Archeological Stratigraphy
Each excavated area was given an identifying letter (fig. 3) and each stratum a number. Thus an artifact marked "B2" was found in the archeological area that contained the chimney and was recovered from the top stratum of sandy loam and clay. It should be noted that not all layers and deposits tabled below were encountered in any one excavation area, while some were confined to single locations.
1. Topsoil and brown loam to 1 foot 8 inches over cellar hole.
2. Sandy loam merging into top of sandy clay fill or silting, spreading over edges of cellar hole and sealing the chimney remains. About 1690-1700 with some top disturbance.
3. Main sandy clay fill, extending to oystershell deposit in central areas. About 1690-1700.
3A. Sandy clay fill extending to within 6 inches of floor in Area B, against wall north of chimney. The same as Strata 3-5 but without the oystershell layer that divided them elsewhere. About 1690-1700.
3B. Sandy clay as above, but from areas where Stratum 4 was absent. About 1690-1700.
4. Oystershell deposit in Areas A, C and E, sealed by sandy clay Stratum 3. About 1690-1700.
5. Sandy clay under oystershell layer, reaching to cellar floor. About 1690-1700.
6. Ash and sand layer on remains of cellar floor; principal artifacts concentrated against south face of cellar hole in Areas D and E. About 1690-1700.
6A. Similar layer to Stratum 6, confined to Area B north of the chimney and underhearth foundation. About 1690-1700. (The same number is given to a chisel found behind a horizontal wall board at this level, but which may have been deposited when the cellar was built rather than at its date of abandonment. Fig. 14, no. 6.)
7. Objects lying in slots left by rotted-floor sleepers. About 1690-1700.
8. Late disturbance at southwest corner of excavation, Area E. 19th century.
9. 3-inch layer of light-grey soil beneath Stratum 2 extending down to top of oystershell layer (4) from southwest; confined to Areas E and F. About 1690-1700, possibly disturbed at upper west edge.
10. Unstratified material from all areas of the cellar-hole excavation, derived from frost disturbances and the results of removing the walnut tree.
11. Finds from oystershell and artifact layer beneath topsoil southeast of the existing house. About 1690-1700 with a few much later intrusions. (Area K, fig. 2.)
12. Surface finds recovered from field west of existing house.