• Summary
• Intro
• Methodology
• Results
• Conclusions
  
  
  
   
  
  
  Figure 4
  
  
   
  
  
  Figure 5
  
   
  
   
  
  
  Figure 6

Stratigraphy in the western portion of the project area consisted of a layer of paving bricks resting on a 0.4 foot thick layer of unreinforced concrete. Gravel and light clay underlay the concrete to 1.3 feet below surface which may represent earlier episodes of sidewalk construction. Between 1.3 feet below surface and 5 feet below surface was a layer of mixed sandy clay containing occasional artifacts such as brick fragments (gas-fired) and coarse earthenware (two fragments of Pennsylvania Redware (AD 1630 to AD 1940). These artifacts were not collected. This stratum represents disturbance from the construction/demolition cycles at the site, although it is impossible to identify specific episodes. Dense undisturbed dark yellowish brown (Munsell color 10YR 4/4) sandy clay appeared at 5.0 feet below surface and continued to the depth of the excavation. This stratum is the underlying, undisturbed subsoil. This stratigraphy was occasionally interrupted by utility connections perpendicular to the excavation in several locations. This portion of the seam line trench contained no significant archeological resources.

Stratigraphy at the east end of the excavation (Figures 4 and 5) was composed of the layer of paving bricks, again resting on a 0.4 foot thick layer of unreinforced concrete which overlay a thin (0.2 feet thick) layer of cinder. Beneath the cinder, between 1.2 and 2. 8 feet below the surface lay the level of mixed soils containing occasional brick fragments and cinders resulting from one of the destruction/construction sequences at the site. Between 2.8 and 3.4 feet below surface was a layer of dark grayish brown (Munsell color 10YR 4/2) sandy loam containing artifacts dating from the middle to third quarters of the eighteenth century. Designated Feature 1, this stratum contained artifacts dating between the middle and third quarter of the eighteenth century. Its possible function will be discussed below. Feature 1 appeared in the south, west, and north walls of the construction trench, extending five feet along the north wall (Figure 6), and ten feet along the south wall. Feature 1 sits directly on dense dark yellowish brown (Munsell color 10YR 4/4) clay, with two small extensions possibly representing tree roots or animal disturbances. After examination of Feature 1, the steam line was installed and the trench was backfilled. The entire Market Street extent of the excavation appears in Figure 7.

One of a series of Archeological Reports by:
Allen H. Cooper
Philadelphia Support Office
1997