Our Problem and Hypothesis examines what we can know and how well we can know it.
Title
Interpreting the Archeological Evidence of  a 20th Century Earth Oven
Statement of Problem
Will  the scientific archeological excavation of a 20th century earth oven document accurately:
1. Date of use (1985 - 2000 A.D.)?
2. Nature of function (cooking turkeys/vegetables)?
3. Relationship to ritual  (celebration of Guy Fawkes day)?
4. Sesonality (Fall/ first week of November)?
5. Neighborhood cultural patterning  (patterns which sub divide a given group)?
6. Site structural dynamics (the structure of the structure of the home lot itself)?
And:
Which information derived from  Scientific Archeological research will be more complete and accurate?
Hypothesis
The scientific archeological excavation of a 20th century earth oven will provide information 
according to the following list.
The Expected  Completeness/Significance of Information Provided Listed in Order from Highest to Lowest Completeness /Significance.
1. Neighborhood cultural patterning.
2. Site structure dynamics.
3. Sesonality.
4. Date of use.
5. Relationship to rituals.
6. Nature of function.

Subject Residence=  Democrat (1) Republican =(1)
 

Subject Residence= Computer (1) Artist = (1)
 

What does the site of the Earth Oven tell us about the site structure of the entire lot? Does it reflect any basic overall trends which can be used to characterize the entire lot?

The site structure of 402 Nancy Avenue is made up of many parts.
These parts include:

1. Formal Symmetrical plantings such as hedges and gardens.
2. Workshop and Housekeeping areas laid out asymmetrically in regard to the structure.
3. Storage areas laid out asymmetrically in regard to the structure.
4. Recreation Areas laid out asymmetrically in regard to the structure.
5. There are also two driveways, which are also laid out asymmetrically in regard to the structure.

The earth oven was created without regard to the symmetry of the house and lot.  It was placed as far to the N.E. of the site as possible and as far from the North East property boundary as was considered safe.

These site structures are indicated on the attached map (map 1).
Recreational, storage and workshop structures are found mainly in the back yard to the North East of the structure. Formal symmetrical plantings are concentrated in the front yard or South West side of the structure.

The earth oven is a part of an asymmetrical cluster of structures.

When we excavated the earth oven we found that its site was kept clear of discarded artifacts except for one pair of plant cutters which had been lost in the soil.  Artifacts surrounding the pit within the two square yard drop zone surrounding the pit, were small and fragmentary not exceeding 1.5 inches in length. Further away we found a concentration of larger objects but these had been placed several yards from the site of the earth oven itself. These objects ranging from 1-2.5 inches in length fomed what South (1979 )  has called a toss zone.
This zone was more like a storage area structure. The concentration of artifacts was evaluated by eye and they did not appear in greater or equal quantities than those of the surface materials (wood chips and twigs).

An examination of the other structures of the lot showed us that the cleaning up of large objects was the general rule and that if artifacts were left on the surface their size was not more than 1.5 inches in length.  Artifacts on the surface within a 2-yard area surrounding each structure were examined and measured. All were fragmentary and were equal to or less than 1.5 inches in longest length. The quantity of artifacts was evaluated in relation to the total surface. In no case did artifacts appear in greater or equal density than the surface material (wood chips). This was determined by overall appearance-by sight.

Conclusion
The excavation and observation of the earth oven pit and its surrounding drop zone site revealed a site structure, which was the same for  the lot as a whole.
The pit had been located asymmetrically.  This was also the same for the lot as a whole.

The careful cleaning of artifacts of size from the site of the earth oven reflected the way the lot as a whole was cared for.

We believe that despite the fact that the earth oven was only one component of the entire site structure that a study of the way it was positioned and how it was maintained would be able to be used to accurately talk about the entire lot.

Future research could also use these traits to relate the lot of 402 Nancy Ave. to others in the neighborhood which are more or less formally planned, lack or contain concentrations of structures and keep their sites more or less clean. Such work would contribute to the finding of sub-cultural groups based upon site structure within the community. Therefore we believe that the excavation of the earth oven contributes greatly to the study of site structure.
 

Sources Cited
South, Stanley, “Historic Site Content, Structure, and Function”. In: American Antiquity.,  April 1979, vol. 44 #2, pp. 213-235.

Select a portion of the report to study by clicking on the titles below:

Artifacts tell Only a very General Story

Artifacts recovered tell us about the wood burned in the
fire and provide only a very general date. Metal objects
can only be dated to a period of 100 years. Ceramic tiles
narrow the range to about 50 years. Without the oral
history we would not have been able to relate the ribbon
and the cloth to the ritual. Plastic wrappers and debris
 from gardening confuse our view.

