Anthropology

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Author: search.filters.author.Shackel, Paul A.Subject: search.filters.subject.Maryland

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    The Potomac Gorge Below the Falls: Historic Resources Study of the Fort Marcy, Chain Bridge, Little Falls, Pimmit Run Area
    (2015-12) Palus, Matthew; Shackel, Paul A.
    The Center for Heritage Resource Studies (CHRS) at the University of Maryland College Park has completed this historic resources study of the lower portion of the Potomac Gorge on behalf of the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) under Task Agreement No. P11AT31053 of the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), focusing on the area between Little Falls and the environs of Pimmit Run, Chain Bridge, and Fort Marcy associated with the Civil War defenses of Washington, DC The study encompasses resources on both sides of the Potomac, from ancient Native American contexts through to the completion of the parkway lanes on the eastern side of the Potomac, designated as Clara Barton Parkway during the 1980s. The resulting synthesis provides a historical database for interpretation of resources along the Potomac River below Little Falls. This study was conceived as a synthesis of available scholarship, and the focus is the area defined by the segment of the Potomac River and adjacent lands that fall between Little Falls and Chain Bridge. Pimmit Run enters the Potomac River just south of Chain Bridge, and Fort Marcy, a remarkable network of earthen fortifications associated with the Civil War Defenses of Washington, lies atop a bluff above Pimmit Run and the Virginia abutment of Chain Bridge. This set of landmarks – a crossroads of sorts – lies at the core of the study area. The partners in this study embrace a wider regional approach, arguing for the relevance of histories associated with the broader landscape of the Potomac to our account of historic resources within this tight little locality. Hence, the sites and features addressed in this historic resources study extend over several miles along both shores of the Potomac, from Sycamore Island and the stream valley associated with Walhonding Brook to the north, to the former location of the Little Italy community in the stream valley for Donaldson Run in Arlington County to the south. The cultural resources present within the study area hold historical significance and retain integrity sufficient to justify nomination to the National Register of Historic Places as a district of associated resources, unified by the cultural landscape of the Potomac Gorge, and the Potomac River crossing at Chain Bridge. This study describes these resources and their historical associations in detail, and provides a series of recommendations towards production of a National Register nomination, as well as further opportunities for public interpretation, and research.
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    Thomas Stone National Historic Site: Archeology Overview and Assessment
    (2007) Moyer, Teresa S.; Shackel, Paul A.; Gwaltney, Tom
    The National Perk Service uses Archeological Overview and Assessment (AOA) reports as management tools for existing and potential archaeological resources at the sites in its care. This report addresses Thomas Stones National Historic Site, located near Port Tobacco in Charles County, Maryland and part of the NPS Northeast Region. The report provides an overview of topics relevant to the future concerns of managing the archeological resources at the park. The archaeological sites and collections at Thomas Stone NHS offer an important opportunity to explore unknown elements of the site's history and integrate previous and future findings into interpretive panels in the main house. Archaeological artifacts representative of the history of the house are on display. Great potential exists to make Thomas Stone NHS a model for the uses of American Indian and post-contact archaeology, particularly because the park staff is enthusiastic about it.
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    Archaeological Testing at Bostwick (18PR951), New Driveway Project, Bladensburg, MD
    (2010-08) Shackel, Paul A.; Roller, Michael; Gadsby, David A.
    In August of 2008, archaeologists and students at the Center for Heritage Resource Studies (CHRS) at the University of Maryland conducted a program of archaeological field survey at the historic Bostwick House. This survey resulted in the identification of six major activity areas of archaeological significance on the property. At this time it was decided that those six activity areas should receive special attention in any planning activities on the property. Historic Bostwick is located at the base of Lowndes Hill in Bladensburg, Maryland. Christopher Lowndes constructed the house around 1745. Lowndes was an early land developer as well as a merchant, shipbuilder, and slave trader, and he made Bladensburg the headquarters of his operation. The house continued to be occupied through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The property underwent significant changes in the early twentieth century, and nearby urban development has impacted the landscape as well. Currently the property is managed by a partnership between the Town of Bladensburg and the University of Maryland‟s Historic Preservation Program. These partners plan to rehabilitate the standing house structure and to turn the house into a destination for education and other activities. In the spring of 2009, the Town of Bladensburg developed plans to re-route the existing driveway at the Bostwick House, and replace it with a permeable surface accessible to emergency vehicles. Although the proposed Area of Potential Effect (APE) did not directly intersect with one of the six areas identified in the previous survey, it was determined that the potential existed for intact cultural resources to exist in the APE due to its proximity to one of the areas identified. In June of 2009, archaeologists and students from CHRS excavated four STP‟s and two test units within the new driveway‟s APE. Additionally, previously surveyed units were reexamined. The excavations did not reveal the presence of cultural features that might shed light on the nature of the activities conducted in the adjacent area. Excavations resulted in the recovery of artifacts related to all of the eras of Bostwick‟s occupation and confirmed the richness of the archaeological record present on the grounds. In May of 2010, CHRS archaeologists monitored the grading of the APE as part of the process of ensuring the archaeological heritage of Bostwick, Bladensburg and the State of Maryland would not be compromised in the building of this necessary modern alteration of the house‟s landscape. The preservation plan allowed archaeologists from the University of Maryland to mitigate aspects of the construction plan that may have affected sensitive areas identified during the initial survey.
