ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THREE TRACTS IN EDGECOMBE, NASH, AND VANCE COUNTIES, NORTH CAROLINA -. ~ 1 i ~-~!}4~$~ ~· ... ·~t :·~~%.t.(L~• • • ' .... ·~ :\\~:sr./ c~µt ~~!~'>·~ ':~.""¥ ! . ?ffl'l,',fi~';JP<~t~!I" :·.. ·:· I .. - '. ., ~i ' ' - . '. ; . - ' ... f l ' ' CHICORA RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION 277 @ 2001 by Chicora Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or transcribed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherWfse without prtor permission of Chicora Foundation, Inc. except for brtef quotations used In reviews. Full a-edit must be given to !he authors, publisher, and project sponsor. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THREE TRACTS IN EDGECOMBE, NASH, AND VANCE COUNTIES, NORTH CAROLINA Prepared for: Mr. Bob Froneberger ARCADIS Geraghty c~ Miller, Inc. 420 Park Avenue Greenville, South Carolina 29601 Prepared by: Rachel Campo, RPA and Michael Trinkley, Ph.D., RPA CHICORA RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION 276 doj.lllb ~ : ,....,,......, Chicora Foundation, Inc. ~~wV.I!rr ~.o. Box s664 • ~61 Arbutus Drive ___. 11~ / Columbia,. South LaroUna 2Q202 11 . / 803/787-b910 1 · r Email: [email protected] July 2b,l q99 ABSTRACT Tb study reports on an intensive addition, no National Register properlies were archaeological survey of three tracts of land in identified in the immediate project areas. A. a result of Edgecon1be1 Nash, and Vance Counties in North -this study, a total of 12 sites, a cemetery, and three Carolina. Each tract represents approximately 200 historic resou-rces were located.. At the Long tract, acres. The study was conducted at the request of these sites include3lED345, 31ED346, 3lED347", ARCADIS Geraghty and Miller, Incorporated. and a standing historic resource, none of which are potentially eligible for the National Register, although Our field investigations found that conditions more documentation is recommended for the historic at each tract varied greatly. At the Long tract, located resource. At the Hickory tract, seven sites and a in Edgecombe County, approximately 30% of the tract standing historic resource were located and included coruisted of cultivated and fallow fields, while the 31NS90, 31NS91, 31NS92, 31NS93.. , 31NS94", remainder was wooded. At the Hickory tract located in 31NS95, and 31NS96. Of these sites, 31NS90 iE Nash County, the entire project area consisted of recommended as potentially eligible for the National cultivated fields. At the Wesvanco tract in Vance Register of HistorilJ Places. Prior to any construction County, the project area consisted mainly of wooded activities on the Hickory tract, we recommend that areas accessed by dirt roads. testing be undertaken al this site. At the Wesvanco tract, sites 31VN258 and 31VN260" were located, in The archaeological survey consisted of shovel addition to 31VN259", a cemetery, and a group of testing al 100-foot intervals. Shovel tests were not historic structures in various states of clilapidation. The excavated in areas of standing water, in areas of cemetery, site 31 VN259+\ is the only site extensive disturbance, or in areas with more than 75o/o recommended as potentially eligible from thiE tract. ground visibility. These areas were walked and Prior to any ground diEturbing activities, we subjected to a pedestrian survey. recommend that further work be undertaken aHhiE site lo determine the possibility of unmarked graves and the Prior lo this study no archaeological sites had true extent of the cemetery. been identified in the imnu·diate project areas. In TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures iv List of Tables v Acknowledgments vi Introduction 1 Natural Environment 7 P/1ysiograp/1y 7 Geology ond Soils 8 Clitnatc 10 Flon'stics 11 Prehistoric and Historic Ovenriew 13 Previous RrJsearcli 13 Prehistoric Overview 13 Historic Research 23 Methods 29 Field Met/wds 29 Site Evaluation 30 Laboratory Analysis 31 33 Introduction 33 Identi/;ed Sites 33 Summary and Recommendations 59 References Cited 61 iii LIST OF FIGURES 1. Location of Long, Hickory, and Wesvanco tracts in North Carolina 2 2. Long tract in Edgecombe County 3 3. Hickory tract in Nash County 4 4. Wesvanco tract in Vance County 5 5. Open pine forests and mixed hardwoods in Wesvanco tract 10 6. Second growth forest covered in kudzu in Wesvanco tract 11 7. Cultivated fields in Hickory tract 11 8. c,Jtivated fields in Long tract 11 9. Pines with dense hardwood understory in Long tract 12 10. Cultural. periods of North Carolina coast and piedmont 14 11. Collet' s A Comp/eat Map of Nort/1 Car,;/;na showing tracts 25 12. 1865 US Coast Survey Map showing three tracts 26 13. 1903 15' topographic map showing Long tract 27 14. View of modem trash in Wesvanco tract 30 15. Sites located in Long tract 34 16. Sites located in Hickory tract 35 17. Sites located in Wesvanco tract 3b 18. Map of 3lED345 37 19. Map of 3lED346 38 20. Map of 3lED347.. 