Final Report on the 2011 Excavations at the Ruthven 1312 Site

Transcription

1 Final Report on the 2011 Excavations at the Ruthven 1312 Site by the Rice University Archaeological Field Techniques class (Anthropology 362/562) Under the supervision of Professor Susan McIntosh (Rice University) Mr. Robert Marcom (YCAP) Edited by Susan McIntosh

2 Table of Contents 1. Excavation Background, Methodology and Stratigraphy 1 E.V. Empey 2. Ceramics 16 Karen Martindale 3. Glass Artifacts 30 Gianmarco Raddi 4. Metal Artifacts 57 DeAngela Hayes 5. Miscellaneous Artifacts and Objects of Personal Adornment 73 Stephanie Stutts 6. Faunal Remains 90 Yvana Rivera 7. Appendix A: Ceramic Artifacts Catalogue Appendix B: Glass Artifacts Catalogue Appendix C: Metal Artifacts Catalogue 113 Appendix I: Catalogue of Nail Artifacts in Unit A and B 113 Appendix II: Catalogue of Non-Nail Metal Artifacts Unit A 113 Appendix III: Catalogue of Non-Nail Metal Artifacts Unit B Appendix D: Miscellaneous and Personal Adornment Catalogue Appendix E: Unit A Opening/Closing Pictures 127 Profiles Appendix F: Unit B Opening/Closing Pictures 135 Profiles 141

3 Excavation Background, Methodology and Stratigraphy E. V. Empey Excavations on properties owned by the Yates Museum Trust have been undertaken annually since 2008 by the Rice University archaeological field methods class. The excavations each year are concerned with finding material culture of the African diaspora and settlement of Freedman's town in order to determine questions about lifestyle and the community's past so that cultural memory of the past can be preserved in the face of economic growth and urban development which threaten the community. The excavations conducted by the Field Techniques class (ANTH 362 / 562) took place on a property across the street from the Yates Museum. The property, designated as 1312 Ruthven, is south of the Yates Museum, backing to the Yates Museum parking lot. The excavation took place over four weekends, from 29 January through 19 February. Generally, the excavations would be held between the hours of eight until five pm on Saturdays, and one to five pm on Sundays. Two 1m x 1m units (designated A and B respectively) were excavated. In previous years, units were placed at two other sites on the Museum property; this year marked a different location in order to gather more diverse information about the life of Freedman's Town communities. Previous Work in Freedman's Town The Freedman's Town, or Fourth Ward, has seen much more excavation in recent years, not only the excavations undertaken by Rice and by the Yates Community Archaeology Project, but also an extensive impact assessment project undertaken in advance of the construction of the Gregory Lincoln School (Feit and Jones 2007). This research was focused principally on studying the material and cultural remains of the site, for insights into the social, economic and racial positions of community members (Feit and Jones 2007: 157). Originally, the project was framed with two specific goals in mind: finding burials within the area and studying the household remains (Feit and Jones 2007: 181). Their focus was a bit more expansive, looking at the consumption habits of Freedman's Town inhabitants in comparison to other areas of Houston, in order to determine the socio-economic implications. Furthermore, their project was focused upon understanding the infrastructure and 1

