Introduction: People have occupied and modified Lot 16 – a small parcel of land that once fronted Pearl Street – for a long time. However, only two buildings are on record as having been built on the Lot in the past 400 years. The earliest Colonial building was constructed sometime between 1660-1672 and the latest historic building in 1870. In addition, walls, outbuildings, and other structures were installed over the life of the Lot. Each building episode leaves below-ground traces for archaeologists to find. The history of a site can then be pieced together by "reading" the layers beneath the earth's surface (also known as stratigraphy) and analyzing its artifacts. One of the main tasks for the archaeologists on the Stadt Huys project was to determine what, if any, historical remains still existed beneath the modern ground surface.
Rationale: Project archaeologists excavated Test Cut AF to see if the remains of earlier structures or floors were present in the middle of Lot 16 and north of a stone wall diagonally bisecting the lot.
Results: This level contains mixed late-19th- and early-20th-century artifacts and demolition debris from the undated destruction of a three-story, brick structure built on the lot in 1870. This demolition layer was found across Lot 16 and was considerably thick in some locations, extending to between 44- and 46-inches below the excavation surface.
Lot 16, Test Cut AF, Stratum I, Level A
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Collection method
Trowel, Screen (1/4-inch mesh). Natural Level.
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Soil description
Black Sandy Silt
