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Bridgewater State University Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Journals and Campus Publications Society 1-1945 Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Vol. 6, No. 2 Massachusetts Archaeological Society Follow this and additional works at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/bmas Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Copyright © 1945 Massachusetts Archaeological Society This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. BULLETIN OF THE VOL. VI NO.2 JAN. 1945 CONTENTS Black Lucy's Garden. Adelaide and Ripley P. Bullen • • 17 The Dolmen on Martha's Vineyard. Frederick Johnson .•.••• • 29 PUBLISHED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL. SOCIETY BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS Douglas S. By_raJ Editor, Box'll, Andover, Massachusetts rHE (l~M·NT C. MAXw.m lI11RAR'I " STATE C ·.L'=G~ \ IRIJ)GEWA~ MASSACHU.fTTS ~.. This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ©2010 Massachusetts Archaeological Society. BLACK LUCY'S GARDEN Adelaide K. and Ripley P. Bullen While excavating the Stickney Site, M12/?? , on the west side of Woburn Street in the Ballardvale section of Andover, Mass­ achusetts, wha~ was presumed to be Colonial pottery was found in association with Indian material. (1) A cellar hole was found just to the south, at the foot of the knoll con­ taining the Indian site, Fig.l. As it was hoped that this might offer an opportunity to date the pottery, the cellar hole was ex­ t- cavated. Ir proved to have been occupied 1&1 from about 1815 to 1845 and to be extremely 1&1 rich in material. As a closed site, it III:: documents material of that period as well t­ as supplying information regarding life in el) Andover of one hundred years ago. As a re­ sult of the historic research, certain features of the Indian site can be better interpreted. The house unit consisted of the cellar hole, a large dump to the southwest of the A-SAND PIT cellar, a well, and a possible vegetable cellar. The relationship between these is B -INDIAN SITE shown on the plan, Fig.2. ·To the south C - LUCY'S ACRE were the remains of a woodchoppers' shack, S in Fig.2, built when the land was lumber­ D-FOSTER HOMESTEAD ed just prior to 1900. E -BALLARD TAVERN Before excavation, the cellar hole con­ sisted of a basin-shaped depresffion, about three feet deep in the oenter, bounded by a few stones marking the tops of the oellar 0s... ~~60~O~~~1~200F~ walls . It was obvious that the side of the '. i hill had been dug into and the dirt so se­ cured, as well .as that from the cellar hole, Fig.l. Sketch map of land along had been spread out around the cellar to Woburn Street in Andover. make a small terrace surrounding the house, as shown by the contours on the plan, Fig.2. Trenches, dug in an endeavor to locate house supports outside the cellar walls, confirmed this . The old sod line, covered by yellow dirt from the cellar hole, .was For descriptive purposes the fill of readily identifiable. Further excavation the cellar may be divided into three layers; indicated that in constructing the cellar a the lowest consisting of waterlaid sand, a hole had been dug down into gray clay and complex intermediate layer representing the dry walls erected. The gray clay formed a collapse of the house, and the highest, com­ hard smooth floor. The inside dimensions posed of relatively recently deposited sand of the cellar were from 10 feet 2 inches to and humus. 11 feet 6 inches while the thiokness of the walls varied from 18 to 25 inches. The On top of the clay floor was a layer clay floor was from 50 to 60 inches below of mortar and brick fragments t to 2 inches the tops of the existing walls. In the fill thick. Sealing this was a depo.si t of were found many rocks indicating that the waterlaid sand 5 to 8 inches deep whicn was walls had originally extended higher. sterile except for the bottom of a glazed (1) Bullen, R.P. and Hofma,nn, A.M. "The Stickney Stte" Ballardvale. Massachusetts", Bu~letin of the Massachus~ts Archaeological SOciety, Boston. Mass., Vol. V, No.2, pp.20-25 , January, 1944.. I? 18 MASSACHUSETTS ABCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY: BULLETIN \ \ \ D \ \ \ ~ l1-": \ \ S T R E E T U R N VI 0 B O-OELLAR V-VEGETABLE OELLAR B-BRIOK FOUNDA TlO N D- OLD DRIVEWAY G-FIREPLAOE DEBRIS S- LUMBERMEN'S SHAOK F- FRONT STEP OONTOUR INTERVAL -I FT. ? 