4 population density at Freedman's Town. While the Feit and Jones' project did not turn up any graves, it did feature a myriad of household remains, though these remains lacked a uniform or dense distribution of interpretable features and artifacts. The emphasis of the project on finding the cultural remains of the site is analogous to the projects undertaken by Rice University at the Yates House, which produced a wide array of historical artifacts (McIntosh and Clark 2008). This and subsequent projects undertaken by Rice focused on questions of economic and material conditions as well as the lifestyles of inhabitants of Freedman's Town. These projects, as well that of Feit and Jones, act in a larger context to provide a sense of historical memory and understanding of the past on a local level by engaging with community organizations, such as the Yates Museum. While Feit and Jones' research was quite extensive, both in terms of scope and area sampled, the Rice field excavations were tightly focused upon specific properties. The project that Feit and Jones undertook looked at a large area that is particular to the Fourth Ward, which covers over 13-acres (Marshall 2005). As stated, the site was undertaken through heavy usage of trenches selected across the overall area to look for graves in the site, and featured extensive public involvement (Marshall 2005). In the case of the Rice excavations, the sites were much more limited in scope, featuring only one unit in each case, mainly on account of the short field season. The 2008 excavation took place on the property of the Rutherford B. H. Yates museum, and was undertaken in the backyard of the Yates house. The excavation consisted of one 2m x 2m unit, which shared the northwest corner with the southeast corner of unit previously excavated by the Yates Community Archaeology Project (McIntosh and Clark 2008). Likewise, the 2009 excavation in the backyard of the Yates House consisted of one 2m x 2m unit,which focused on an area where a structure had been indicated on the 1924 Sanborn map (Fleisher et al 2009). The research undergone by the Rice Field school in 2008 by McIntosh found materials that were dated as early as the late 19 th century, including square nails and 19 th century ceramics (McIntosh and Clark 2008: 106). The research done in 2009 was focused in a similar area in order to further an understanding of lifestyles in the area, and provide data which can be compared with the excavations from 2008 (Fleisher et al 2009: 240). In both cases, the research from Rice field school, because of the limited scale and focus upon a specific locus, does not enable major conclusions about the neighborhood as a whole but can suggest impressions of the lifestyles of the residents. The outcomes of these previous years were characteristically similar in 2

5 terms of the data that had been accumulated by the Feit and Jones project, and all three of these projects have helped lay the groundwork for the 2011 excavations. Research Questions and Aims The research question informing the Rice University excavations can be summed up thusly: what do the material remains suggest about the socioeconomic lifestyles within the Freedman's Town? The aim was to treat the artifacts both as overall collections of materials and also as indicators of changes in economic and social status, documenting spatial differentiation in these data and their different contexts. The emphasis on developing a working representation and interpretation of the past lifestyles of the former community has strongly rooted goals in expanding and creating a sense of historical memory for the current inhabitants, thereby making the project function both as urban archaeology and community archeology. Furthermore, the effort to provide an understanding of the past comes at a time when to the community is under active encroachment by development companies. The archaeological research is therefore aimed at preserving, through processes of reconstructing the past by means of artifacts, in order to formulate historical memory. Site Selection and Unit Placement The placement of Units A and B at 1312 Ruthven was decided by Dr. Susan McIntosh and Mr. Robert Marcom in order to gather information on the buildings formerly on the site. Unit A was placed to avoid the shed that appears on the 1907 and 1924 maps, with Unit B placed to the south of Unit A. The location of each unit was chosen specifically so that part of the foundation from the earlier standing historic structures might have appeared within the profile, giving a better understanding about the building materials and the outline of the structures formerly on the site. The point of origin for each of the 2011 units was based upon a specific datum point to the north of 1312 Ruthven. For unit A, the NW corner of the unit acted as the Point-of-Origin (P.O.), while for Unit B, the P.O. was at the SE corner. The unit was excavated in approximately 5 cm levels, though levels would be closed based upon noticeable change in the soil composition regardless of depth. Unit A reached a final depth of 59 centimeters in the north east corner, prior to proving sterile; this unit featured pedestalled artifacts, specifically in the western 3

