MACKINAW CITY, MICH. -- More fascinating discoveries have been made at Michigan’s Colonial Michilimackinac as the historic site’s archaeology season winds to a close.
Archaeologists at the reconstructed 18th-century fort and fur-trading village recently found several pieces of ceramics that match a bowl uncovered in June, as well as a possible sugar bowl and a pocketknife.
These finds follow the discovery of a pair of green glass sleeve buttons, unearthed earlier this month.
The artifacts are just the latest in a summer full of discoveries made at the fort’s current archaelogical dig site. So far this season, archaeologists have found part of a red earthenware bowl, a one-ounce brass weight marked with a crown, a fleur-de-lis stamped brass weight from a set of nesting apothecary weights, a King’s 8th button, and more.
A pocketknife was recently found during the ongoing archaeological dig at Colonial Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City, Mich. | Photo courtesy of Mackinac State Historic Parks
This year’s discoveries add to the more than 1,000,000 artifacts unearthed over six decades at Colonial Michilimackinaw, one of a number of living history museums and nature parks in northern Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac that are overseen by Mackinac State Historic Parks.
The current excavation site at Michilimackinac is the fort’s “House E,” where work in recent years has uncovered artifacts such as a lead seal dating between 1717 and 1769, a brass sleeve button with an intaglio bust on it, a potential structural post dating to the original 1715 fort, an engraved “Jesuit” trade ring, a brass serpentine sideplate for a British trade gun, complete remnants from a creamware plate, and many other items.
The archaeological dig at Michilimackinac began in 1959, making it one of the longest-running archaeology programs in North America. Archaeologists are on site every day at the fort, weather permitting, throughout the summer. The final day of the 2022 archaeology season is August 20.
