Regular updates of the Port Tobacco Archaeological Project. The Project is sponsored by the Archeological Society of Maryland, the Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco, the Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium, Preservation Maryland, and Preserve America.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Artifact of the Day
We found this charm in the shape of a hand in the plowzone of the Native American Area in 2008. Its usual design suggests that it had some specific meaning that we are yet to recover.
In some southern European catholic countries is still used in necklaces or hand chains. Traditionally is offered to babies to protect them from supernatural evil forces ("evil eye"). Some scholars think this practice is linked with the use of the roman bulla
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulla_%28amulet%29
Unfortunately the idea of such artifact in a protestant country seams difficult.
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Maybe is a figa:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.luckymojo.com/manofico.html
In some southern European catholic countries is still used in necklaces or hand chains. Traditionally is offered to babies to protect them from supernatural evil forces ("evil eye"). Some scholars think this practice is linked with the use of the roman bulla
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulla_%28amulet%29
Unfortunately the idea of such artifact in a protestant country seams difficult.
R.G. (portuguese archaeologist)