University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 10-16-2003 Historical Archaeology of the Indian Key (8MO15) Warehouse: An Analysis of Nineteenth- Century Ceramics Lisa Nicole Lamb University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Lamb, Lisa Nicole, "Historical Archaeology of the Indian Key (8MO15) Warehouse: An Analysis of Nineteenth-Century Ceramics" (2003). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/1413 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Historical Archaeology of the Indian Key (8MO15) Warehouse: An Analysis of Nineteenth-Century Ceramics by Lisa Nicole Lamb A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Brent R. Weisman, Ph.D. Member: Robert H. Tykot, Ph.D. Member: Nancy Marie White, Ph.D. Date of Approval: October 16, 2003 Keywords: Monroe County, pearlware, whiteware, ironstone, Jacob Housman © Copyright 2003, Lisa Nicole Lamb Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my mother, in gratitude for her unwavering support and encouragement, and her belief in the value of an education. Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. Brent R. Weisman for his patient guidance of this thesis. His advice has been invaluable to my education as an archaeologist. I would also like to thank Dr. Nancy Marie White for taking me under her wing as a first-year student, and inviting me to participate in many of her projects. I am indebted to Dr. Robert H. Tykot for his ability always to find time for his students, despite his very busy schedule. Thank you all. The hard work of the students that participated in the 1998 and 1999 excavations as well as the graduate volunteers, David Butler, Jill Titcomb (née Clay), Kelly Driscoll, and Lisa Tucker, is appreciated. Kelly’s friendship and support in the years since has been invaluable. Also, thanks to Debbie Roberson, the font of knowledge in the Anthropology Department, and to Lori Collins, M.A., for their help and advice. Both the FPS and the FOIASP provided much-needed financial and logistical support. Property Manager Pat Wells and former and current park rangers Bill Cater, Rod Hamm, Melba Nezbed, Bob Rose, and Stephen Werndli were especially crucial to this project’s success. I am indebted to Henry Baker and Dave Dickel of BAR for their loan of material related to the 1972-1973 excavations on Indian Key. I owe a big thank you to all of the employees of the Tampa office of Panamerican Consultants, Inc., especially Paul Jones, Lucy Jones, and Jim Ambrosino, for their support, knowledge, and encouragement. Finally, thank you to my wonderful fiancé, Bobby Quinn, for prompting me to keep working! I love you. Table of Contents List of Tables iv List of Figures v List of Acronyms viii Abstract x Chapter One: Introduction 1 Research Design 9 Objectives 9 Research Issues 10 Territorial Period (1821-1844) 11 Statehood Period (1845-1860) 12 Civil War Period (1861-1865) 13 Reconstruction Period (1866-1879) 15 Research Strategy 16 Chapter Two: Physical Setting 20 Geology of the Keys 20 Environment of the Keys 22 Hydrology 22 Physiographical Region and Land Use 24 Vegetation 26 Fauna 28 Climate 29 Chapter Three: Culture History 32 Regional Post-Contact History 32 History of Indian Key 43 Chapter Four: Methods 62 Archival Research 62 Informant Interviews 63 Field Methods 64 Site Mapping 65 i Surface Collection 66 Excavation of Test Units 67 Archaeological Monitoring 73 General Field Procedures 73 Laboratory Methods 74 Analysis of Historic Ceramics 77 Laboratory Documentation 78 Curation 79 Chapter Five: Architecture and Site Plan 80 Archaeological Background of the Warehouse Complex 86 Pre-1960 Excavations 87 Excavations by Irving Eyster 88 Excavations by the State of Florida 89 Excavations by the University of South Florida 92 1998 Field Season 92 1999 Field Season 96 2000 Field Season 98 2001 Field Season 100 2002 Field Season 100 Comparative Archaeological Studies 101 Cisterns 102 Warehouses and Similar Structures 104 Chapter Six: Classification of Historic Ceramics 108 Ceramic Manufacturing 109 Ware Types 110 Terracotta 111 Stoneware 112 Earthenware 113 Coarse Earthenware 114 Refined Earthenware 115 Creamware 116 Pearlware 117 Whiteware 117 The Classification of Whiteware vs. Ironstone 119 Porcelain 121 Vessel Decoration 123 Glazes 124 Decorative Patterns and Techniques 126 Vessel Shapes and Functions 132 ii Ceramic Artifacts from Features A and C (8MO15) 134 Analysis of the Assemblage 