6 half, because of extensive metal springs that protruded from the unit profile. The eastern half of the unit featured a pipe that ran through the unit. In the case of Unit B, the final depth was 57 centimeters in the northeast corner. Unit B was characteristically different in terms of artifacts found, and had a heavier concentration of rust deposits in the soil. Excavation Methodology Both units A and B utilized similar excavation methods, including layout and overall processes of excavation. After designating the point of origin for each unit, and double stringing each unit, the grass and vegetation mat was removed by use of dabas in order to clear through to the top soil, as well as generally level out the unit. After the vegetation mat was removed, Level 1 was opened. At the opening and closing of each level, pictures were taken on a digital camera in order to ensure the units were adequately documented during the process. The excavation of each unit was maintained until artifact yield dropped to near zero. Each unit was excavated with a rough guideline of 5 cm level increments, however certain levels may be larger or smaller depending on the whether there was any change in soil characteristics or composition. Each unit had approximately two to three students involved at any given time: one to two students in the pit, with the remaining students on the screen sifting through the soil for artifacts that were not recovered in the unit while excavating. One student acted as a site supervisor, recording data on excavation forms. The artifacts were bagged and sorted by material during washing in the Rutherford B. H. Yates museum. Data recorded upon excavation forms included: the opening and closing depth measurements of the unit or subunit (measured near each corner and the center of the unit); the soil color (Munsell Color chart); a description of the soil quality and the relative material composition of the soil (Ahn test); a description of the artifacts found; the excavation techniques utilized; the photograph numbers; and any other general observations about each level. A sketch of each unit was included alongside the notes on the excavation forms, indicating the position of any large artifacts or features. In each sketch, unit features and large concentrations of artifacts were drawn to scale. The principal tool utilized was the pointing trowel. Excavation in heavy clay-rich soil was facilitated by the use of dabas, an African iron hoe. Roots were cut with either root-cutters or dabas. Artifacts found in the unit were bagged in labeled plastic bags, with the soil collected in buckets so that it could be screened. Soil was screened at the same time as each level was 4

7 excavated in order to ensure that artifacts were not mixed in with an incorrect level or unit. Each screened bag was given a lot number, and washed and cataloged in the field lab. Artifacts were categorized as either glass, ceramic, metal, bone, shell or miscellaneous. Special attention was paid when sorting the artifacts prior to washing, in order to prevent bone or other delicate material from being washed inappropriately. After reaching sterile soil, profiles were drawn. Two students worked on each profile, and Dr. McIntosh inspected and provided insight as to mediate various interpretations about the stratigraphy of each unit. Photographs were taken of each profile wall. In general, measurements were taken along each profile wall at increments of 10 cm, except when special features were found in the profile, as was the case especially with Unit A, which had a high artifact count in the profile. The depth for each measurement was taken from the Point of Origin relative to each unit. For each distinct soil identified, a description was included while constructing the profiles. In order to guard against outside influences such as rain or human agents from tampering with or damaging the units, precautions were taken. In case of rain, tarps were laid over each unit. To protect against human agents, the entire work area for the excavation was cordoned off with a perimeter fence to prevent the units from being tampered with during the days that the excavation was not occurring. Excavated Levels for Unit A The stratigraphy for Unit A is described in this section, and the following section comprises a description of each level for Unit B. For each level, a general overview of artifact contents and soil description is provided, as well as any other significant observations. For each unit, there are four section drawings, which illustrate the natural layers of the soil for the four walls of the unit, as well as the excavated levels. The drawings are followed with a key describing the types of deposits of the strata, and finally a chart which summarizes the data. The soil for Level 1 was of a light loam, according to the Ahn test performed on a soil sample; the soil was fairly loose and not as compacted as subsequent levels, as it lay directly under the root mat. The level was primarily excavated using trowels. There was a layer of sand distributed across the unit about two centimeters from the start of the level. Artifacts from the level were fairly sparse, and included glass fragments and shell, as well as a lighter. These 5