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    2009 Phase II Archaeological Investigations in the Riversdale (18PR390) Garden, Prince George’s County, MD
    (2009) Gadsby, David A.; Shackel, Paul A.
    In the fall of 2009, archaeologists and students from the University of Maryland’s Center for Heritage Resource Studies, in conjunction with the Archaeology Program, Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, conducted phase II archaeological testing of a portion of the garden at the Federal-period Riversdale Mansion (18PR390). The goal of the excavation was to evaluate the impact of ongoing erosion on archaeological resources in the project area. Excavators dug a total of 4 units measuring five-foot square and another half-unit measuring 2.5-feet by five-feet. They recovered 4280 objects ranging in date from the early 19th century through the twentieth century. They also unearthed the remains of a large garden wall erected around 1805 as well as the foundation of a brick structure built before 1830. This report details the project activities, and recommends that M-NCCP continue to monitor the effects of erosion on these resources. It also suggests future research questions, should additional excavations prove necessary.
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    Ethnographic Overview And Assessment Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
    (2017) Bailey, Megan; Shackel, Paul A.; Chambers, Erve
    The purpose of this ethnographic overview and assessment is to identify the traditional ecological, cultural, and historic activities and associations with Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. This study reviews and summarizes existing ethnographic information on park resources traditionally valued by stakeholders, then evaluates these data and identifies areas where additional research is needed. In the course of this project we identify the groups and communities whose collective history and activities are attached to the landscape in and around the park. The study aims to provide data that can inform park planning, management, and interpretation, and help the park relate its mission and resources to the various groups that have a stake in the park. In addition, the ethnographic overview and assessment serves as a starting point for park staff and scholars, as it identifies gaps in ethnographic and historical data and recommends areas for further research. Though the communities, traditions, and associations described in this study may change over time, this report provides a baseline for understanding the diverse peoples and activities that are currently associated with Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Research for this study took place between October 2014 and September 2016. Over the course of our investigation, we consulted a variety of sources including archival written records, oral histories, and published materials. We also conducted nine semi-structured interviews with local residents and held informal conversations with those who had relevant and/or expert knowledge of the Harpers Ferry area, including its history, its residents, its landscape, and traditional activities that take place there. Based on this research, we were able to develop an overview of the historical processes that shaped the landscape and communities in and around the park. This history includes the Native American occupation of the land, contact with European settlers (16th and 17th centuries), the period of intensive settlement and agriculture (18th century), the industrial period (19th century), the post-industrial pre-park period (20th century), and the present era. It is clear from this historical review that Harpers Ferry’s economic, political, and social development was shaped by its agricultural, industrial, and tourism activities, as well as major events such as the introduction of the railroad, the devastation of the Civil War, and the establishment of the National Historical Park. We document the ways in which local communities interact(ed) with the Harpers Ferry landscape both before and after the establishment of the park and identify resources within the park that are significant to the lifeways and traditions of these communities. Three groups are identified as having clear associations with the park and its resources; they include: (1) The African American population of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar; (2) The Italian quarry workers employed by the Standard Lime and Stone Company; and (3) Representatives of the tourism industry. We also identify ten groups or activities that have demonstrable ties to the park, but are less prevalent than the previous three groups. While we present specific examples of sites and resources of significance, such as schools, churches, neighborhoods, rivers, and farmland, there are likely many others that did not come to our attention during this investigation or that required more in-depth research that we did not have adequate time to pursue. Accordingly, we make several recommendations for topics of further study.