Research Report Series No. 15 2005 Virginia Department of Historic Resources 280 1 Kensington Avenue Richmond, VA 2322 1 Virginia Department of Historic Resources Research Report Series No. 15 A UTHORS: Wayne E. Clark Joey T. Moldenhauer Michael B. Barber Thomas R. Whyte This report presents the results of the archaeological investigations of that portion of the Buzzard Rock site (44RN2), in Roanoke, Virginia, affected by construction of the 13th Street extension in 1977 and the grading for new warehouses in 1984. The western half of the site was occupied sporadically throughout the Archaic period (7000-1200 BC) and Early and Middle Woodland periods (1200 BC-AD 900). However, the site was exten- sively occupied during the Dan hver phase of the Late Woodland period. A series of radiocarbon dates from the site indicates periodic reoccupations between AD 1040 and AD 1430 by families living in a dispersed village pattern. Two distinct circular house patterns, a probable long house pattern, and a possible sweat lodge feature are discussed. The configuration of features within the distinct house patterns established the basis for inferring the possible presence of other house areas. The circular house patterns were associated with storage pits which yielded, among other things, corn, bean, walnut, hickory, acorn, butternut, and charred wood remains. The location of these house patterns correlated closely with the distribution of alkaline and high phospho- rus soil readings and the distribution of various classes of artifacts. These distributions enabled the isolation of two butchering and hide preparation areas associated with house patterns. The storage pits and shallow basins associated with the house patterns yielded 13 species of fish. The study of the fish remains provides useful insights into the season of occupation, method of capture and cooking, and comparison to other Dan kver sites in the region. The remaining faunal assemblage from the Buzzard Rock site yielded 18 spe- cies with documented preference for deer, turkey, and turtle and a noticeable absence of black bear. The Buzzard Rock site serves as a type site for understanding the semi-seden- tary, periodically abandoned and reoccupied horticultural, hunting, fishing, and gathering hamlets along major floodplains of the Ridge and Valley province. Abstract ........................................................................................................................... ii ... Contents ......................................................................................................................... 111 Figures ............................................................................................................................ iv Tables ............................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. v Introduction ...................................................................................................................1 Buzzard Rock Complex (Moldenhauer) ............................................................................ 3 Environmental Setting (Clark)......................................................................................... 5 Historical Background (Moldenhauer and Clark) ............................................................. 7 Project Background (Clark and Moldenhauer) .................................................................. 9 1977 Excavation (Clark) ................................................................................................ 13 Introduction .............................................................................................................13 Excavation Procedure ...............................................................................................13 Features ....................................................................................................................20 Ceramics ..................................................................................................................24 Lithics ......................................................................................................................29 Bone Tools ............................................................................................................... 32 Shell Tools ...............................................................................................................32 Molluscan Remains ..................................................................................................32 Ethnobotanical Analysis ............................................................................................33 Intrasite Variability ................................................................................................... 33 Summary ..................................................................................................................38 1984 Excavation (Moldenhauer) ..................................................................................... 41 Introduction .............................................................................................................41 Method ....................................................................................................................41 Features ....................................................................................................................41 Ethnobotanical Remains ...........................................................................................44 Clay PipeslTobacco ..................................................................................................47 Radiocarbon Discussion ................................................................................................49 Faunal Analysis (Barber) ................................................................................................ 51 Fauna .......................................................................................................................51 Sawyer Site Comparison ...........................................................................................54 Hall Site Comparison ...............................................................................................54 Buzzard Rock Site Comparison .................................................................................57 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................57 Fish Bone Analysis (Whyte)............................................................................................ 59 Introduction .............................................................................................................59 Analysis ....................................................................................................................59 Discussion ................................................................................................................62 Conclusion (Clark) ........................................................................................................ 67 References .....................................................................................................................71 Buzzard Rock Complex ...................................................................................................4 Artist Rendering of houses at the Buzzard Rock Site ......................................................11 General site plan of 1977 excavations ............................................................................14 Features discovered during initial excavation ..................................................................14 East profile of Strata Cut 2 ............................................................................................17 View of Buzzard Rock Site ............................................................................................17 Plan of principal 1977 excavations .................................................................................19 View of rock hearth. Feature 1 1 .....................................................................................20 Plan of House Patterns 1 & 2 ........................................................................................22 Plan of House Pattern 3 ................................................................................................22 View of the three layers in Feature 19 ............................................................................24 View of two layers in Feature 26 ....................................................................................24 Ceramics from Buzzard Rock Site .................................................................................26 Lithics from Buzzard Rock Site .....................................................................................30 Distribution of pH in the subsoil ...................................................................................34 Distribution of phosphorus in the subsoil ......................................................................35 Control surface distribution of total ceramics ................................................................36 Control surface distribution of chalcedony artifacts .......................................................37 General site plan of 1984 excavation