After a productive winter in the lab, the archaeology team is back in the field. This is the 58th season of archaeology at Michilimackinac. It is our ninth season at House E of the southeast rowhouse. This was a fur traders’ house, housing first the French-Canadian Gonneville family, then later an English trader.
We had several areas of dirt slump during the winter. In the course of cleaning them up, we found several interesting artifacts. The first was a fragment of a British white slat-glazed stoneware teacup. This is typical of the wide variety of ceramic types we have found in this house. We also found a “Jesuit” ring, a brass ring with a flat bezel engraved with an abstract design. This type of ring was a common trade good.
This summer we will be excavating deeper in areas that we have already opened, rather than starting new squares. One of these areas is a possible root cellar. We have found window shutter hinges and barrel bands in this area in past seasons. Already this season this same area has yielded a brass keyhole escutcheon from a large piece of furniture, such as a trunk. This is the piece of metal that surrounds the keyhole slot. It was originally shield-shaped, three inches tall and 1.75 inches wide.
We will be excavating every day, weather permitting, through August 20. Please come visit us if you are in the Straits of Mackinac area!
