Relatively short report for today, as I was off-site most of the day with meetings down the road, and then Dr. P and I and several of the students were at a meeting in Nashville until late. Ben and Lauren continue to investigate the intact parts of Mound 4 in their unit (they're sitting on the presumptive backfill from the 1893 excavations).
Late morning, a visit by folks from the Tennessee Historical Commission, Wynnewood, and TRC as Maddie, Miranda, and Trey continue screening. Standing from L to R -- Dan Brown (THC), Patrick McIntyre (THC), Ron Borders (Wynnewood Site Director), Rick Hendrix (Wynnewood Tour Director), and David Price (TRC).
A few objects from today -- a truly extraordinary bone tool made from the jaw of an animal. Quite likely a scratcher used in tattoing or other rituals -- I've never seen anything quite like it.
Big mendable fragments of fabric impressed salt pans -- we think these large pans were molded in fabric lined pits. Using worn out and discarded clothes, bags, and other textiles, they molded the clay on top of the fabric, then after it sun dries, the fabric is used to lift the pan out of the mold for firing.
And yet again, another nice projectile point many centuries older than the context it came from. A reminder that we stand on a place on the landscape where peoples of all time periods walked.
And then.... off to Cloverbottom Mansion, home of the Tennessee Historical Commission by several of us for a talk on eclipses and other things in prehistory.
Long day. Early morning coming tomorrow with the summer solstice sunrise at the mounds across the highway.