 Investigating Ohio Hopewell Settlement Patterns in Central Ohio: A Preliminary

Report of Archaeology at Brown's Bottom #1 (33Ro21). Current Research in

Ohio Archaeology, 2005, http://www.ohioarchaeology.org/joomla/index.php?

Option =com_ content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=32 , accessed March 25,

2014.

Prufer, Olaf H.

1965 The McGraw Site: A Study in Hopewellian Dynamics. Scientific Publications of

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio.

Redmond, Brian G. and Brian L. Scanlan

2010 A Report of Archaeological Investigations at the Heckelman Site (33Er14): 2009

Season. Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Archaeological Research Reports

No. 158.

27



No. 159.



No. 161.



No. 162.

Stothers, David M. and Timothy J. Abel

2008 Early Woodland Prehistory (1000-1 BC) in the Western Lake Erie Drainage

Basin. In Transitions: Archaic and Early Woodland Research in the Ohio

Country, edited by Martha P. Otto and Brian G. Redmond, pp. 79-116. The Ohio

University Press, Athens, Ohio.

28

Appendix 1: Botanical Inventory of the Heckelman Site (33Er14), 2013 Field Season

(Leone 2014: Appendix A)

Provenience Feature 13-01

26-56 cm

Feature 13-02 Feature 13-17

11-31 cm

Feature 13-27

10-50 cm

Feature Type Large Basin –

Storage/Trash Pit

Large Basin –

Trash Pit

Small Basin Medium Basin

Soil Volume (liters) 11 10 11 10

Wood Total (n / g) 357 / 5.67 261 / 5.22 112 / 1.60 64 / 0.65

Hickory (Carya sp.) 3 15 20 17

Oak (Quercus sp.) 17 5 - - Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) - - - 3

Total Identified 20 20 20 20 Total Unidentified 0 0 0 0

Identifications Attempted 20 20 20 20

Nut Total (n / g) 71 / 1.31 18 / 0.16 16 / 0.19 31 / 0.50

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) 19 / 0.47 - 7 / 0.09 15 / 0.25

Butternut (Juglans cinerea) - - - 3 / 0.04 Hazelnut (Corylus sp.) - - - 2 / 0.02

Hickory (Carya sp.) 52 / 0.84 16 / 0.15 9 / 0.10 11 / 0.19 Hickory Nutmeat - 2 / 0.01 - -

Seed Total (n / g) 4 / 0.008 23 / 0.020 0 1 / 0.001

Cultigens

Chenopod (Chenopodium berlandieri) - 7 / 0.002 - -

Knotweed (Polygonum erectum) - - - - Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) 1 / 0.002 - - -

Fleshy Fruits/Berries Blackberry / Bramble (Rubus sp.) - - - -

Sumac (Rhus sp.) 1 / 0.004 15 / 0.017 - -

Environmental

Grass (Poaceae) 1 / 0.001 - - -

Nettle (Urtica dioica) 1 / 0.001 - - - Panic Grass (Panicum sp.) - - - -

Smartweed (Polygonum sp.) - 1 / 0.001 - -

Seeds Unidentified - - - 1 / 0.001

Corn kernels (Zea mays) (n / g) 4 / 0.032 0 0 0

Corn cupules (Zea mays) 4 / 0.015 0 0 0

Squash Rind (Cucurbita pepo) 0 0 0 0

Tobacco Stems (Nicotiana sp.) 0 6 / 0.21 0 0

Grass Stems (Poaceae) 0 10 / 0.09 0 0

Unidentified Plant Material 4 / 0.08 0 0 0

GRAND TOTAL (n / g) 444 / 7.12 318 / 5.70 128 / 1.79 96 / 1.15

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Provenience Feature 13-29

11-40 cm

Feature 13-37

28 cm

Feature 13-40

Feature Type Medium Basin Medium Basin Large Basin

Soil Volume (liters) 8 17 18

Wood Total (n / g) 184 / 1.68 44 / 0.48 23 / 0.12

Hickory (Carya sp.) 16 16 7

Oak (Quercus sp.) 4 4 11

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) - - -

Total Identified 20 20 18

Total Unidentified / Bark 0 0 2 Identifications Attempted 20 20 20

Nut Total (n / g) 82 / 1.21 15 / 0.11 18 / 0.18

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) 45 / 0.70 4 / 0.05 8 / 0.11

Butternut (Juglans cinerea) - - -

Hazelnut (Corylus sp.) 7 / 0.04 1 / 0.01 - Hickory (Carya sp.) 30 / 0.47 10 / 0.05 10 / 0.07

Hickory Nutmeat - - -

Seed Total (n / g) 4 / 0.002 10 / 0.004 3 / 0.003

Cultigens Chenopod (Chenopodium berlandieri) - 1 / 0.001 -

Knotweed (Polygonum erectum) 2 / 0.001 - -

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) - - -

Fleshy Fruits/Berries

Blackberry / Bramble (Rubus sp.) - 1 / 0.001 - Sumac (Rhus sp.) - - -

Environmental Grass (Poaceae) - - -

Nettle (Urtica dioica) 2 / 0.001 - 1 / 0.001

Panic Grass (Panicum sp.) - 8 / 0.002 - Smartweed (Polygonum sp.) - - -

Seeds Unidentified - - 2 / 0.002

Corn kernels (Zea mays) (n / g) 0 0 0

Corn cupules (Zea mays) 0 0 0

Squash Rind (Cucurbita pepo) 2 / 0.002 0 0

Tobacco Stems (Nicotiana sp.) 0 0 0

Grass Stems (Poaceae) 0 0 0

Unidentified Plant Material 0 0 0

GRAND TOTAL (n / g) 272 / 2.89 69 / 0.59 44 / 0.30

A Report of Archaeological Investigatins at the Heckelman Site (33ER14): 2013 Season

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