Honey...I've got a headache!

Hello everybody!
Continuing with the theme of the Lawrence Collection bottles...came across this medicinal druggist bottle. The color of the bottle is aqua, and the dimensions are as follows: 9.36" tall, finish height is .80", inner mouth is .53", base is 2.47" x 1.28". Embossed on one side of the bottle is "Boykin Carmer & Co. Wholesale Druggist Baltimore".

Ignoring the fact that the bottle is embossed with a company name and location, I did basic bottle analysis. The bottle was mouth-blown into a mold (post-1865). It has a tooled "oil" finish (1830s -1920s). As most druggist bottles were, it is cup-bottom molded (1870s - early 20th century). The mold had no air vents, as I was unable to decipher any marking in the shoulders, body, base or seams (from/prior to 1885 - 1890). Using these characteristics I deduced that the bottle was dated between 1870s - 1890, due to the cup-bottom mold and the lack of air venting.

However, the embossing on the front of the bottle could lead to a more accurate date. I was unable to find a whole lot about Boykin Carmer & Co.; so, if any of you are interested in this, feel free to research more!

Thanks!
Alyssa

One Man Jug Band

This is an American gray stoneware jug. There are no makers marks, but possible date range can be determined from certain features. The overall shape is ovoid to tall ovoid, which is German in origin. The strap handle is pulled-on, meaning the clay was attached at the neck and then pulled into shape and attached to the body. The base of the jug shows how the clay was removed from the wheel with a wire (see left). The glaze is a standard salt-glaze with cobalt painted decoration, but there is no slip or glaze on the interior, which puts the date between the late 1700's to 1860. The lip is a simple rolled rim which is pre-1850. The tooled neck is longer than standard, with incising that mimics a reeded neck. Longer necks date to the 17th and 18th century. So the neck style paired with the lack of interior glaze most likely dates the jug to the late 1700s.







We will be at Port Tobacco on Thursday this week, not Tuesday.

It's a fake!

Hi All!
While going through the Scott Lawrence Collection, Anne and I came across this really unique wine bottle. It looked to be an 18th century Belgian "onion-shaped" wine bottle.

The bottle has all the characteristics of an onion shape: a height of .53', a 5.5" base, a .77" mouth hole, a .47" rim finish, the classic string rim finish (found on onion shaped bottle in the 1700s), it even has a combination pontil scar (an open pontil and sand pontil scar).

However, upon further research on SHA's website, we decided that it is a little too perfect...Just perfect enough to be a reproduction. The shape is entirely too symmetrical: the heel was even in thickness and the neck was perfectly straight. The base was also too clean looking with no signs of wear on it. Unfortunately, because it is a reproduction, dating it is virtually impossible.

~Alyssa

Also, we will be at Port Tobacco tomorrow, Wednesday, starting a new unit next to the Burch House!

Whatever he's got, they should bottle it.

Today Alyssa and I began cataloging the Scott Lawrence Collection. Scott generously donated 30 glass and stoneware bottles to PTAP. As we research each bottle, using the SHA website, we will report back to you, our faithful readers.

Today's bottle is a large one, 1.14 ft high and 0.48 ft in diameter at the base. It likely held soda water or mineral water.
It has a cup-bottom mold seams that run from the base and fade away at the neck. The rim finish was applied by hand. The lack of air vent marks narrows the manufacture date to the 1880's.

Stay tuned for more from The Lawrence Collection!

Due to weather, we will not be at Port Tobacco tomorrow. We are shooting for Wednesday instead.

Anne

Wading through a Sea of Buttons

The wooded unit behind the Burch House has given up another interesting little artifact. From Stratum 1 comes this copper alloy button! Despite lengthy online research, we can't seem to find a similar button. This one is stamped and pierced, but the details are etched in by hand. The button's diameter is 17.5 mm.
Stamped pierced buttons were popular during the Victorian era. The decoration may be a fleur de lis, gathered plants, or feathers. If you have a good button book and see this little darling, let us know!

~Anne and Alyssa~

Fancy a Haircut?

While doing the normal lab work of washing and cataloging artifacts, I came upon a cool find…Scissors! This then made me want to know exactly how old these scissors are, and maybe get a brief history lesson of scissors in as well.

I did a little web research and found numerous articles that date scissors back to our pyramid-building friends in Egypt around 1500 BCE. At this time, they were but a single piece of bronze metal formed into a U shape in which either side was sharpened into blades. The curve of the U acted as a spring in which to push the sharp blades together in order to cut (think of grilling tongs).

The cross-blade scissors are attributed to the Romans around 100 AD. These scissors were essentially shears, used more for sheep and gardens. Ivor Noël Hume mentions in Artifacts of Colonial America, that these types of shears were used onward into the early 17th century. These big chunky shears were anchored together in the middle by a rivet and two washers on either side of the blades.

So how old are the scissors found in Unit 95, Stratum 2 behind the Burch House? Drum roll please…We believe they are mid-17th – early 18th centuries. This is due to the fact that the axis for the rivet is well below the eyelet handles. Furthermore, the handles themselves are thin and curve up and outward back into themselves, which is typical in mid-17th century scissors.

That’s all for now!
Alyssa


We will be at Port Tobacco tomorrow, behind the Burch House. See you there!

Alyssa Marizan

For this week's blog, I would like to introduce myself as the newest member of the GAC team!

My name is Alyssa Marizan; I grew up as a typical military brat...around the world...however, I consider Alaska home (even though my family is technically from Guam)...

I started my college career at the University of Alaska Anchorage, getting a two-year Associates Degree. I finished my undergrad at George Mason University, getting a B.A. in Anthropology in 2008. Since then, I worked at Mount Vernon; where I met the lovely Anne Hayward! I joined the GAC team the day after Labor Day. Jim has put me to work immediately: excavating, cataloging, mapping in AutoCAD and...today, blogging. He also has me focusing on what it is about archaeology I'm interested in.

Apart from archaeology, I spend time with my wonderful husband, Marvin, and our "she-devil" dog, Annie. We just got married this past March and are loving married life. I also enjoy traveling, singing, reading, and other leisurely activities...Who doesn't!?

As for future plans, I would like to continue my education in archaeology by going to grad school within the next two years.