This summer's field school marked our return to the site of Mission Escambe after a 10-year hiatus to focus on field work at Pensacola's Luna settlement site, discovered in 2015. We decided to start right where we left off in 2015 and further examine the incredible findings from that year, specifically the wall trench and square linear post hole features, which indicated a Spanish structure.
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The field school this year was split, with 3 weeks spent at each site. Learning to conduct fieldwork in the sandy soil at the Luna site with a nice breeze from the bay left many students nervous for the infamous mosquito-ridden conditions at the mission site in Molino. Students quickly adapted to the new conditions, however, and could confidently walk around the site without frequent mosquito bites, largely in thanks to our trusty fires maintained by field director Case Draughn.
Case making fires using the same smoke
pot from 2015
Due to the short 3-week time frame and the dense clay, we decided to open up 1x1 meter units this year. Three units were planned at the beginning of the summer in Area C, where features associated with a Spanish structure were found back in 2015. This structure was thought to potentially be the mission church.
Unit C-18 was placed just south of the probable corner of the structure in hopes of catching additional post holes from the western wall.
Posthole from unit C-17 in 2015
Supervisor Elizabeth with Des, Tim'mearra, and Cayla excavating unit C-18
While this unit did not yield any features associated with the post holes and wall trench found in 2015, several artifacts related to the mill period and the Spanish mission here were uncovered. Artifacts from the mission include pieces of light olive-green glass, and a Leon check-stamped sherd.
Light olive-green glass
Unit C-19 was placed farther south than the other two units, where the interior of the structure would have been. With the thought that this may be a church, we did not expect a high artifact density in this area.
This unit, like the other two, produced pre-contact, sawmill period, and mission artifacts. One very exciting artifact from this summer was the honey-colored gun flint!
Sydney, Grant, Lia, and John excavating and taking notes on unt C-19
Several ceramics typical of the Apalachee residents at Mission Escambe were found in C-19, including brushed grit-tempered pottery and a Lamar incised rim from a carinated bowl. Several iron objects were found here as well, including a barrel band in the corner of the unit. As of right now, we cannot determine if this barrel band dates to the 18th-century mission period or the late 19th-century sawmill period here.
Grant holding the incised sherd
Supervisor Jessie and field director Case holding the barrel band they excavated
Brushed pottery
And finally, unit C-20 was located east of three linear post holes running east-west, found in 2014, in hopes of revealing the eastern corner of the mission church
Post holes found in 2014
Jack, Tim, and Jonah mapping level 1 of unit C-20
This unit, like the other two, produced pre-contact, sawmill period, and mission artifacts. One very exciting artifact from this summer was the honey-colored gun flint!
Honey-colored gunflint
Supervisor Kate mapping with Jack
During excavations, a darker spot was observed in the southwest corner of the unit. After it first appeared, it was assumed to be a post-hole, but after further excavations, it became evident that this was likely a soil stain from bioturbation or a root.
Feature 700 after excavation
Our little root stain in unit C-20 was the only feature present in area C this summer. The lack of any post holes makes it difficult to determine what the structure actually was, and may indicate it was still under construction and never finished.
A lighter-colored clay in the north and east walls of unit C-18 was thought to be associated with a wall trench similar to that in unit C-17 in 2015. With the idea that the unit had been placed just slightly too far east to catch post holes running north-south, the unit was extended 50 cm west into unit C-21.
Light colored clay in west wall of unit C-21
Cayla excavating unit extension
Despite our hopes, no feature was found. Still, the unit provided valuable information on this area of the site and yielded interesting artifacts, including a 6 mm buckshot and a piece of extra local grey chert, the same material used for gunflints or fire strikers, likely sourced from Europe.
Grey chert, possibly sourced from Europe
6mm buckshot
Unit C-20 was wrapped up with a lot of time to spare, so Jesssie's group was able to start another 1x1 meter unit over in area G, just north of unit G02 and northeast of unit G01, which were excavated in the 2014 field school. This unit was opened with the intent to find more postholes that align with unit G01 to establish the circular pattern associated with an Apalachee round house.
This unit yielded several artifacts associated with the mission, including various Native American ceramics, dark olive-green glass, majolica (plain and puebla blue on white), and beads.
Jessie excavating a post hole feature
Shards of dark olive-green glass, clear blown glass
Apalachee potsherds, and blue on white majolica
More exciting discoveries were made when two features became visible at the very bottom of this unit. Feature 701 was interpreted to be a post hole, which may be associated with the post hole feature in unit G01 and the hearth feature from G02. Feature 702, located in the northwest corner, is likely the remnants of a smudge-pit.
Potential smudge pit (FEA 702) before excavation
Post-hole feature (FEA 701) before excavation
After everyone had finished excavating their units, we were able to complete several shovel tests during the last week of field school to fill in the gaps on previous surveys. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were out for blood in these woods without our fires.
Students learned to pace themselves in 10-meter increments and how to orient themselves along a transect using a compass. In total, we completed 19 shovel tests in the last few days of field school. From these shovel tests, we were able to paint a clearer picture of the site boundaries.
Students learning to pace out 10 meters
colors of the stratigraphy
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Stay tuned for more updates as we plan to return next year and do more excavations in area G in the potential Apalachee round house!
If you'd like to hear more about the results from this field school, come to the free PAS lecture on March 10th! The link for more information on this lecture is below.
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