Roads, Rails, and Trails - Secretary of the Commonwealth

The flotation procedure was originally developed to
recover seeds from archaeological sites, and many were
recovered from 19-NT-50 and 19-NT-68. Among the most
important seed finds were fragments of maize. These were
radiocarbon dated to the time just before and a bit after first
contact with Europeans. Although only a few kernels were
found, these were the first radiocarbon dates for maize on
Nantucket.
This tiny carbonized kernel of maize from 19-NT-50 was
harvested sometime between 1440 and 1630 AD.
Of course there were shellfish here too. Crunched into
tiny fragments under the feet of generations, more than 2,000
shell fragments were extracted by the archaeologists. Quahog
was the most common, both by numbers of fragments and total
weight, followed by oyster, soft-shell clam (“steamers”), and
scallops.
Because certain animals only occur in certain places at
certain times of the year, by identifying the types of animals at
an archaeological site archaeologists can learn what time(s) of
the year the site was occupied. Some of the fish species from
33
NT-68 (dusky shark, spiny dogfish, and sturgeon) are taken
from late spring to early fall; other marine species (cod and
grey seal) are available from winter to early spring. Overall,
this suggests that the site may have been occupied year-round,
or sometimes one part of the year and sometimes another.
Maybe there was a change over time. But change over time
was impossible to track at these sites because the living floor of
the dwelling was disturbed by the setting and removing of
posts, the activities of animal burrowers, and the trampling of
artifacts into the soil. These activities mixed and stirred any
distinct layers representing individual occupations; finding
such layers would be an archaeologists dream! The PAL
archaeologists would have to be content with the finding of not
one but two unprecedented Massachusetts sites that evoked a
remarkable continuity of life and home.
Atlantic Sturgeon
Grey Seal
The people who lived at these sites fished and hunted seals in
the teeming waters of Nantucket Sound.