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Shawnee Springs Housing
Development Project
(1780 Battle of Pickaway)
Small Arms Projectiles 
The type of projectiles in use during the Revolutionary War period and anticipated as recoveries during this survey included small .20 to .44 caliber buckshot, and .45 to .73 caliber rifle and musket balls. (Hanson & Hsu, 1975; Sprouse, 1988) This image is a representation of the wide variety of small to large caliber small arms projectiles (in good condition) recovered during the survey. All catalogued projectiles, regardless of condition, were measured and/or weighed in an effort to determine original caliber. Lead is very malleable and most, if not all, of a spent ball will remain intact upon impact. Spreading or "mushrooming" occurs; however, by weighing deformed specimen it may be possible to identify the original caliber. It should also be noted that purposely-deformed projectiles, both carved and chewed by humans appear in this assemblage (no photos). This is known to occur on other sites of this period. (Sprouse, 1988) Small Arms & Accoutrements 
Only two artifacts in this category were recovered during the reconnaissance. Both artifacts were located in relatively close proximity in an artifact rich area of the survey. The upper artifact in the image is a gun tool, a common accoutrement of the flintlock era. The remaining artifact has been identified as a flintlock mainspring and also dates the period of interest. (Pioneer Press, 1982) Edged Weapons 
The image on the left is a collection of knife fragments. Four of these have been identified as neck knives (personal communication West). Two are folding pocket knives, one of which appears to be the handle portion of a knife very similar to a type excavated from a British campsite in New York. (Peterson, 1968) The remaining blade and handle fragments that were collected are corroded beyond identification. The image on the right depicts the blade of a tomahawk with the hafting eye broken rendering it difficult to identify (Kuck, 1977). Subsequent consultation with an expert in the identification of excavated artifacts of this period revealed that this is the blade of a pipe tomahawk (personal communication Dresslar). This artifact dates to the late 18th century and very probably belonged to a participant in the battle. Personal/Decorative Items 
The first (left-most) photograph is of four silver ornamental or decorative artifacts. Both trade items and hand made/altered specimen were recovered including a silver tinkling cone, an Indian made cylindrical silver bead, small silver trade brooch and the remnants of a silver artifact with the engraved initials H.F. remaining. The silver brooches were traded by the thousands during his period. It is an excellent diagnostic artifact that definitely dates to the period in question. (Quimby, 1966) The small rectangular silver artifact appears to have been cut in a manner to leave only the engraved initials while removing all else. The initials H.F. appear in Quimby, 1966 as an unknown Montreal silversmith. Viewing from left to right, the second image is of three brass artifacts recovered by HAR personnel. The rectangular artifact on the left has an undulating snake motif and is of unknown origin. Two brass rings were located in the same general area as the silver artifacts. According to West (personal communication), small brass rings were sometimes sewn into clothing in much the same manner as trade brooches. Eleven brass fragments, thought to be the remnants of disarticulated brass kettles, and used perhaps in the manufacture of small ornamental tinkling cones and the like (Quimby, 1966) were excavated during the survey. Two of these fragments, shown in the next image appear to be nearly completed. While both are triangular in shape, the material is probably too lightweight for arrow point manufacture which is known to have been accomplished with heavier brass material. The final photograph is of the eight buttons recovered during this survey. Two of these may be cuff links (personal communication West) The remaining six buttons are similar in appearance; however, under closer scrutiny, there are subtle differences that may help to identify them. Two are variants of the same type of button in l9mm and 13mm sizes. These are rather non-descript brass buttons with plain faces and brass eyelets. A third button is nearly identical and is another variant of this general type. The quality of workmanship and brass material for both button and eyelet suggests British manufacture or American manufacture of a later period postdating the village time span. Two of the buttons appear to be made of pewter with an applied iron eyelet. but this is difficult to ascertain. The eyelet is missing on one, apparently from a poor connection. It is known that American manufacturers of this period utilized pewter as a result of a shortage in raw brass, and that American technology with regard to eyelet construction was lacking. (McGuinn & Bazelon, 1984) The small overall size of all of these buttons may cast some doubt when attempting to attribute them to the period of village occupation or the subsequent battle. Coat buttons reduced in size during the 1790's to the size of the buttons recovered here. (McGuinn & Bazelon) For this reason, these buttons may or may not have originated with Clark's 1780 force or the Shawnee Indians and British that inhabited this site. Harness & Tack 
The first image depicts a collection of buckles. The small square and rectangular buckles located during this survey are, as a rule, very difficult to date. The same basic design and dimensions were used throughout the 18th and 19th centuries for buckles such as these intended for use as harness furniture. The one exception (top center) is manufactured with pewter and appears to be a cartridge box buckle of the Revolutionary War period. (Peterson, 1968) The second image is of a snaffle bit common to the 18th and early 19th centuries The final photo is of a brass bridle rosette with a spiral motif that appears on other items of this period (Neumann & Kravic, 1975) Nails & Fasteners 
This group represented the largest quantity of artifacts recovered during the project. In an effort to locate and identify areas thought to be Shawnee cabin sites, all nails were excavated and cleaned for analysis and dating. The photographs above illustrate the wide variety in both size and type of corroded iron nails recovered during the metal detection survey. Wrought nails are handmade by a blacksmith. They are square in cross-section and taper toward the point on all four sides. Wrought nails were in common use until the 1830's and 1840's. Cut nails are square nails cut from a sheet of steel. They only taper on two sides. (right-most image above) Early machine headed cut nails have a constricted shank just below the head, and date from about 1815 to the late 1830's. Modern-headed cut nails are not constricted below the head and date from the 1820's on. Wire nails were invented in the 1850's but not commonly used until after 1880. (Nelson, 1968; McBride, 1991) Wrought nails of the rosehead type are made by hammering five facets to form the head. Other varieties of head design include the "T" head and "L" head style. (Hanson & Hsu, 1975; Neumann & Kravic, 1975) All of these variants were collected during this study. In several areas, dense concentrations of wrought nails, which may date the 1780 period, were located. These areas may be indicative of the Shawnee cabin sites that made up the village here. Several post 1815 square nails with constricted shanks were recovered in this same area suggesting that others may have built here after the village was destroyed. Two apparent bolts (second photo from the left) were collected in the same area. Numerous nails and fasteners were simply too corroded to identify accurately. More Wrought Iron Artifacts 
Numerous hooks, chains, links and similar unidentified iron artifacts were recovered in all areas surveyed. Many of these were obviously of machined manufacture and were of 19th or 20th century origin. Several artifacts were apparently forged by a blacksmith and therefore may date to the 1770's. (Grimm, 1970) A number of these older artifacts are represented in the above image. Prehistoric Artifacts 
With limited surface visibilty over much of the project area, only four prehistoric artifacts were collected; all of which were visual surface recoveries. From left to right in the image above: a Brewerton side notched point dating around (1700-3000 B.C.); two Riverton (800-1600 B.C.) and a partial fragment of a Hopewell bladelet (100-400 A.D.) made of grey Flint Ridge flint. (DeRegnaucourt, 1992) Bibliography of Identification Sources
C.C.H.S. |