Layers in the Soil Tell of Two Fires, Rocks and Heat
The layers of soil, charcoal and rocks tell us that the site was well
preserved. They tell us that a pit was dug and was heated many
times to high temperature. Rocks were included in the fire. The
 first fire was put out before the charcoal could turn to ash. Later
 a second fire was kindled and allowed to burn down to fine ash.

Scale is cm. unless otherwise noted.

Once archeological research has been completed the site which has been excavated is destroyed. It is important to make sure that the excavation is done properly and that records are taken. The research should be done so that questions asked in our problem statement can be answered.

Here are those questions and a list of ways we have designed our research to answer them. We could not be sure that the information would be preserved but if it was we needed to be able to record it.

 Questions

1. Date of Use- In order to find out when the earth oven was used we will have to carefully remove all artifacts from the soil and then find out when they were made. To remove them from the soil we will pass all soil through a piece of ¼ inch hardware cloth screen.  To find out when they were made we will look up information in artifact databases. We will excavate the oven carefully keeping artifacts from each excavation unit or layer together so that if one unit or layer is of a certain date we will be able to learn of this.

2. Nature of Function- Artifacts may also tell us how the site was used so we will examine them to find out how they were used as well as when they were used. We will also examine the structure itself to determine what happened in it.

3. Relationship to Ritual-  If we are to find out what ritual used the earth oven we will have to know more than just the date of the oven and its function. We will have to find out if the use of the oven changed during the time it was used. To answer this question we will have to be careful to recognize any layers found in the soil. A change in the layer may let us know that a new part of the ritual has changed the use of the oven. We will excavate the oven by removing only 10 centimeters at a time. If a change in soil color or texture is noticed we will make a new unit of excavation. We will also make sure that we record the layers carefully. We will do this by excavating only half of the oven at a time. The side that is left will let us make a picture of the layers which we have removed.

4. Seasonality- Because certain plants only grow and have seeds at a certain times of the year we will have to look for the remains of any seeds which have been preserved within the oven. Seeds which have been burned will be preserved in the oven as they will have been turned into carbon. We must be careful to make sure that no seeds from the vines now growing are able to get into the excavation. We will carefully remove them from the area. In order to find remains of seeds we will select  a 25% sample of the screened soil. We will then place this soil into water and skim off materials that float to the surface. Seeds will be lighter than the water. They will float. We will then identify the seeds. If we find seeds of grape and morning glory plants we will know that there is evidence that the oven was used during the fall because that is when these plants have seeds which could fall into the oven from the arbors above the pit where they grow.  We will identify these seeds by comparing them with samples of seeds taken from growing plants. To further isolate the seeds which came from the pit itself we will select our soil for floatation only from that which came from more than 10 centimeters below the surface of the excavation.

5. Neighborhood Cultural Patterning-   We will find information about neighborhood cultural patterning by carefully finding the location of the earth oven on the lot site and by carefully identifying its function as that of an earth oven. Once we have determined that it is an earth oven we can check the community for the presence of earth ovens in other places. We will do this by using a questionnaire.

6. Site Structure-  Location of the earth oven is also important for knowing how the oven fit into the rest of the site. We will carefully find the location of the earth oven on the map of the lot. We will also write down information about the area surrounding the oven itself. Because this area has not been built up over time or covered up we can inspect this area visually and describe any artifacts which are found on the surface. We will need to know how large the artifacts are and how many artifacts there are in relation to the total surface area. We also have to look for different parts of the site. An important question is: Will there be a drop and a toss zone as described by South (1979).  We will make observations and carefully write them down. We will later compare these observations with the data we observe at other parts of the site structure.  We will want to know if the site of the oven is like or different from the other structures on the site.

7. Evaluating our Results-  We will determine the importance of the results of our study by comparing them with information found by using the oral history. We will then list the types of information in an order relating to their accuracy when compared to the oral history. This will then provide a test for our hypothesis.

Sources Cited
South, Stanley, “Historic Site Content, Structure, and Function”. In: American Antiquity.,  April 1979, vol. 44 #2, pp. 213-235.

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Data and Interpretation/Conclusion
Archeological Research- Results

Location, Location, Location

In order to be able to carefully record layers, excavation units and structures we first carefully located the excavation unit on a map of the lot. This gave us the horizontal location. We measured from the surveyor’s known datum point along the line of the side of the lot and then in to the corner of our excavation unit which was laid out parallel to the lot (See map 1).
 

