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MA/PhD Theses Abstracts of Current Students & Alumni |
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Kempton, Karen L., December 1986 - ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT OLD MILL CREEK: AN EARLY 19TH-CENTURY RESIDENCE AT THE STRAITS OF MACKINAC
Abstract: Archaeological excavations of Structure Three at Old Mill Creek State Historic Park, near Mackinaw City, Michigan have been conducted by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission since 1973. During 1984, field work at this site served as an internship project for the Department of Anthropology at the University of South Florida, Tampa. Analysis of the archaeological data gathered at the west end of Structure Three in 1979, 1980, and 1984 was undertaken as a master's thesis project. Structure Three is just one building in a larger complex of structures known to have existed at this late 18th- and early 19th-century sawmill site. Very few historic documents relating to the mill operations, and no written references pertaining specifically to Structure Three, have been located. Prior to 1984 field work and data analysis, several research interests were formed based on previous archaeological investigations and on what little is known through the historic record. Information from the available documents was correlated with stratigraphic, structural, and artifact data recovered from four 10-foot square excavation units to answer questions regarding chronology, site function, occupant status, and activities at the building. It was concluded that Structure Three was occupied from the 1820s to 1840s, during the period the Old Mill Creek property was owned by a wealthy entrepreneur named Michael Dousman. The data revealed that Dousman, a prominent citizen of nearby Mackinac Island, probably did not reside at Structure Three. Rather, the dwelling may have been inhabited by a working-class millwright/tenant. Archaeological evidence also suggested that the resident might have been involved in the fur trade or other activities associated with the storage of goods. An intersite comparative study showed that the Structure Three artifact assemblage did not greatly resemble any of the established artifact patterns with which it was compared. Excavation of the building must be completed before more definite conclusions can be reached.
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