August 23, 2002

Today's Accomplishments:

Cleaned and photographed the summit area, profiled the south trench area, and closed down and covered the north side for the season. Josh Wells, Addison Carter, and Emily Yates, project stalwarts from the start, left today, as did volunteer Steve Robbins, who was with us for a week.
The top of mound A at the close of the 2002 excavations. The top of mound A at the close of the 2002 excavations. The entire area atop the mound that will be lost to erosion was opened to depths of between 70 and 160 cm below the ground surface this season. View to the south, from the north end of the summit.
The top of mound A at the close of the 2002 excavations, view to the southeast. The top of mound A at the close of the 2002 excavations. The entire area atop the mound that will be lost to erosion was opened to depths of between 70 and 160 cm below the ground surface this season. View to the southeast, from the north end of the summit. The Tennessee River is in the background.
Walls are carefully cleaned with trowels, then photographed, and then drawn to scale. SEAC archaeologists Steven Kidd, Jessica McNeil, Jill Halchin, and Heather Mustonen drawing wall profiles in the south excavation trench. Walls are carefully cleaned with trowels, then photographed, and then drawn to scale.
N39E79 west wall profile, showing a number of filling episodes. N39E79 west wall profile, showing a number of filling episodes. At the base and near the top of the profile reddish orange bands are present that appear to have been caps for mound stages or unusual filling episodes. Every wall was photographed and drawn as part of the scientific documentation; some 3100 high resolution digital pictures have been taken this season alone, as well as about 2000 color slides.
Superintendent Woody Harrell making one of his daily visits to the site to examine the work, examining profiling in the south trench by Steven Kidd and Jessica McNeil. Shiloh National Military Park Superintendent Woody Harrell making one of his daily visits to the site to examine the work, examining profiling in the south trench by Steven Kidd and Jessica McNeil. Superintendent Harrell and Chief Ranger Stacy Allen visited the site almost every day we were in the field.
N37 E180 north profile, showing the red silt clay underlying mound stage three on the south side of the mound. N37 E180 north profile, showing the red silt clay underlying mound stage three on the south side of the mound. This fill, which also contained beige/white pebbles, was overlain by a mottled clay, which would have capped it and prevented it from washing away.
Project Co-PI David G. Anderson in a fairly typical position, taking pictures. Project Co-PI David G. Anderson in a fairly typical position, taking pictures. Most of the shots of the fieldwork this (and past) seasons were taken by him, which is why he is in comparatively few pictures.

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