In order to determine the vertical distances beneath the surface we had to select a datum point on our excavation unit from which all depths would be measured. We selected the South West corner which we named “c” of the unit.  It was important to relate the surface of corner c of our excavation unit to a known point or datum.

The unit datum (corner “c”) is located 71.5 feet N.E. of the Datum point (corner of lot at S.E. ) as measured along the S.E. property boundary (adjacent to Governors Gate Lane).
The unit datum point is located 75 cm. N.W. along a line drawn perpendicularly to the property boundary at 71.5 feet N.E. of the Datum point.

We measured the depth of the surface of the ground at corner c in relation to the known surveyor’s point (main datum point)  at the intersection of Governors Gate Lane and Nancy Ave. This point was found at the South East corner of the lot. Corner “c” was  33 cm. below the datum point. All measurements from corner “c” are an additional 33 cm.  below the main datum point.

In order to locate the earth oven we made made a square unit of known size over the site of the oven. Since the dirt which filled the oven had sunk down we could easily place a one meter square excavation unit over the site. We made sure that the unit was perfectly square by using triangulation. (in order to make sure we had right angles at the corners we needed to divide the square into two right triangles and make sure that the sum of the squares of the sides (2) equaled the hypotenuse or longest side. In other words the hypotenuse of the square would have to be 1.4 meters) We use a standard square so that our results can be compared with the results of others.

(Unless indicated otherwise all measurements are in inches. Each entry indicates the measurement of the longest length or perimeter of a single artifact. Artifacts are listed one per line. If an object is bent the length after the bend is indicated after the word “bend”)

See Figure 2 for plan of unit
See Figure 3 for cross section, See Figure 4 for Location of Datum Point and Unit

 Part 1 Level 1
1. Description- After laying out the excavation unit over the site of the earth oven. The meter square unit was divided equally in half along the North South center line into East and West halves. The Western half was called Part 1. We removed the first 10 centimeters of soil from western one half of the unit this was called Level 1 part 1. This soil was a combination of sandy loam, and ash. It was dark gray to black in color. All soil was placed through a ¼ inch hardware cloth screen and artifacts were recovered and placed into a plastic bag.

Artifacts Recovered:
1. Ceramic Tile- White bathroom-like tile. Occasionally this tile would have blue and white contact paper on its glazed surface. One surface was glazed white while the other was left plain. The body was hard fired white earthenware. One edge of each tile was rounded the others were square.

            2 X .25
            2.25 x 1
1.5 x 1,75
1.75X1.25
2.75 x 1.50
2.5 x 1.25
2 3/8 x 1.50
3.5 x 2.5
4.25 x 2.5
4.25 x 2
4.25 x 2.5

2. Mortar- Light-colored sand mortar.

  1.5x1
  2 x .75
  1.25 x 1
3. Sheet Metal- thin ferrous metal sheet less than 1/16  inch in thickness.
  6 x 1.5
  5 x 1
  4.5 x 2.5
4. Melted aluminum beverage can

   4 x 2
 

End Depth- 10 centimeters below unit datum

Soil at end depth - Soil contains much more charcoal and it is determined that a new level should be identified.

Analysis:
The materials recovered varied widely in size from a longest length of 6 inches to the shortest length of .75 inch.  The melted beverage can may be related to the activities associated with the earth oven. The sheet metal was the same as that found eroding from a decaying garden boundary edging which was adjacent to the oven. The ceramic tiles are the same as those identified in the oral history as being placed on top of the oven during baking. The ash and carbon in the soil indicates that it is associated with burning. The presence of more ash than charcoal indicates that the fire was allowed to burn completely in the presence of enough air to allow for the transformation of charcoal to ash. This complete burning reflects a longer time of burning and is in keeping with the aspect of the use of the oven associated with the fire after the dinner had been baked.

Part 1 Level 2

1. Description- Much more charcoal present than in level 1. There are bigger pieces. Not so much ash as in level one. The soil is loosely compacted. There is little or no sandy loam present.

