Feature 32: Mule Barn/Paddock

"Archeological identification of a concentration of mule shoes and large cut nails suggest that a nineteenth-century mule paddock stood here. Located near the lumber yard, this feature housed Peter's many mule teams when not hauling timber through the rugged Ozark terrain."

During the 2000 survey of the northern portion of Van Hollow, Feature 32 was identified on the flat area just north of Little Clifty Creek's northernmost bend and to the east of the main road an area shown as a clearing on the 1957 War Eagle USGS quadrangle. Most of the materials recovered during the initial survey included mule shoe fragments and large machine cut nails.

Further investigations were aimed at assessing the identity of this feature as structural (i.e., a barn) or semi-structural (i.e., a paddock). Unfortunately, due to the ephemeral nature of the feature itself, traditional test excavation methods would probably prove unfruitful. Similarly, Feature 32 was not a good candidate for geophysical investigation because of the current vegetation and frequent inundation.

Therefore, immediately following the initial survey a more intensive metal detector survey was conducted. All hits were marked with pin flags and mapped using the digital theodolite in order to assess artifact patterning. Shovel tests were then excavated over each mapped metal detector hit. This approach was thought to afford investigators clues to the feature's function, form and date through artifact patterning and the recovery of diagnostic artifacts without resorting to wholesale destruction of the feature's faint subsurface archeological expression.

Plan view map showing the distribution of shovel test at Feature 32 (possible mule paddock).

In all a total of 28 shovel tests were excavated during this intensive metal detector survey recovering a total of 43 artifacts. All recovered artifacts were, of course, metal. Material recovered included five mule shoes, 18 cut nails and cut nail fragments, seven large common cut nail "spikes" (i.e., 20d or greater), 2 wire nails, an apparent wrought nail, a fence staple, wire fragments, a large chain link fragment and a iron L-bracket. Aside from the broad temporal significance of the wrought and cut nails, no diagnostic material culture was recovered from Feature 32.

Artifacts recovered from Feature 32. a-b) mule shoes; c) L-bracket;

d-h), large penny cut nails from various shovel tests.

The lack of domestic refuse and the consistency in the classes of artifacts lead to interpreting this feature as a possible livestock enclosure specifically a large-scale pen for mules. It is known through documentary sources that Van Winkle owned and maintained several teams of mules for use in timbering. At present, however, this enclosure is not thought to be the large barn described by Conable (1903) as the density and number of nails recovered does not indicate a substantial structure.