Test Excavations at 31Fy877,
Forsyth County, North Carolina

Table of Contents

1. Abstract
2. Acknowledgements
3. Management Summary
4. Background
   1. Site Location
   2. Geology
   3. History
5. Excavations
   1. Research Methods
   2. Stratigraphy
   3. Features
6. Artifacts
   1. Lithics
   2. Tools
7. Summary and Conclusion
8. References Cited

Abstract


     Excavations at site 31Fy877 in the winter of 1995 were
conducted by the Archeology Laboratories of Wake Forest University.
Six 2m squares were excavated by hand in order to assess the site.
The work indicated that 31Fy877 belongs to the Middle Archaic and
likely possesses additional undefined Archaic components. The site
has been severely deflated by plowing; no intact artifact
concentrations or other cultural deposits were encountered and all
artifacts, with the exception of those in an apparently naturally
disturbed context, were confined to the plowzone. These exceptions
were located in two of three subsurface stains found at the site,
which appear to be non-cultural and may be the result of tree
removal. Site 31Fy877 does not appear eligible for inclusion on the
National Register of Historic Places.

Acknowledgements


     For their excellent work I would like to thank the field crew,
Bill Terrell, Steve Trage, Roger Kirchen, and Brian Brownholtz,
whose efforts made this report possible. Bill Duncan and Shellie
Ellis provided valuable assistance in the laboratory at Wake
Forest. Daniel Miles, of the City of Winston-Salem Public Works
Department gave assistance whenever needed. The project's Principal
Investigator, Ned Woodall, guided and supported the project
throughout. My appreciation goes out to all of the above.

                                 Bruce Idol
                                 Wake Forest University
                                 Archeology Laboratories
                                 April 1995

Management Summary


     Site 31Fy877 was investigated by the Wake Forest Archeology
Laboratories during February and March, 1995. Six 2-meter square
test units were excavated by hand. Floors and walls were troweled
and examined for cultural features.
     No artifacts, with the exception of those found in naturally
disturbed contexts were present below the plowzone level. The site
has been deflated, plowed, and its integrity lost. Because no
artifact-bearing strata or cultural features were found beneath the
plowzone level, the site is not likely to yield any important
information about prehistoric behavior, and does not appear
eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic
Places. No further work is recommended.

Background


    Site 31Fy877 was recorded in 1994 in the course of an
archeological survey of a proposed construction and demolition
landfill site in Forsyth County, North Carolina by Garrow &
Associates, Inc. (Webb 1994). The site at the time was evaluated on
the basis of surface artifacts and two shovel tests. The survey
found two projectile points assignable to the Early Archaic and
local collectors reported finding Early, Middle, and Late Archaic
artifacts at the site (Webb 1994: 28). The survey concluded that
because 31Fy877 did not appear to have suffered severe erosion and
exhibited a moderate artifact density (Webb 1994: 28), the site was
potentially eligible for the National Register, and further testing
was required to assess this potential (Webb 1994: 68-69).

     Site location


     Site 31Fy877 is located in Forsyth County, North Carolina,
approximately 750m north of the Davidson County line, and
approximately 300m south of Muddy Creek's south fork. The location
of the site falls within the designated northwest buffer zone for
the proposed construction and demolition landfill. Site 31Fy877 is
located on an upland ridgetop, with surface artifacts concentrated
at the highest part of the ridge but also encountered on much of
the slope portion to the south and southwest. The site is situated
within a fallow cornfield, surrounded by second or third growth
hardwoods and pines (Webb 1994: 27; Figure 1, this report).

     Geology


     The geological setting of Site 31Fy877 is discussed fully in
the original survey report (Webb 1994), and is summarized here.
Site 31Fy877 lies within the northern edge of the Charlotte Belt,
underlain by metacystic to equigranular granitic rocks. The soil at
31Fy877 is Appling sandy loam, occurring on 2 - 6 percent  and 6-
10 percent slopes. Appling is derived from granitic bedrock and is
strongly acidic (Zimmerman 1976: 6-7). Liming for agricultural 
purposes was indicated on the field's surface. The ground is
slightly higher on the north side of the site inside the treeline,
and may indicate the level of the field before the use of modern
farm machinery.

     History


     The local history of the site's vicinity is reviewed in the
original survey report (Webb 1994).
 
