BELLS BEND ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT


	Begining July 21st - All project updates can be found at our project facebook page "I Dig Bells Bend."
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	July 20th, 2012 - After getting pummelled by rain last night, we spent today in the lab.


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	July 18th, 2012 - Dave, Tom and Thad led Sandy Bivens, Paul Widman, and LinAnn Welch on a site tour of Bells Bend.


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	July 17th, 2012 - Backfilling the flotation colums and commencing flotation party at the Bells Bend Outdoor Center.



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	July 16th, 2012 - Removing the final flotation columns from the site, and then processing them back at the Bells Bend Outdoor Center.


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	July 13th, 2012 - Removing flotation columns and finished the bucket auger transects.


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	July 12th, 2012 - Removing the flotation column and continuing to bucket auger. We were also visited by Channel 5 News.



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	July 11th, 2012 - Preparing the profile to remove a flotation column, and bucket auguering to determine how much of the shell midden is still intact.


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	July 10th, 2012	Rained Out!
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	July 9th, 2012 - First day of fieldwork. After loading up the gear and the boat, we exposed a shell deposit adjacent to the Cumberland River, led by Thad Bissett, a doctoral student at UT-Knoxville.




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	July 6th, 2012 - Orientation, set-up, and a tour of some of the sites we worked on during the 2010 Field Season


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	August 9th - The group on the river continued to excavate two units and backfilled two profiles. A second group continued one last set of shovel tests for the field season on the property of the Bells Bend Outdoor Center.





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	August 6th	Rained Out!

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	August 5th - The group on the river continued to excavate two units, finished two profiles, and back-filled a flotation column. A second group began one last set of shovel tests for the field season on the property of the Bells Bend Outdoor Center.





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	August 4th - Continued with unit excavations on the river and two additional profile sections nearby. At the same time, another crew spent time cleaning, sorting, and cataloging artifacts in the lab. Another group went down to record recent looting at a nearby site.




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	August 3rd - Last night we listened to Jesse Tune discuss the Well's Creek Crater site. Today, we continued excavating the deeply buried flakes and charcoal we found last week. We also removed a hornet's nest and picked up a pirate hat. John Broster and Mark Norton also visited the site today.





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	August 2nd - We began two units at the base of the profile to continue investigating the deeply buried flakes and charcoal we found last week. We also placed several additional bucket auger tests to try to find the extent of the shell deposit and finished surface collecting the shoreline. Today we were also visited by Gary Barker and Howard Cyr.




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	July 30th - We continued working on the same site, with additional surface collections downriver. We completed a 3m deep float column, found additional deeply buried flakes and charcoal, and began bucket augering in an attempt to find the extent of the deposits. We also had a team using a totalt station to gather the data needed to create a 3D topographic map of the site.





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	July 29th - Most of the crew went to the new site, where we continued surface collecting. We also cleaned several profiles with one containing flakes and charcoal more than 3 meters below ground surface. Back at the visitor's center, the float team processed 24 samples in a single day. We also celebrating early birthdays for David Anderson and Sarah Walters.






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	July 28th - First day without Tom Pertierra on site, and we somehow managed to survive. Started surface collecting and profiling a new site downriver from Bells Bend. We also continued shovel testing select areas of the Bells Bend Outdoor Center.





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	July 27th - Last night, we all stayed at the Visitor's Center to avoid inclement wather. Moved the shovel tests to new locations and backfilled additional flotation columns along the shoreline.





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	July 26th - Expanding the shovel testing and augering at various locations on the property of the Bells Bend Outdoor Center, including the removal of two fully articulated pigs. Flotation columns were backfilled and an additional location where looting occurred was also documented.




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	July 23rd - Shovel testing and augering select locations on the property of the Bells Bend Outdoor Center, which included a visit by a videographer from The Tennessean. A new site was located on the river, and more signs of looting were also found.




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	July 22nd - Continuing to test to the west of the the Buchanan House and using the flotation machine to isolate paleobotanical material. Particle size and radiocarbon samples were taken from the second shell site we examined.




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	July 21st - Testing the area to the west of the the Buchanan House, including finding the remains of a pig burial complete with a nose ring. A second shell site was tested for paleo-botanical preservation.





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	July 20th - Continuing to test previously recorded sites on the property of the Bells Bend Outdoor Center. We are also investigating additional sites along the western side of Bells Bend.


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	July 19th - New week. We finished up testing at the historic house and are now re-locating and testing previously recorded sites on the property of the Bells Bend Outdoor Center. We are also investigating an additional site that is eroding into the river, and are continuing to process floatation samples.





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	July 16th - Last day of the week. We had four crews continuing to work at three sites and the field lab.





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	July 15th - Work continues at the shell midden, historic house and flotation machine. Work begins at an additional site that has been illegally looted.




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	July 14th - Continuing work at the shell midden and historic sites. A team also started using a flotation machine to search for botanical remains from select samples of sediment.




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	July 13th	Rained Out!

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	July 12th - An awesome dinner provided by local residents at the Scottsboro Community Center.


		We would like to thank Janie Woodard, Tammy Jones, Kimberly Jones, Dennis Paul, Ophie Osment and George Osment for the food and hospitality. .
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	July 12th - Continuing work at the shell midden and historic sites.



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	July 11th - Initial recon of the western side of Bells Bend by boat.





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	July 10th - Initial recon of the eastern side of Bells Bend by boat.





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	July 9th - Crews continued excavating shovel tests at the historic home. A second crew also began mapping a nearby shell midden to document illegal looting and to look for additional deeply buried deposits.




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	July 8th - After a brief orientation, the crew began work by laying out a grid and excavating shovel tests at a historic home that was built in 1842.


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