Artifacts Recovered

1. Metal Screw Machine made slot head

 1.75 straight

2. Wire Nails

 1.5 bend 1.75
            1 bend 2.25
           3.5
           3.0
           3.0
            1.0 bend 2 1/8
 2.5

3. Carriage Bolts

  1.5 x 1.25
 With nut and washer:
           2.5 x .25
           2.25 bend 4.0

4. Ceramic tile as above

 1x1.5
 2 x 1.5
 2 x 1
 2.5 x 1.75

5. Mortar as above

 1.5 x 1

6. Plastic

Silver Plastic Sheet (less than 1/16 inch)
            2x .75
 Contact Paper Dutch Scene Blue and White (see tile description above)
            2.5 x 1.25
 1.75 x 2

Analysis
In this layer of charcoal and infill soil we find the same tiles and mortar combination noted above. This was a result of repeated baking and infill over the years mixing in the broken tiles and plastic. The presence of metal hardware, specifically fasteners, reflects the burning of pieces of wood which had been fastened together rather than unfinished firewood. The oral history indicates that this was the first type of wood to be burned. The fact that many of the fasteners were bent indicates that the objects that they had been part of were destroyed prior to burning. Artifacts ranged in size from 4 inches to .75 with the largest artifacts being the carriage bolts. There is much less tile in this sample.
With more charcoal and larger pieces of it present we conclude that this layer reflects burning with less access to air and a quicker burning process which did not produce as much fine ash as in the later layer. This layer is the layer associated with the preparation of the earth oven for cooking as it was quickly covered up as soon as the meat was placed into the oven. As a result much more charcoal remained.

End Depth = 27 cm. Below excavation unit datum
Soil at End Depth =  Level ends on compact layer of cobbles and charcoal

Part 1 Level 3

Cooking Rocks/Charcoal- No artifacts Recovered

Rocks – river cobbles (Basalt like igneous fine grained) ranging in size from 12 inches to one inch in length and from  .5 to 5 inches in diameter. Many of these rocks have been cracked by heat but most were whole. Some of the larger rocks had been fractured by exposure to heat while many had not been damaged.

End Depth- 43 cm.
Soil at End Depth – This layer ended on a hard, flat, red surface of soil which had been baked hard and red by heat.

Analysis:

This layer was that of the rocks used in cooking. The mixture indicated that the oven had been used more than once. Some rocks were quite small having been made smaller by repeated use. Other rocks had been fractured but not cracked through while others remained whole. This indicates that new rocks were brought in while older materials were re-used over time and that the oven had been used more than once.

Part Two
The Eastern half of the unit

Part 2 Level 1
From 0 to 14 centimeters
This layer consisted of sandy loam with fine ash as in part 1 level 1.

Artifacts Recovered
Metal

 Tool
 Plant Trimmer with plastic grips Whole
 8 x 6 x 2.5

 Flat metal strip
 5.5 x 2.25
 Sheet Metal
 2.5 x 2
 2 x ¾ x 2
 3x2x3
 1.20 x 1 x 1.5 x 1.25
 3.5 x 2.25 x 3.25 x 1.5
 Non Ferrous wire
           bent
 3.5 x 1.5
 1

 spring
 4 coils 1.25 x 3/8

 hexagonal junction box part
 1.5 diameter outer

 hinge
 1.5 x 3.4 with wood screw (3/8 diameter)

 ferrous metal fitting
 round, center threaded 1 1/8 diameter outside 4 screw holes
 2 x 1.25

 wood screw in wood
 2.5 x 1

 wire nail
 3.25
 2 bend 1
 2 bend 1

 carriage bolt with nut and washer
 3.25 x .25
 6 x .25

 wood screw flat head
 1.25

 wood screw slot head
 1.25 bend .5
 1.25 bend .5
 1 1/8 bend ¾
 1.25 bend 5/8

 ceramic tile (as described above)
 2.75 x 2.5x 3 x 2.5
 2.5 x 1 x 2.5 x 2.25
 2.5 x 1.75 x 1.5
 2 x 2.5 x 2 x 2.5
 3.75 x 2.5 x 2 x .25
 4.25 x2.5 x 4.25 x .75 x 4.25

           Whole- 4 x 4
 1x .75 x .75

 With contact paper
 2 x 2.5 x 1.25 x 2
 4.25 x 2.25 x 4.25 x 1.5
 3 x 4.25 x 2.75

