Field Work 2018: Difference between revisions
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=Plan= | =Plan= | ||
The plan of field work was to utilize several different methods of examination including the use of LiDAR maps, pedestrian survey, shovel test pits, and metal detecting <ref>Carter 2019, 31</ref>. | |||
=Fieldwork= | =Fieldwork= | ||
On the second day (9/23/2018), we headed for collier huts 6, 13 and 14 and associated charcoal hearths (1292). Dr. Carter had discovered collier’s hut #6 when confirming charcoal hearths in the area on 6/29/2018. However, on 9/19/2018, Kenney and Carter spent 1⁄2 day on the mountain. The goal was to set up the high resolution GPS. While we were doing this, however, we discovered that not only was there a collier’s hut (#6), but that there were a total of three (the other two are #13 and #14). To have three collier’s huts so close to each other is unusual. They are also unusual because all other collier’s huts have been located on the flat top of the mountain, not on the slope, like 6, 13 and 14 <ref>Carter 2019, 37</ref>. | On the second day (9/23/2018), we headed for collier huts 6, 13 and 14 and associated charcoal hearths (1292). Dr. Carter had discovered collier’s hut #6 when confirming charcoal hearths in the area on 6/29/2018. However, on 9/19/2018, Kenney and Carter spent 1⁄2 day on the mountain. The goal was to set up the high resolution GPS. While we were doing this, however, we discovered that not only was there a collier’s hut (#6), but that there were a total of three (the other two are #13 and #14). To have three collier’s huts so close to each other is unusual. They are also unusual because all other collier’s huts have been located on the flat top of the mountain, not on the slope, like 6, 13 and 14 <ref>Carter 2019, 37</ref>. | ||
Revision as of 20:26, 22 September 2020
Purpose of the work
In the fall of 2018, the Muhlenberg Field Archaeology class studied the Blue Mountain land that was used for charcoal and iron production. The class conducted some surveys and a small excavation of a colliers hut, utilizing several different methods including examination of LiDAR maps, pedestrian survey, shovel test pits, and metal detecting.
Possible charcoal pits were identified using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) (Carter and Backenstoss 2017, Carter 2019a, 2019b). On LiDAR data, the charcoal pits appear as flattened ovals on sloped terrain due to the clearing and leveling of the site in order to make charcoal.
The purpose of this research was to introduce students to survey methods and orient them to the landscape. The second was to investigate the three collier’s huts on the side of the mountain through excavation. Through the field work, four new collier’s huts were identified in the field and three more potential ones were noted. The confirmed identification of four more collier’s huts however, increases the total confirmed huts to eleven.
Plan
The plan of field work was to utilize several different methods of examination including the use of LiDAR maps, pedestrian survey, shovel test pits, and metal detecting [1].
Fieldwork
On the second day (9/23/2018), we headed for collier huts 6, 13 and 14 and associated charcoal hearths (1292). Dr. Carter had discovered collier’s hut #6 when confirming charcoal hearths in the area on 6/29/2018. However, on 9/19/2018, Kenney and Carter spent 1⁄2 day on the mountain. The goal was to set up the high resolution GPS. While we were doing this, however, we discovered that not only was there a collier’s hut (#6), but that there were a total of three (the other two are #13 and #14). To have three collier’s huts so close to each other is unusual. They are also unusual because all other collier’s huts have been located on the flat top of the mountain, not on the slope, like 6, 13 and 14 [2].