New Data, Old Methods : A Functional Analysis of Colonial Era Structures on the "Wooten-Marnan Lot" at Brunswick Town, North Carolina

Abstract

Two archaeological features, N26 and N29, at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site were originally located and minimally excavated by Stanley South in the late 1950s. Historical documents and limited excavations led South to interpret both N26 and N29 as colonial era features. Further archaeological investigations during the 2009 and 2011 William Peace University field schools gathered new information indicating that South's interpretation of feature N26 should be reconsidered. While the functional nature of N26 is still unknown, new evidence indicates that it is of Civil War origin, not colonial. Feature N29 was determined to be a colonial era dwelling as South previously hypothesized. It was also concluded through quantitative pattern analysis and qualitative analysis of artifacts, that the occupants of the dwelling associated with N29 was of high socioeconomic status.