Winter Closes In
December 15, 2001
On December 15, 2001, the dig was closed for the winter season.
Archives for 2001:
Foundation Finalized
September 20, 2001
In September 2001, Digital Transit measurements were completed on the Church foundation.
Archaeology The Dig
Cemetery Established
August 21, 2001
In June, July and August 2001, the Elk Run Church Site Committee used 21st century remote sensor technology to non-intrusively sense objects or structural features beneath the ground surface. Petrone & Associates were successful in conducting remote sensing that helped define church cemetery boundaries, possible positions of burials within the cemetery, and areas that might have further archaeological significance.
Archaeology Cemetery
What Lies Beneath
July 18, 2001
Dr. Bill Hanna, right, Phyllis Scott of Warrenton, and Jim Olmstead of Nokesville run ground-penetrating radar over the Elk Run Church site.
From The Fauquier Times-Democrat, Wednesday, July 18, 2001 (with permission)Times-Democrat Staff Photo/Yayoi Ayukawa
Since last spring, significant progress has been achieved in uncovering the 1750s brick, Greek cross foundation of the Elk Run Anglican Church in Fauquier County. Community volunteers under the direction of volunteer archaeologist Dr. John Eddins, have opened 27 controlled excavation units to reveal the exact location and dimensions of the well-preserved foundation, the cruciform shape, and information about building techniques and materials.
The committee’s goal is to create a properly landscaped historical park that will include an outline of the church foundation, perimeter of the cemetery, and three educational interpretive signs providing information about the church, the cemetery and the Elk Run community over time.
Last December, machine-assisted excavation coupled with hand excavation confirmed an adjacent burial site. Petrone & Associates will now conduct technical remote sensing to help locate the boundaries of the church cemetery and the positions of graves within it.
Remote-sensing methods are used to non-intrusively locate objects or structural features underground. In order for these objects or features to be detected, they must have some electromagnetic property that differs from that of the surrounding soil.
The three most important remote sensing tools being used in Elk Run archaeological investigations are ground-penetrating radar, the electromagnetic method and magnetic-gradiometry.
The ground-penetrating radar used at Elk Run is a sled-shaped antenna that is pulled along the ground. It is attached to an electronic control unit, video display unit, color monitor and recorder. Its scan range will enable operators to see reflections to an approximate depth of 4 feet.
“Echoes” from GPR can result from reflections off of building foundations, grave shafts, cobbles, boulders, brick masses, the tap-root of a large tree, a large animal burrow, a pipeline, an electrical line, or pieces of metal, glass, ceramic, or plastic.
Pete Petrone, a former 39-year photographic specialist for National Geographic Magazine, used GPR in archaeology and forensic studies. In Egypt in 1987, his team discovered and remotely photographed a 4,600-year-old underground ship of Pharaoh Khufu at the base of the Great Pyramid on the Giza Plateau.
The electro-magnetic device generates a magnetic field, which in turn induces a magnetization in the soil or induces a magnetic field within a metal object. It can detect magnetic susceptibility to a depth of about 2 feet or conductivity to a depth of about 5 feet.
Magnetic gradiometry makes detailed measurements of the earth’s magnetic field and of its vertical gradient. The vertical gradient is valuable for highlighting the shallowest buried magnetic objects.
Information generated from the research will be made available on the Internet. Also, portable displays of pictures and artifacts are planned for public places throughout the county.
Archaeology The Dig
Work Continues on Elk Run Church Site
February 28, 2001
From The Fauquier Times-Democrat, Wednesday, February 28, 2001 (with permission)
Much work has been accomplished since the project began in August 1999 to preserve the 1750s Anglican Church brick cruciform foundation in the village of Elk Run.
During February the Elk Run Church Site Preservation Committee, Scouts from Troop 1177 and local 4-H Club members met to clean artifacts recovered during summer 2000 excavations. Under the guidance of Dr. John Eddins, volunteer Archaeologist, Scouts are working on their Archaeology Merit Badge requirements and the 4-H Club members are earning Community Service hours.
A total of 27 excavation units were dug in 2000.
Artifacts range from different size nails; broken church window glass; salt glazed pottery fragments; plaster wall fragments; clay pipe stem; 19th Century coins; a Colonial clothing button; some whole bricks and broken brick pieces, and Indian arrowheads dating back 4000 years or more.
Eddins’ archaeology laboratory work consists of systematically cleaning, identifying, numbering, re-bagging artifacts in new bags with ID tags, and placing them in storage bags. The artifacts were then recorded in a site catalog.
The next scheduled Artifact Cleaning is on 10 March, 9AM to 3PM at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church parish house, 8538 Greenwich Road, Catlett, Virginia. Those wishing to participate may call the Church Office at (540) 788-4252 for confirmation and directions.
Also in February, committee chairman, Ed Dandar, and Webmaster, David Buckwalter provided a display and a briefing on Elk Run Church Preservation activities to the Warrenton Rotary Club.
The display included a 3/16-inch scale model created by volunteer Architect Carol Miller that provides a future view of the park layout. Continued community support will be needed to establish this site as a Fauquier Historical Park.
The Elk Run Church Web Site also has been updated with historic map extracts, new photos of recent activities and plans for their “2001 Dig” at Elk Run.
Archaeology Artifacts The Dig
Artifacts Get Cleaned
February 3, 2001
On February 3, 2001, systematic cleaning and processing of the artifacts that were recovered during the Year 2000 excavations began by volunteers composed of local Elk Run neighbors, Boy Scouts, 4H Club members and church parishioners.