Mid-Season Archaeology Update

One-ounce brass weight

Folded barrel band in front of remnant of a cellar wall post

 The first half of the 2022 Michilimackinac archaeological field season has been very productive. The southeast cellar continues to yield interesting artifacts, including a one-ounce brass weight from a balance-type scale. It is stamped with “GR” under a crown for King George. Two possible posts from the east wall of the cellar have been exposed. A folded iron barrel band was found adjacent to one of the posts.

 Several interesting artifacts have come from the central cellar as well. These have included part of a porcelain teacup, a lead seal, a plain brass button, and a brass band with iron rivets, possibly from a storage container.

 The squares on the newly-opened north row are all in or very near the 1781 demolition rubble layer. As in other areas of this house, a variety of ceramic sherds and ornate personal adornment items have been recovered. The adornment items include a green paste sleeve button and a shoe buckle fragment. The finial from the buttplate of a French trade gun was a more unusual find. A few artifacts possibly related to Anishnaabek presence have been found as well. These include several pieces of a stone smoking pipe bowl and a fragment of carved antler.

This sleeve button would have functioned much like a cufflink today.

This buckle fragment is probably from a shoe. The long side is 1.75” long.

Finial from the buttplate of a French trade gun