The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1955-08-04
Archaeology In Garrett County
BY FRANK r. CORLIss, JR.

The material presented in this
article is not based on information
received from full scale excava-
tions. but is a synopsis of what has
been found mainly by surface col
lecting over the past fifteen years
A few test pits are all that have
been done in the way of excavation,
and these We're restricted to the
three known pottery sites. one of
which is a rock shelter.
Most of the test pits were dug
by the Carnegie Museum Survey
party during the 1850 and 1851 sea
sons The artifacts and features eX-
posed by these tests proved that
at least two of the pottery sites
would be worthy of full-scale eXca-
walton in the future.
Geographically speaking, Garrett
County is more closely akin to
West Virginia than to Maryland,
being located in the rugged eastern
part of the Appalachian Plateau.
Most of the area is a divide be-
tween the Potomac and Youghio-
gheny watersheds.
This article is a description of
several sites along with illustrated
comments on artifact types. Most
of the projectile points probably
represent the Archaic Period. To
date, 46 sites have been located in
the county. Three of these contain
pottery, Two are mound or cairn
sites. The rest are probably
Archaic or Early Woodland.
The trinomial system of number
ing sites has been adopted. This is
the same system used by the Up
per Ohio Valley Archaeological
Survey The first number refers
to the alphabetical number of the
state, the two middle letters to the
county and the last number (s)
indicates the site number
These two sites are composed of
small stone mounds, two to three
feet high and fifteen feet in di-
ameter All of these mounds have
been previously disturbed. The fol-
lowing description of mound No.
2 at 18Ga27 is typical for the rest.
This circular mound. as I first
saw it, was approximately 10 to y
feet in diameter. about feet above
original ground surface. and had a
circular depression in the center
due to previous disturbance.
The first bone probably a human
Lego was found at the bottom of
the depression in the center of the
mound. Small fragments of bone.
most of them uncovered at one
level, were found occasionally be
tween stones. This level was about
- inches below the original surface
of the ground Most of the skeletal
material encountered at this bot
tommost level seemed to be I'M
disturbed This material was en-
bedded with tree roots which made
removal very difficult without
breakage. All bones were in a
fragmentary state Three teeth
were found near an assemblage of
skull bones The arrangement of
the whole seems to indicate a
fleXed burial, provided the bones
were in stu and represented one
individual. Three individuals were
represented by the bones from
mound No. l, however, which helps
to diScredit that assumption No
artifacts except a metal cone, three
inches long, were found. This cone
may be bangle used by Historic
tribes. Perhaps because of the
previous disturbance, this mound
seemed to indicate no structural
features, whatever.
Both of these sites are located on
high hilltops near and overlooking
the Youghiogheny River.
POTTERY SITES
The Sanging Ground Site
This site is located at the juno
ton of Sang Run and the Youghio-
gheny River at an elevation of 1880
feet. The name "Sanging Ground
was given to this site by the late
Captain c. E. Hoye, a local histori-
an on Garrett County. The name
refers to the practice of gathering
ginseng in the old days when it
was SO plentiful in this area.
The site occupies the only siza-
BILE flat to be found near the river
for miles on either side 1t is sur
rounded by steep-sided mountains
which, due to their proximity, pro-
vide protection from storms. There
is also a large spring nearby where
water could have been obtained
Limestone soil, scarce in Garrett
County, is found here and would
have made primitive agriculture
more profitable