Annasnappet Pond Site facts for kids
The Annasnappet Pond Site is an important archaeological spot located in Carver, Massachusetts. Digging started there in 1978. This happened because a new road, Route 44, was being planned. Since federal money was used for the road, a check for old sites was needed. This check showed that Annasnappet Pond might have important ancient remains.
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What is the Annasnappet Pond Site?
For about 100 years, this area was used as a cranberry bog. This started in 1886. Sadly, a lot of the old evidence was damaged or moved. This happened because sand was removed from the bog.
Discovering Ancient Life
Archaeologists are like history detectives. They dug small test pits every 15 feet at Annasnappet Pond. They found many old objects, even in piles made by bulldozers.
Scientists believe people lived at this site between 10,000 and 1,000 years ago. They found a huge amount of stone flakes. These are tiny pieces of stone left over from making tools. There were about 100,000 of these flakes! They also found 1,600 stone tools.
Tools and Artifacts
The tools found included:
- Arrowheads
- Spear points
- Atl-atl weights (used for throwing spears)
- Pieces of soapstone bowls
- Red paint stones
- Grinding tools
Most of these objects are from the Middle Archaic period. This was about 8,000 to 6,000 years ago. Annasnappet Pond has more Archaic artifacts than any other site in the Northeastern United States.
Signs of Ancient Living
Archaeologists also found about 100 stained soil areas and rock clusters. These are like clues that show where people lived. They were once:
- Trash pits (where ancient people threw away their garbage)
- Hearths (old fireplaces for cooking and warmth)
- Storage pits (places to keep food or tools)
Scientists used a method called radiocarbon dating on charcoal from these pits. This showed that some parts of the site are about 7,500 years old.
An Ancient Burial Site
At the southern end of the pond, a small hill held a very special discovery: a human burial. This is the oldest human burial ever found in Massachusetts! Charcoal found near the burial suggests it is about 7,570 years old.
The site did not have any pottery from the later Woodland period. Also, there were no "post molds." These are marks left in the ground by old wooden posts from buildings. The soil at Annasnappet Pond was very acidic and drained water easily. This caused any wood to rot away completely.
