This week, our class focused primarily on getting ready for our first day of archaeology at the Norwood’s Wharf site.
To that end, we were joined by Prof. Arthur Anderson, an archaeologist with extensive experience both in northern England working on Roman stuff and here in northern New England where he specializes in sites associated with the first inhabitants of this region, particularly in the period just prior to contact with Europeans. He’s well-known for his work both on the UNE campus and beyond. He’ll be leading us throughout the archaeology phase of our class.
Arthur introduced us to the nature of archaeology, the basics of stratigraphy (the idea that stuff gets older as you move down through layers of soil), archaeological techniques, and how one might use pottery to date layers as you make your way downward.
It was vital information and we’re all anxious to get into the field to test it out.
Our class also confronted a new image that was provided to us by Norm Labbe from the Friends of the Wood Island Lighthouse. It’s a fascinating photograph, depicting the intense economic activity that once defined the lower Saco.
The question is, what are we looking at? Is this a different view of Norwood’s Wharf than the famous postcard we’ve been focusing on, or something else? We debated the matter in class for 30 or 40 minutes, but ultimately we’ll need to get outside to find real answers.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/spec_photos/445).
Our current suspicion is that it is the first image we’ve seen of the Biddeford Town Landing, the dock once used by the Mitchell/Flood family and others to unload fishing boats and the like. It’s a really important site, used by local families for two hundred plus years.
While the image isn’t super clear, we found ourselves studying the roofline of the shed next to the dock. It does not seem to match the buildings shown in the Norwood’s Wharf postcard. The shoreline feels wrong for the wharf, just a bit too much to the UNE side of things. We were struck by the jetty extending from Jordan’s Point, not to mention the house sitting prominently where the UNE tent now stands during part of the year.
We’ll do our best to more thoroughly explore all of this when we get outside.
The first dig day is just a few days away… stay tuned.
— Prof. Eric G. E. Zuelow