Saturday, November 13, 2010

Dean Knight at the November 11th meeting

Professor Dean Knight spoke at the Nov. 11, 2010 meeting paying particular attention to the Ball and Baumann sites.

among the points he made:
  • Ball site is large about 8.5 acres
  • 1590-1610 based on ceramics.
  • Fitzgerald looking at glass beads suggested the site might be a little later up to 1620 – dating remains a problem. The ceramic evidence is not precise.  More recently glass beads have been researched as a more precise tool to date more precisely.
  • Fitzgerald believes glass beads point more to Ball than to Warminster.
  • 72 houses excavated. Mostly oriented to the Northwest.
  • 13,000 POST HOLES   
  • north side of village site has more trade goods found in longhouses
  • ceramic distribution across site, homogenous.
  • No middens on the south side of the site
  • 25 summers of digging at Ball site
  • Palisade not just about warfare -  with trees gone, act as a wind and snow break, look at distance from long houses to northwest palisade wall.

Baumann site  very different, pottery... high collared pots,  dispersed, internal organization in long houses,  one very long long house,   around one hearth, 300 tiny post holes encircling.  Baumann earlier 1450?

Clark Sykes in 1978 no new excavation just continued Warminster existing trenches.

Dean is doubtful that we will ever know for certain the location of Cahiague.  But it is worthwhile to continue examing sites in the eastern half of Huronia.

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