The Lawhorn Site

by John Moselage

41R21, March 22, 1960

Charles Scheel and myself began work this A.M. Plowzone removed and potsherds etc., F. S. 400, were not too numerous in the plowzone. Also in the plowzone were fragments of glass, bottles, chinaware and crockery. At one time there was a house located some one hundred feet from this square, and this possibly accounts for this disturbance. Also in the plowzone at the south center of the square were found fragments of a skull and fragments of a pottery vessel (this bone fragment listed as Burial 40 and pottery fragments as F. S. 401, DD 4.4). The first horizontal profile at DD 4.5 produced a general overall color, medium dark brown.

At this point being mostly out of the present plowzone level there was not the clear cut undisturbed Indian deposit. There was a considerable amount of charcoal bits and a few pieces of burned clay showing in the horizontal profile.

DD 4.5 to 5.0, potsherds, stone and bone, F. S. 402, for this level. Burial 40 was evident in this level and was determined to be head to north from other bone fragments found. Recent disturbance was again noted in this level, the presence of a shotgun shell base, pieces of glass, chinaware and nails. The nails were in excellent condition.

An unidentified soft red sandstone object shaped somewhat like a boatstone, F. S. 403, DD 4.9, was found. An area to six feet north of the SE stake running to one foot east of the SW stake appeared to be undisturbed.

DD 5.0 to 5.5, NE corner at check for DD 5.5 appeared to be undisturbed soil and nearing the color of the subsoil. Part of this level on west side toward the south end of the square appeared to be recently disturbed but not as deep as DD 5.5. Several charred poles appeared as noted on horizontal profile at DD 5.5.

DD 5.5 to 6.0. The soil began to change to the color of the subsoil at DD 6.0 in the NW corner. Further work revealed a fired clay floor, and outline of same worked out as shown on horizontal profile (took photographs).

The fired clay floor did not cover the entire outline of the house pattern and where the fired floor was missing, there was evidence of its having been there, this evidence was on the west part of the house. Explanation of this evidence is due to the soil color—where a piece of the fired floor was removed there was a pink or red color indicating intense heat. The same color was found outside the area of the fired floor as was noted under the piece of floor lifted. There was a definite outline of the west edge of the fired floor and at the same level the soil changed to subsoil west of the line indicating the floor area. There were no postmolds to be seen. The soil color, as before mentioned, is an orange to yellow or very light tan color and since this was built atop the subsoil the postmolds should have been visible.

Evidently the debris had been removed if the house had burned, but there was a small amount of charred poles sizes from .1 to .2 foot in diameter at the northwest end of the pattern. The pattern at the west and north sides was in a square arrangement. There was a depression in the fired floor and associated with it was a pottery vessel, F. S. 406, and it was complete except for the top part. Also in the depression was charcoal but no ashes. The color of the depression indicated it was or had been used as a fireplace, Feature 22. The west and northwest end of the square indicated the house was square or rectangular in shape.