10 20 FT. R-ROOK • i P- PATH W-WELL PLAN OF LUCY'S HOMESTEAD FI G.2 1$1/ #2 BLACK LUCY'S GARDEN 19 jug or mug, standing upright and resting reddish brown sand which was not waterlaid. on the layer of fragmentary bricks. In one Over part of the bottom of this deposit was place a charred board, 10 inches wide, was found decayed wood suggesting a fallen impressed into the top of the waterlaid floor. Over a smaller area was plaster sand. This waterlaid sand is believed to suggesting a fallen wall or ceiling. In­ have a'ccumulated during the occupancy of cluded in the fill were some food bones and the house while the layer of fragmentary domestic equipment and, on top and to each bricks presumedly represents debris left side of the chimney, rocks from the walls. from the construction of the chimney. The superior layer, very thin in the While broken bricks were found through­ center of the cellar but about 18 inches out the intermediate fill, the fallen chim­ thick at the walls , mi ght be roughly di­ ney, consisting of tightly packed bricks, vided into an upper and lower part, the mortar, and charcoal, was found extending lower being light brown and the upper brown from just south of the center of the east in color. The change in color is due, Dre­ wall across the cellar to the west wall sumedly, to a' greater concentration of humic near the northwest corner, Fig.a. Along material in the upper part. Only a rela­ its center line the chimney rested on the tively small amount of domestic equipment waterlaid sand but towards the sides the was contained in this superior layer . As reddish brown sand (not waterlaid), of the the division between the upper and lower intermediate fill, was between it and the parts sloped downward towards the center of layer of waterlaid sand. The fill of the the cellar, this layer may be considered the intermediate layer in the northeast corner, result of slope wash and soil growth. Cov­ G in Fig.a, consisted practically entirely ering all was a thin layer of grass and of bricks, mortar, charcoal, and ash. Pre­ poison ivy. sumedly the fireplace was over this corner. An extremely large rock was in the top of The ordinary bricks were all hand made, the east wall at this point and a small a inches thick, 8 inches long , and from 3t brick foundation, B. in Fig.a, was found to 4~ inches wide. The few hearth bricks resting on the clay floor along the north found were similar but thinner. One varied wall. This foundation consisted of five from It to 1 5/8 inches in thickness. complete and two incomplete courses of bricks extending upwards a distance of l5t Both mortar and what was presumed to be inches. It formed a rectangle, ll~ inches plaster were found. The latter (found in parallel to the north wall and al inches the dump) was mixed with sand but contained perpendicular to it. The distance between no hair. Marks on the plaster indicated it and the east wall was 34 inches. It that it had been put between bricks and seems reasonable to assume that the founda­ boards or on boards like lathes, but no sug­ tion was originally higher and supported gestion of wall paper or of paint was found . the fireplace or one end of it. The fragments of wood were insufficient About 16 inches south of the southwest to give much indication of house construc­ corner of this foundation was a brown de­ tion. At least some planks a inches thick posit, about 8 inches square, which com­ and boards 10 inches wide had been used. pletely penetrated the layer of waterlaid One strut or roof support, 4 inches in sand and continued slightly into the too of diameter, was found as well a s one fragment the clay floor. Below this deposit was a of a roofing slate. The latter is too in­ 6t by 7 by a inch stone slab in the clay conclusive to nresume that the house had a floor. At the south edge of this stone the slate roof. brown dirt continued into the clay floor a distance of 5 inches. Included in this Other evidence regarding the con­ lower deposit was a nail and a sherd of struction of the house consisted of window white glazed pottery. glass and hardware. Very little can be said about the window glass except that it The above suggests that the stone was varied slightly in thickness, aporoximating embedded in the clay floor as a foundation 1/16 inch, and contained air bubbles. No for a post, which may have slipped off, to piece was found which showed how it was set.

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