Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Vol. 25, No. 3 ...

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ADVANCE OF NEW ENGLAND ARCHAEOLOGY 53
graduated steps. Hypotheses have been made,
modified, or broken as new discoveries put in an
appearance, and doubtless this will continue to
take place as time goes on. However, credit should
be given to those amateurs, who have devoted
themselves to excavational research on their own
in an effort to further Society objectives.
Some twelve years ago in Carver, Massachusetts
Richard H. Bent conducted an excavation at
the Swan Hold site, which helped support the then
tenuous belief of the presence of several culture
zones of occupation. Many diagnostic artifact traits,
since firmly associated with the different cultures,
were found in their respective zones at this site. As
reported in the Society Bulletin, Vol. 13, No.2,
some postulations were not at that time clear, such
as the division of the Archaic into two distinct
periods, Early and Late, which by now have become
well identified. The point is that certain evidence
appeared at this site, which proved useful in
reaching today's widely accepted conclusion of the
existence of two Archaic periods.
Then, as late as 1959, a vigilant member spotted
a site being destroyed by bulldozer activity in
Wayland, Massachusetts, on Cochituate Lake. J.
Alfred Mansfield had been a Director of the Society
and was well qualified to attempt excavation of
what was left at this site, before demolition was
completed through building operations. Although
professional criticism has been heaped upon Mansfield's
efforts, let it be said here that, apparently,
charges were based, not upon the facts of the case,
but upon prejudice and hearsay. As reported in the
Society Bulletin, Vol. 23, No.1, Mansfield pursued a
prompt approach under cover of cautious operations
in hopes of concealing them from public gaze.
But, as so often happens under such exposed conditions,
this he failed to do, with the result that the
public eventually overran and monopolized the site.
However, before this took place, Mansfield recovered
hundreds of artifacts from depositions, which
r..e was able to identify as a crematory and secondary
burials of the Late Archaic. Presence of Full
Grooved axes and diagnostic types of projectile
points furnished sufficient evidence without a
Carbon-14 measure, to give credence to this culture
association. And so, whatever artifacts were lost as
a result of public plunder, Mansfield deserves credit
for having been able to identify the most important
aspects of the site and the culture responsible for
its deposition. In other words, his work stands as
an important contribution to science, with recovery
of evidence that would have been lost forever, but
for his alert detection and speed in excavating. Such
evidence confirms a growing belief that human
cremation was an established mortuary rite in Late
Archaic (Stone Bowl) times.
Shortly after this, and not related in any way,
another member located a similar site being destroyed
by the construction of a beach road on
Cape Cod in East Orleans. Frank Kremp completed
a splendid job of excavation and recording of evidence
at the Coburn site, reported in the Society
Bulletin, Vol. 22, Nos. 3 and 4. With limited assistance
he recovered hundreds of artifacts from what
appears to have been the greatest concentration of
cremation-associated implements ever located in
this area. His careful work preserved evidence of a
kind to indicate the presence of cremation-connected
secondary burials. Because of the presence
of quantities of Full Groved axes and certain types
of broad bladed projectile points, it is possible to
postulate that here again were mortuary remains
of the Late Archaic. It seems to present another
link in support of similar evidence from other sites.
At about this same time, an Andover member
ran into evidence, which led to his discovery of a
unique site in North Reading, Massachusetts.
Arthur Petzold has given a convincing account of
his excavation and recoveries in the Society Bulletin,
Vol. 22, Nos. 3 and 4, entitled: The Eaton Site:
A Dugout Workshop. Never before, so far as is
known, has such reliable and documented evidence
been reported of a probable dugout workshop,
replete with its various tools. And here again,
because of the presence of a Full Grooved ax there
can be no doubt that these remains are those of the
Late Archaic Stone Bowl Makers.
Then, on the upper reaches of the Taunton
River, a site was dug by Karl S. Dodge assisted by
William H. Taylor on the Seaver Farm. His report
in the Society Bulletin, Vol. 23, Nos. 3 and 4, shows
his work to have been carefully done and fully
documented, with a complete understanding of
scientific principals. Once more, evidence occurred
substantiating the existence of two Archaic and one
Ceramic culture period. Perhaps the most outstanding
recovery from this site were the broken remains
in two refuse pits of a Stage 4 pot. When fully
restored, it proved to be an exceptional specimen
(Fig. 1). Its castellated collar is embellished with
four corn effigies centrally located between the
castellations. These, together with an expertly incised
intricate design, which completely covers the
wide 3" collar, makes this one of the finest specimens
of the potter's art ever recovered from New
England sites.
One of the most important private digs took