Page 150 - Maryland Historical Trust - Archaeology Colonial MD

figure 7
Secowocomoco shell middens and brick concentrations from surface survey.
figure 8
South midden, Secowocomoco.
of identifiable ceramic wares date to the Late Woodland period — the most intense period of occupation at the site. The most prevalent of all wares were shell-tempered Townsend type wares. Minority wares dating to the Late Woodland include Yeocomico, Potomac Creek, and Moya- one. Early and Middle Woodland ceramics were recovered in equal (but lesser) proportions.
One of the more interesting finds from the site came in the form of a piece of copper scrap that was located during the initial surface survey. This scrap was found within the 22-acre South Midden, not far removed from the banks of the Wicomico River. To determine the origin of this copper scrap, it was subjected to an X-Ray
Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry test. XRF test- ing is a non-destructive technique used to analyze the chemical composition of objects by emitting focused X-rays or gamma rays at the surface of the object. The focused energy causes photons to be emitted from the object, and the wavelength of this reflected energy can be quantified and measured according to each element. This par- ticular copper scrap was tested against copper samples from nearby native sites such as Zeki- ah Fort (18CH808) and Choptico Indian Town (18ST153) as well as later 19th-century examples.
Results from the XRF testing of these ob- jects were also compared to copper samples from the Jamestown and Werowocomoco sites in Vir- ginia that had been previously tested by archae- ologists at the College of William and Mary. The best method of comparison between all samples was by examining the ratio of copper to zinc, lead, iron, nickel, and tin to determine the alloy. The samples from Jamestown and Werowocomo- co contained copper that was either almost pure copper, or copper alloyed with about 23% zinc.24 Likewise, the copper from the Secowocomoco site was of nearly pure copper with negligible amounts of zinc. The samples from Zekiah Fort contained small amounts of zinc (notably less than the samples from Jamestown and Werowo- comoco) as well as noticeably higher amounts of the other metals. The 19th-century samples contained between 20 and 29% zinc. It is highly probable that the copper sample retrieved from the Secowocomoco site is either native copper or early traded copper like the samples from Wero- wocomoco and Jamestown.
Another interesting small find from the site is a cannel coal bead (see figure 10). Cannel coal is a non-local stone material that would have been traded over a long distance.The closest sources for cannel coal come from the mountainous regions of western Maryland, West Virginia, and Penn- sylvania.25 This item would have been traded in its final form rather than as a raw material. No debitage of cannel coal was recovered anywhere on the site. As a trade item, the bead would have been of considerable value and was likely pro- cured by someone of high status (much the same as copper).
Lastly, other notable finds include fragments of ochre and Colonoware ceramics. Ochre or hematite is considered important given its as- sociation with ritual and ceremonial practices and objects such as gorgets and copper beads.26
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PHOTOGRAPH BY BRYAN RYE.