134 Chapter Seven: Stratigraphy 138 Chapter Eight: Results 163 Conclusion 177 Public Archaeology 179 References Cited 184 Appendix 205 Appendix A: Catalog of Material Recovered 206 iii List of Tables Table 3.1 Summary of the Periods of Occupation on Indian Key 46 Table 6.1 Chronology of Edged Decorations on Pearlware and Whiteware 130 Table 6.2 The Median Manufacture Dates and a Range of Known Manufacture Dates for Select Ceramic Types 135 Table 7.1 Mean Ceramic Dates for Deposits in Feature A 148 Table 7.2 Mean Ceramic Dates for Deposits in Feature C 149 Table 8.1 Form-Function Categories for Ceramic Vessels 173 iv List of Figures Figure 1.1. Map showing the location of Indian Key in Section 13 of Township 64 South, Range 36 East, on the Upper Matecumbe Key, Fla. 1971 USGS 7.5’ topographic quadrangle. 3 Figure 1.2. Map showing the location of the Warehouse Complex on Indian Key, along with other nearby archaeological features. 5 Figure 1.3. Map of Indian Key in 1840, as drawn by Henry Perrine, Jr. 6 Figure 1.4. Photograph of features A (left) and C (right) of the Warehouse Complex, facing grid west. 6 Figure 1.5. Photograph of Feature A of the Warehouse Complex during the 1998 excavation, facing grid northwest. 7 Figure 1.6. Photograph of the cleared floor of Feature C of the Warehouse Complex, facing grid west. 7 Figure 2.1. Map showing the approximate extent of Florida’s shoreline during the Paleoindian Stage, when sea levels were 130 to 165 feet below those at present. 21 Figure 2.2. Photograph of the remains of two cisterns on Indian Key, taken from the observation tower near the center of the island, facing southeast. 23 Figure 2.3. Photograph of the Matheson House on Lignumvitae Key, showing the covered cistern at the rear of the house. 31 Figure 3.1. Reproduction of a portion of John James Audubon’s “Booby Gannet, male” drawing, showing the background landscape that appears to represent Indian Key in the 1830s, possibly with Lower Matecumbe Key in the background. 50 Figure 3.2. Map of Indian Key showing the layout of the town in 1840, from the base map drawn by Charles Howe. 52 v Figure 3.3. Illustration of “Indian Key, The Wrecker’s Rendezvous,” drawn ca. 1870. 58 Figure 4.1. Map showing the locations of all test units excavated by USF in Feature A of the Warehouse Complex, as well as Baker’s (1973) Trench 1 (Sections 1 through 5). 68 Figure 4.2. Map showing the locations of all test units excavated by USF in Feature C of the Warehouse Complex. 69 Figure 4.3. Map showing the locations of all 3 x 3 m test squares excavated by Baker (1973) in features A and C of the Warehouse Complex. 72 Figure 4.4. Map showing the locations of all trenches excavated by the FPS in Feature A of the Warehouse Complex. 75 Figure 4.5. Map showing the locations of all trenches excavated by the FPS in Feature C of the Warehouse Complex. 76 Figure 4.6. Photograph of conservation efforts in Feature A, facing grid west. 77 Figure 5.1. Profile of the trench dug along the grid north wall of Feature A during Baker’s 1972 investigation. 90 Figure 5.2. Plan view of the possible column support in the grid southeast corner of Feature C. 91 Figure 5.3. Feature A filled with water prior to conservation, facing grid west. 97 Figure 7.1. Illustration of spatially overlapping excavation units in Feature A, and the mean ceramic date of each. 150 Figure 7.2. Illustration of spatially overlapping excavation units in Feature C, and the mean ceramic date of each. 150 Figure 7.3. Map of Feature A, illustrating the mean ceramic date for each provenience. 151 Figure 7.4. Map of Feature C, illustrating the mean ceramic date for each provenience. 152 vi Figure 7.5. Plan view of the brick and plaster floor in the grid southwest corner of Feature C. 153 Figure 7.6. Key to representative profiles of the Warehouse Complex, Feature A. 155 Figure 7.7. Representative profile of the entrance to Feature A on the grid east wall. 155 Figure 7.8. Representative profiles of areas with one plaster floor within Feature A. 156 Figure 7.9. Representative profiles of areas with two plaster floors within Feature A. 157 Figure 7.10. Modified Harris (1989) matrix, showing the sequence of depositional layers in Feature A. 158 Figure 7.11. Map of the plaster floor pattern within Feature A. 159 Figure 8.1. Ware frequency in Features A and C combined. 166 Figure 8.2. Ware frequency in Feature A. 167 Figure 8.3. Ware frequency in Feature C. 167 Figure 8.4.