Approximately 122.4 square meters of surface area, or about 1.4 percent of the site, defined by the maximum scatter of cultural material found during the surface survey and by the standard volumetric sample (SVS) units, were excavated both by hand and with a backhoe equipped with a narrow, smooth-edge bucket (Figure 4.2). Cultural anomalies identified during the excavation included a large rock concentration, four pit features, wall trenches associated with two possible house structures, and three midden areas. A later survey identified an additional twelve midden areas.
Initial investigations at the Sugar Creek site involved the establishment of a site grid and the creation of a fine-scale topographic map of the site area (Figure 4.3). Following this, materials from plowzone context were sampled by the excavation of 53 50.0 cm-by-50.0 cm SVS units, because of the lack of ground surface visibility at the time of the initial investigation. All soil excavated from the SVS units was passed through 1/4-inch hardware cloth and bagged separately. These sample blocks guided the excavation of the hand-excavated units as well as the areas exposed by mechanical stripping. After possible feature areas were identified, four units, each measuring 2.0 m by 2.0 m, were excavated by hand.
Seven units were exposed by mechanical stripping. In an attempt to determine if the stockade and circular village plan identified at the Cox's Woods site (Redmond and McCullough 1996) and the Clampitt site (Redmond 1994b) were present on this site, three trenches were placed outward from the feature areas to intersect any stockade walls that might have been present along the village perimeter.
After removal of the plowzone soils in the excavation units, the exposed subsoil was cleanly scraped and all soil anomalies were mapped. All features encountered were cross sectioned, mapped, and photographed. The contents of all features were screened through 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Soil samples for flotation were taken from all natural levels identified within feature contexts, when practicable, and in 10.0 cm levels from within selected features. Flotation samples were taken at these finer intervals to try to determine seasonal variation in diet on Late Prehistoric sites. (For a similar approach, see Wagner and Shane 1994). All flotation samples have been processed; results of botanical and faunal analysis from selected features are presented in appendixes 2 and 3. Charcoal samples for radiocarbon assay were collected as well, and the results are presented in Appendix 4. At the completion of the excavation, all units were backfilled, and the original surface contours were restored.
Near the completion of the excavation of the Sugar Creek site, the eastern half of the site was plowed by the landowner. After permission to access that portion of the site was obtained, the eastern half of the site was surveyed according to the methodology outlined for this investigation. However, upon returning to the site in the spring of 1996, midden stains were visible on the surface. These midden stains were mapped and surface materials were collected from each midden area and bagged separately.
All artifacts collected during the excavation at 12 Jo 289 were processed, cataloged, and curated (accession number 9253) at the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology along with such associated documentation as field forms, photographs, and field specimen logs.