8 artifacts were most likely deposited recently. The opening depth from the P.O., which corresponds with the northwest corner, was 8.5 cm, and was excavated to a closing depth of 12.5 cm. Level 2 was loamy sand, and had some sandy clay running across the surface of the level. The choice to start Level 2 was made when there was a tan area of loose sand in all four corners. The soil overall was a dark gray, and ended on a layer of dark soil that spread from the northeast corner of the unit to the south. Artifacts included lots of small fragments of glass, a bottle cap, some fragments of ceramic, brick, roofing material, and plastic stripes; furthermore, nails started emerging at this level. There was a bit of white sandy soil which ran across portions of the unit at closing, which would correspond later with ground fragments of a porcelain toilet that had been found in the unit. The closing depth of level 2 was 17.5 cm. Level 3 was primarily of loam, and marked an increase of clay in the soil. An unknown metal object appeared in the eastern portion of the unit, as well as more fragments of porcelain toilet, and larger concentrations of brick and other building materials. Across the surface of the unit, especially on the western side, artifacts included nails and fragments of glass, as well as some objects of personal adornment, and various fragments of building material. The closing depth of the level was 24.5 cm. Level 4 had noticeable rusty patches, and also a concentration of metal objects in the northwestern portion of the unit. This level had larger fragments of glass including a few bottles extremely fragile metal springs in the northwest corner, a ceramic piece with a maker's mark, and pieces of charcoal. The quantity of ceramic toilet fragments also increased drastically, as more fragments were unearthed and found running along the western half of the unit. There was a noticeable soil change in the southeast corner, about 30 cm deep, which was lighter w/ sand spots. The closing depth of the unit was 28.5 at the point of origin. The soil in Level 5 started getting more sand concentrations again, changing to a light loam; extremely black, the soil was very moist and hard to work, so the dabas were used to clear away larger portions of the soil quickly, as most of the artifacts were embedded deeper in the unit, including the north and west walls. This section was pedestalled. Of the artifacts found, there were a few nails, some charcoal, and bottles identified. A metal pipe emerged that ran from the northeastern corner of the unit to the southern wall. The pipe had a diameter of one inch, and may have been for natural gas. The soil changed drastically in Level 6, shifting from a light loam to a light clay, while 6

9 L O D C D M A T A O G O V YR L L C M L YR L S B L S - YR L D N YR L D E E R YR L L C YR L C F F B NE R P N NE S V - R SW YR C G R YR L C F N N YR L D S S YR L D N NE N S S SW V T N S YR L D A S Table 1 [Unit A]: Depth measurements, Munsell and Ahn values, general artifact observations, and general observations for each level. L is level, O.D. is opening depth, and C.D. is closing depth. Opening and closing depths are measured in centimeters from the point of origin, except in the cases of subunits, at which point the measurements are taken from the closest corner to the subunit. 7

10 changing color from black to a dark gray. Level 6 featured quite a few rusted nails, small glass bottle pieces, and charcoal. Also of note was a seemingly higher concentration of bone in this level than in previous ones. Excavation continued under the metal pipe, and closed at 37.5 cm. Soil composition changed at the end of the level, becoming a light brown clay Level 7 was a very dark grey clay. Dabas were used to scrape through the extremely heavy and dense soil. Rust patches started to emerge along the south wall near the metal pipe running through the unit, and the root continued into the wall of the unit, and running toward the western side of the unit. The closing measurement was 42 cm. Level 8 was darker in color an almost pure black on the Munsell test; the soil also transitioned back to a light clay, but still dense and difficult to dig. This level was excavated by dabas as well. The entire western half of the unit was pedestalled, and the focus of Levels 8 through 10 would be on the eastern portion of the unit, which still continued to produce artifacts, mostly nails and some ceramic fragments. The closing depth was 45 cm. Level 9 was divided into north and south sections reflecting the evidence for a pit extending from higher levels into the north part of the unit. The southern half of the unit appeared to lie outside the pit. The soil in both halves of the unit had a higher quantity of sand than the previous few levels and was classified as loam. Furthermore, the northern half was less moist when digging, and therefore easier to work with, and had what seemed to be a higher concentration of sand. The north half of the level continued to yield artifacts, mostly small glass appeared. A ceramic pipe appeared, running through the pedestalled western part of the unit. The southern half the unit turned up a few small rocks and a shard of glass in the screens. The closing depth was 51.5 cm. Level 10 was the final level in Unit A. