The archaeological field season at Michilimackinac has passed the halfway point. Although we have not uncovered many unusual artifacts, it has been a productive time.
One of the areas we are focusing on is the central cellar. Artifacts excavated in this area over the past several seasons suggest that it is the original French-era cellar. The most interesting artifact from this area has been a plain brass buckle frame. Unfortunately, it had slumped out of its original context over the winter, so we can’t say much more about it except that it was probably from a shoe buckle.
We are also excavating along the trench from the north wall of the house. We recently exposed some possible post remnants. A beaver tooth was found near here. Although most furs were processed away from the fort, this is a good reminder of the primary business at Michilimackinac. Other interesting artifacts from near the wall include a fragment of what might be a shutter latch hook and a single rosary bead.
