Archaeologists found and excavated 43 features at the Buck site. The excavations yielded over 12,000 artifacts, most of which indicated that the site was occupied from 1630-50. Some of the more spectacular finds were wells with gold and silver threads, ditches with fine Chinese porcelain, rare Montelupo pottery, a brass spur with gold gilt, and a human burial with two halves of a 1582 silver English sixpence. Some of the different features at 44JC568 maintained slightly different date ranges, suggesting site phases and frequent change in the immediate area. Extraordinary finds aside, the Buck site's overall artifact assemblage and stratigraphic record reflected the daily activities of those working this Neck-of-Land farmstead--the digging of ditches and wells, cultivation of adjacent fields, maintenance of livestock, and construction of buildings.

The principle features at 44JC568 consisted of three wells--two with nearby well boom postholes--, nine human burials, four small earthfast non-domestic four-post structures (hereafter "sheds"), and a series of ditches. Two of the wells (1 and 2) were within 11' of one another, and the third (3) was only 60' away. Ditches of three different widths (.5', 2.5' and 4.0') encircled and divided 44JC568. Likely used to hold fence posts, for drainage, and to mark boundaries, these ditches separated the site into a large pentagon-shaped enclosure to the west, and a large rectangular area to the east.

The top foot of the site had been disturbed by field plowing. Archaeologists strategically tested the plowzone and then had it stripped mechanically from the site. Excavators dug the features by hand, screening 100% of the fill through 1/4" hardware cloth. Archaeologists uncovered no dwellings at the site. The architectural remains were likely erased by years of plowing or modern intrusions that created a large stratigraphic disturbance in the northeastern quarter of 44JC568.

Site Phases

Temporal analyses of the artifacts and features at 44JC568 suggested four different site phases during the overall 1630-50 occupation. These studies included histograms, mean dates, seriate analyses, TPQ and TAQ determinations, production and use date range intersections, feature orientation, and stratigraphic analyses. Historical documentation supported this contention of the site's high turnover rate. The wells were used at different times and the burials were dug during four distinct phases. Conversely, the fill of the ditches indicated that they stayed open during the entire occupation of 44JC568.