Diggin’ it
Tech archeologists surveying lot downtown
Trending
HOUGHTON -- The unassuming parcel at 509 Shelden Ave. in downtown Houghton was the site for an urban archeology dig Saturday. The abandoned site was the former home for many small businesses in Houghton, before a 2016 fire rendered the building unusable. Those at the site Saturday said there was more than meets the eye and plenty to uncover.
Michigan Tech Associate Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology Tim Scarlett led the dig this past weekend. Scarlett said the lot could lead to clues on the Copper Country's earliest Chinese residents and how they lived. "We found out we were going to do this project [last] Tuesday morning and just scrambling to pull together records as quickly as I could," he said. "I didn't have time to look at deeds but we know who the occupants were at various point in time."
According to Scarlett, the site was home to Sam Wah's laundry in the early 20th-century, as well as various other businesses leading up to the building’s destruction. It was last occupied by the piercing parlor, Impaled. Scarlett said the city has plans for this lot, so he and his team needed to work fast within a short time-frame.
"Our goals today are very humble. As the city's going to make a pocket park, they're going to probably bring in some clean fill, maybe remove some of this dirty fill from the building’s rubble," he said. "Our goal is to just check and make sure that there aren't any historical deposits of artifacts that are buried that might be disturbed by that."
The dig was also an opportunity for archaeology students to get their hands dirty and tackle a problem outside of the classroom. Around half-a-dozen graduate and undergraduate students showed up to the dig as a part of Scarlett's crew. Undergraduate anthropology major Anna Herberger said this type of work is great opportunity for her studies. "Just looking through and then, you realize, 'oh, I see something,' and even if it's just a little shard of glass. It's this piece of evidence and piece of history," she said. "It's pretty repetitive but I enjoy it."
Students at the site dug up shovel test pits (STPs) to collect samples. They sifted through materials to look for historic remains, such as ceramic, marble and glass. Several on-lookers were greeted by Scarlett, where he explained the basics of archeology and what his team was doing.
"Oftentimes, because the Social Sciences Department is so mall, we often don't have the opportunity to take things outside, like the engineers might," Herberger said. "But I do think this brings more awareness ... archeology is very scientific. We do a lot of observations and data collection. It shows the social sciences is something professional."
After the Saturday expedition, Scarlett emailed The Daily Mining Gazette with an update. He said a report will be drafted and given to City Manager Eric Waara. Students dug four STPs Saturday, some of which were dug in the back of the lot on an incline. At this point, the city can develop on the lot without disturbing any archeological features or artifacts on site, Scarlett said.
"There's a lot of implications here, especially with the history of this building," he said. "This is all about doing the work and being responsible with it."