39 21. View of Historic Resou:rce 1 house on Long tracl 40 2? ~· View of Historic Resource 1 storage building on Long tract 40 23. View of Historic Resource 1 storage building on Long tract 40 24. Map of 31NS90 42 25. Map of 31NS91 45 26. Map of 31NS92 46 27. Map of 31NS93" 48 28. Map of 31NS94" 49 29. Map of 31NS<l5 50 30. Map of 31NS96 51 31. View of Historic Resource 1 on Hickory tract 52 32. Map of 31VN258 53 33. View of 31VN'.359" 54 34. Map of 31VN260" 55 35. View of HiBtoric Resource 1, W esvanco 56 36. View of Historic Resource 2, Wesvanco 57 37. \Tiew of Historic Resource 3, W esvanco 58 LIST OF TABLES ,.,1. Soils on the Long tract 8 ~· Soils on the Hickory tract 9 3. Soils on the Wesvanco_ tract 9 4. Arnfacts recovered from 31NS90 43 5. Artifacts reaovered from 31NS93" 47 6. Artifacts recovered from 31NS94" 51 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank Mr. Bob Froneberger of State Archaeology for his tremendous help in of ARCADIS Geraghty and Miller, lncorpo,.ted for locating information on previous surveys and identified his continuing confidence and support of Chicora resources. Foundation. Finally, here at Chicora, we would like to We ako appreciate the efforts of Site FJe thank Ms. Debi Hacker for the maps and graphics she Registrar Ms Dolores Hall of the North Carolina · produced for this report. Office vi INTRODUCTION The intensive archaeological investigation of The Wesvanco tract is located east of Highway the three tracts in Edgecombe, Nash, and Vance 1 Bypass, west of State Highway 39, and norlh of Counties was conducted by Rachel Campo and Van Martin Creek (Figure 4). The majority of the tract was Steen of Chicora Foundation, Inc. for Mr. Bob heavily wooded, with very few areas of high elevation. Froneberger of ARCADIS Geraghty and Miller, Inc. The tract was accessed by a number of small, overgrown The Long tract is located west of the town of Rocky dirl roads. Three sites (31VN258, 31VN259~, and Mounty in Edgecombe County (Figure 1). The 31 VN2b0.. ), including a cemetery, and three historic Hickory tract i. located north of Rocky Mount in Nash resources in various stages of dilapidation were County (Figure 1). The Wesvanco tract is located identified in the Wesvanco tract. Of these, only the southeast of the town of Henderson in Vance County cemetery ill recommended as potentially eligible. No (Figure 1). Tb work was underlaken. in order to further n1ana.gement wo* is recomm.ended for the record archaeological sites and historic resources other sites in this tract. present on these tracts. The proposed work on these sites has the The Long tract ill situated between NC State potential -l:o damage or even destroy archaeological sites Highways 64 and b4A, to the west of SSR 1225 in the immediate vicinity. For this reason, we (Kingsboro Road) and south of Tar River (Figure 2). recommend that further work be done at two of the The eastern porlion of the tract, adjacent to SSR tracts prior to any ground dilltw:bing activities. 1225, consisted of cultivated and fallow fields, while the remainder of the tract, accessed by dirt roads, consisted We were requested by Mr. Bob Froneberger of of mfaed hardwoods and pines. Thill tract was relatively ARCADIS Geraghty and Miller, Inc. to suhmit a cost flat, with no areas of high elevation. A total of three proposal for intensive level surveys of the project areas sites (3lED345, 3lED34b, and 3lED347") and a on June lb, 1999. Thill proposal, submitted on June standing historic resource were identified in Long tract. 21, 1999, was approved on June 23, 1999. These Furlher documentation is recommended for the investigations incorporated a review of the site files at historic resource. No further work is recommended for the N orlh Carolina Office of State Archaeology by the other three sites. Rachel Campo on June 24, 1999. No previously recorded sites were identified in the project areas. The Hickory tract is located east of Interstate 95, north of state highway 44/33, south of Fishing The survey, which was designed to identify Creel,, and west of Beaverdam Swamp (Figure 3). Tb prehistoric or historic resources within the project areas, tract consisted entirely of cultivated fields. The entire was conducted July 6-13 and required a total of 150 tract had at least 75% surface mibility. A few small person hours to complete the survey. streams ran through the tract. The tract had a few small hills and rises, one of which produced a large prehistoric site. This site, 31NS90, is recommended as potentially eligible. Six other sites, (31NS91, 31NS92, 31NS93", 31NS94", 31NS95, and 31NS96) and one standing historic resource were identili.ed, with no further management work recommended for these sites.