 Mortar (as described above)
 2 x 1.5

 Plastic
 Guy Fawkes Badge Ribbon Red
 2 x 21 x .5 (knotted)
 8 x .5

 Gummi Candy wrapper Shark Picture Turquoise on white Plastic
 4 x 2.75 x 3.5 x 1

 Black Plastic bag sheeting
 3x 5/8
 2.5 x 1.5

 Clear Plastic Shopping bag sheeting
 3.25 x .5
 8.25 x 1.25
           5.5 x 1.5

 Clear Plastic
 6 x 8
 5 x 1
 1.75 x 1
 2.5x1 wrapper
 1.25 x 1.5

 Black Plastic Electrical Tape
 .75 x 7

 Contact Paper Blue and  White Dutch Scene
 3.75 x 1
 2 x .5
 1 x .5

 Orange Plastic
 2.5x2

 Wrapper White with Black Lettering
 1.5 x 1

 White Plastic
 1.5 x 1
 1.5 x 3/8

 Blue Plastic
 1.5 x 1

 Pierced Plastic Sheeting (tarp material)
 Blue
 3.75 x 2

 Cloth
 Bed sheet white
 7 x 1.5
 4.25 x 1
 14 x 12

Organic
Peanut 1.25 x 5/8
Peach Pit 1 x .75

Part 2 Level 3
Charcoal- no artifacts
 

Part 2 Level Two
End depth- 58 cm.  below unit datum
 

 Artifacts Recovered-

 Metal
 Carriage Bolt
 With nut and washer
            6 x 1
            2 bend 2
             3.5 x .25
            5 x .25
            5 x .25
            6 x 25

           Wire Nails
 2 bend 1.25
           2
 3.5

           Wood Screw Philips Head
 2 bend 1.25

 Wood Screw Slot Head
   1.5
 1.5

 Non ferrous wire
 2.5 bend 2.5
 1.5 bend 1
          2. x 1/8

 Glass
 Window Glass Clear
 1.5
 Clear Glass
 1.5
 Green Glass
 .75 x .50

 Organic
 Peanut
 1.5 x .5

 Plastic
 Green Plastic Sheet
 1.5 x .75
 Black Plastic Sheet
 5 x 1.25
 4 x 1.5
 3x 1 1/8
 4.75 x .25
 3.25 x 1.0
 Clear Plastic with Blue Printing
 2.5 x 2
 Plastic Wrapper with clear red printing
 3x .5
 White Plastic with red printing
 1.75 x  3/8
  4.5 x 4.5
 White Plastic Sheeting
 9x .25
 1.75 x .75
 Black Plastic Electrical Tape
 2.5x .5
 7 x .5
 White Plastic
 2.5 x 1 6/8
 1.5 x ¾
 1.5 x .5
 Clear Plastic Sheeting
 1.75 x .75
 2.25 x 2.25
 2.5 x 1.5
 3.5x2.75
 1.5 x 1
 White Plastic Plant/Flower tag black lettering
 5/8 x 7/8
            Tomato
 1.25 x .5
 Pink Clear White Wrapper
 2.5 x 1.5
 White/Orange Butterfinger candy wrapper
 3.5.2.5
 Plastic Foam Insulation
 2 x 1.5

 Contact Paper Dutch Blue and White (see above)
 2.25 x .75

 Plastic Straw
 Red-white-Yellow
 8 x ¼

 Cloth
 White Sheet
 4 3/8 x 3.5
 9 ¼ x 5.5
 Nylon stocking
 3 x 1.5

Soil end Depth- This layer ended on the same layer of cooking rocks as described above at a depth of 58 cm. below unit datum.

Analysis
The analysis for this layer is the same as for part 1 level 2 as above.

Extension-
It was discovered that the earth oven extended beyond the excavation unit 15 inches to the East. The extension unit was created to complete the excavation of the oven. The layers were the same as for units above.

Extension Layer 1

Artifacts Recovered

Plastic
Contact Paper Blue/white Dutch scene as above
4 x 4

White plastic bag sheeting
3x1.5

Carefree sugarless gum wrapper
2.5 x 2

Plastic animal tiger orange
2.5 x .75

Metal
Sheet metal fragment 2.5 x 2 1/8

Glass
Clear 1.5 x 1 x .25(thick)  (raised lettering = “1” external raised}

Mortar (as described above)
3x1.5

Tile (as described above)
4 x 4 x .25 in three pieces
1.75 x 1.75 x .75
2.5 x 1.5 x 2.5 x 1.5
.75 x 4.25 x 3

Extension Layer 2

Metal
Non ferrous wire
5.25 bend 5/8
2 bent 1.75

Wire Nail
1.5 bend 1
 

Soil At End Depth:
 This layer ended at 14 cm on the same layer of coarse charcoal as seen in part 1 level 2.