Excavations
     Research Methods
     Prior to excavation a datum was set inside the treeline
bordering the cornfield (Figure 2). The datum is a metal rod with
the arbitrary horizontal coordinates N-140, E-100. All excavation
units are keyed to this datum and bear a N and E coordinate,
indicating the southeast corner of the square. Five excavation
units were placed on the ridgetop and one was placed on the
southern slope. Altogether six squares were excavated, each 2m by
2m.
     Because of soil conditions, and because of a surface
collection representing the site, fill from only two excavation
units (five and six) were passed in their entirety through quarter-
inch wire mesh. Excavation unit one was almost entirely screened,
excavation unit four was almost entirely unscreened, and excavation
unit three, because of extremely wet clayey conditions, was
entirely unscreened. Fill from excavation unit two was 1/2
screened. The plowzone at 31Fy877 was 20 - 30cm thick; after
subsoil was reached the entire square's floor and walls were
troweled and examined for cultural features below the plowzone. In
one instance feature fill was troweled and retained for flotation. 
     Photographs were taken of each level of each square, and
profiles were drawn to scale and two sides were photographed.
Written records were maintained of each square's excavation, along
with standardized data forms for each level and/or feature
excavated.
     All artifacts were returned to the Archeology Laboratories at
Wake Forest University for washing, sorting, and study. Debitage
was divided into < 1/2-inch and > 1/2-inch categories, separated by
raw material, counted, and weighed. Tools were treated separately
but weighed and included with raw material weight counts. All
artifacts, along with attendant documentation, are permanently
curated at the Wake Forest University Archeology Laboratories.

     Stratigraphy
     The stratigraphy at 31Fy877 consists of two horizons revealed
in excavation unit profiles, distinguished by color, texture, and
structure. The plowzone at 31Fy877 is a 19 - 30.5cm thick brown
sandy loam (10 YR 4/6) containing artifacts, and was 6.5 - 11.5cm
thicker on the highest portion of the ridge than on areas with
greater slope. Sandy clay subsoil lies immediately beneath the
plowzone and is either yellowish-orange (7.5 YR 6/8) or orangish-
yellow (5 YR 5/8). This layer was culturally sterile. Both horizons
are of firm, sticky consistency and retain moisture easily. All
excavation units revealed the presence of plow strikes at the
plowzone/subsoil interface, and clumps of subsoil were encountered
throughout the plowzone level (Figure 3).

     Features
     No cultural features were found at Site 31Fy877; however,
three excavation units contained subplowzone intrusions which are
interpreted as natural disturbances from either trees or animal-
burrowing, and are fully described here.
     EU-4 (N105 E72) contained in its southeast corner a large (85
x 65cm), irregular yellowish stain at the bottom of the plowzone.
Charcoal flecks were present in the stain (Figure 4).
     This area was treated as a feature and fill removed by trowel
and subsequently screened. The soil within the stain was coarse
grained light tan sandy clay (10 YR 6/6) but was mottled and
interspersed with compact red clay (10 R 4/8). The boundaries of
this stain were difficult to define. The symmetry of the excavated
portion shown in Figure 4 is largely a creation of the excavation,
which removed the central portion of the stain; its actual edges
were vague. The various mottled lenses of soil it contained never
crossed the entire breadth of the stain and are clearly not related
to hearth use. A clean pit-like shape was observed in the southeast
corner profile, which gave way at 75cm below surface to red clay
mottled with the light tan sandy clay. In addition, a Morrow
Mountain II projectile point was recovered 5cm below the bottom of
the plowzone. This stain may possibly represent an episode where a
tree was burned and subsequently removed in the clearing of the
field for agricultural use, or a tree was uprooted, exposing the
subsoil and accounting for the distinctive red coloration.
     EU-5 (N105 E90) contained a stain similar in color to the one
in EU-4 but with more charcoal, including a number of small chunks.
This stain was smaller than that of EU-4 (45cm x 25cm), and better
defined. There was no bright red clay mottling. Excavated to
subsoil at 74cm below surface, this stain was irregular on its
sides and bottom, and undercut the undisturbed subsoil on all
sides; it likely was created by roots or animal burrowing at the
bottom of the plowzone. The stained area was nearly circular, 30 x
31cm. A 10 liter sample of fill was obtained for flotation, which
in addition to wood charcoal contained a small number of rhyolite
and quartz flakes and two hickory nut fragments. 
     Finally, a similar stain was encountered in EU-6 (N118 E102).
The stain had been partially disturbed by the plow, and when
troweled proved to be only 3cm deep. This stain was vaguely
elliptical but irregular (80 x 40cm), and contained flecks of
charcoal.

Artifacts
     Lithics
     A total of 501 pieces of debitage were recovered from the six
excavated units and from the site's surface. Of these, 475 were
flakes. Table 1 lists the flakes by number, raw material, and
weight. Rhyolite flakes (331) comprised the majority (70 percent)
of the lithic flake assemblage, and quartz flakes (144) made up 30
percent. A single flake of gray chert was found.
     Rhyolite at the site shows variation in color and grain size,
but was generally heavily weathered, fine-grained gray, or coarse
grained gray, flow-banded, or vitric tuff. Only 18 rhyolite
secondary flakes were found; 95 percent of rhyolite flakes were
tertiary, indicating that activities relating to tool manufacture
and refurbishment from small imported cobbles or prepared blanks
were emphasized. Quartz is represented by more large flakes,
probably the result of the expedient use of abundant local sources.
The chert flake resembles material found along the Duck river,
Tennessee.
     River cobbles (Table 2), including cracked cobbles, were
sparsely distributed over the site surface. No discrete
concentrations were observed.

     Tools
     A total of nine stone tools was found at site 31Fy877, with only
three recovered from excavation units. These three were all Archaic
projectile points, either broken or fragmented. Typedesignations are 
after Coe (1964).
    EU 4 produced a single Morrow Mountain II projectile point from
the top 5cm of the subplowzone stain. Manufactured from coarse
light gray rhyolite, the point is missing its distal tip. Dimensions
are: length - 27mm(broken), width (at shoulders) - 21mm, thickness - 
5mm.
     EU 5 produced two projectile point fragments, one stemmed 
(Small Savannah River Stemmed?), broken at the midsection and missing 
part of the stem. Dimensions are: width - 24mm, thickness - 7mm. The 
other point is represented by a fragment of an apparent lanceolate 
type, possibly Guilford, also rhyolite. Dimensions are: width - 21mm, 
thickness - 8.5mm.
     Stone tools found on the site's surface include: a complete
ovate biface (L- 51mm, W- 24mm, Th- 10mm, a bifacial scraper made
on a large irregular flake, a small lanceolate midsection fragment,
possibly Guilford, a crude biface fragment made on a large
irregular flake and possibly representing an exhausted core blank,
a small biface fragment with rounded distal end and cortex present,
and an ovate biface fragment, broken at the midsection with the
striking platform intact. All surface tools were manufactured from
rhyolite. Morrow Mountain II and Guilford points are assigned to
the period 4500 B.C. - 3500 B.C. Small Savannah River Stemmed are
assigned to the terminal Archaic in North Carolina (Oliver 1981).

Summary and Conclusion
     Site 31Fy877 is an upland ridgetop Archaic activity location,
and likely represents several episodes of past activity. Only one
conclusively diagnostic projectile point was found, Morrow Mountain
II, which is generally assigned to the period 4500 B.C. - 3500
B.C., within the Middle Archaic. Two other projectile point
fragments suggest Middle Archaic and Terminal Archaic occupations.
As reported by Webb (1994), artifacts representing the North
Carolina Archaic sequence virtually in its entirety have been
collected from the site in past years.
     Our excavations showed that the site is confined to the
plowzone, and probably has been substantially deflated due to
agricultural use. The plowzone layer on the ridgetop itself is
thickest and contains the highest artifact densities. Artifacts
were not abundant at 31Fy877; the two ridgetop excavation units
which were completely screened produced 195 and 72 pieces of
debitage, mostly small flakes, and in no discrete concentrations.
Cracked cobbles were relatively scarce on the site surface, and
were not concentrated in any particular locale.
     Three subplowzone stains were identified and excavated.
Although their existence presents interpretive difficulties, none
of them shows clear signs of purposeful human intrusion. None of
the excavated stains contained cobbles, showed signs of filling
episodes, or contained ash, hardened earth, or charcoal lenses. 
     Since 31Fy877 contains no intact artifact concentrations or
cultural features and has been deflated, it is not likely that it
will yield any important information about prehistoric behavior in
the area. In consideration, it does not appear eligible for
placement on the National Register of Historic Places. No further
work is recommended.

References Cited

Coe, Joffre L. 
   1964  Formative Cultures of the Carolina Piedmont. Transactions
         of the American Philosophical Society 54, part 5.


Oliver, Billy L.
   1981 The Piedmont Tradition: Refinement of the Savannah River  
        Stemmed Point Type. Unpublished MA Thesis, University of
        North Carolina - Chapel Hill.


Webb, Paul A.
   1994  Phase I Cultural Resources Survey of a Proposed          
         Construction and Demolition Landfill Site, Forsyth
         County, North Carolina. MS. on file, Office of State     
         Archaeology, Raleigh.


Zimmerman, James L.
   1976  Soil Survey of Forsyth County, North Carolina. United 
         States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation
         Service, Washington, D.C.  

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