Analysis
The analysis of this layer is the same for part 1 level 1 above.
 

Feature 1  (Sump)
           A square pit feature was cut into the base of the oven on the S.E. corner.
It was 20 x 19 cm. in perimeter and 38 cm. in depth. This feature appeared at the end of the layer of rocks.

Feature 1
From top of feature to .19 cm. in depth
Soil = sandy loam with charcoal and ash

Artifacts Recovered

Ceramic tile
2x1x1.5 thick = .25 (as described above)
1.75 x 1.25 x 1.25

Metal
Wood screw
Slot head
2

Non ferrous wire
1.5

Plastic
Plant tag
Pepper
Illustration and instructions
1.5 x .5

Feature Level 2
From 7.5 to 15 inches and bottom of feature.
Mostly charcoal with large pieces of charcoal firewood
(8-12 inches in length)

Metal
Wire Nail
2.0 bent 1 5/8

Wood screw slot head
1.25 bend .75
1.75 x .25

Analysis
As with the rest of the oven the sump revealed two distinct layers.
The top layer contained remains of the second fire and infill containing the decorative tiles. The second layer was mainly charcoal with large pieces of wood smothered when the meat was covered with earth.
 

Flotation Sample (See Figure 1)
A sample consisting of 20% of the sifted soil from the second layer of the fill was processed by flotation. Materials floating were skimmed and checked for evidence of seed remains.
Several carbonized and unburned morning glory  (Ipomoea ) seeds were recovered.

Drop and Toss Zone
The area surrounding the earth oven was surveyed for the presence or absence of drop and toss zones of site structure.
A drop zone identified by the presence of pieces of cracked rock, tile and other artifacts ranging in size from 1-2 inches in longest length was observed to surround the oven extending to 1.5 meters on each side. Piles of dirt not used in the infill were noted on the edge of this zone extending from 1.5 to two meters outward. At the edge of this zone were deposited large chunks of partially burned wood removed from the pit either prior to cooking or after the last fire. These were about 1.5 to 2 meters distant from the edge of the pit and formed, along with the piles of dirt, a toss zone as described by South (1979 )

Conclusion

Relative Preservation-

The site of the earth oven was well preserved as indicated by the presence of distinct and un-disturbed layers. The presence of objects from the use of the larger site as a garden are to be expected as they formed a sheet of artifacts scattered by that activity over the entire lot. Any disturbance of the soil for the operation of the oven would have brought these artifacts as well as stray pieces of glass or plastic into the matrix.

Date-
While our oral history would indicate that objects were deposited, recently available data bases do not accurately date objects.
There are no cut or hand forged nails or screws in the sample. There are wire nails and machined screws and carriage bolts in the sample. These, however, can only be dated to any time after the mid to late 19th century without a way to more clearly identify specimens which are not that old.

Although plastic is present, apart from a few candy wrappers which can be dated to the last 10-15 years, databases for this material do not exist and therefore the can be only relatively defined to fall somewhere within the 20th century.

The ceramic tiles date to a period which ranges from the early 20th century to the present day.

The determination of date must necessarily remain fuzzy and not exact.
The oral history is clearly more exact in this regard.

Function
Analysis concludes that the materials in the pit were deposited in three stages.
1. Rocks were installed on the floor of the pit
2. A hot fire was kindled on top of them
3. This fire was put out before it had a chance to burn to fine ash
4. A second fire was kindled on top of some fill and this fire was allowed to burn down to fine ash before its remains were covered by re-used infill.

There is no evidence of cookery at all. Comparison with ethnographic and archeological evidence from other sites may aid in a further identification of function however, within the interpretation of this site the function must remain ill defined. It is clear that rocks from outside the area were gathered and heated in a fire. The purpose of it all remains obscure.

Ritual
There was one aspect of ritual which was uncovered but the ribbon identified could not be so identified without the oral history.

Seasonality
Morning Glory (Ipomoea) seeds recovered via flotation clearly indicate a Fall seasonality for the filling in of the pit. Seeds are available from Mid October onward.

Site Structure
As with other elements of the site structure of the lot, the earth oven structure did contain a toss and a drop zone which was created by its use. The frequency of artifacts and their size was found to be in harmony with that of the other elements of site structure observed on the lot and therefore the structure of this element is reflective of the structure of the lot as a whole.

Sources Cited
South, Stanley, “Historic Site Content, Structure, and Function”. In: American Antiquity.,  April 1979, vol. 44 #2, pp. 213-235.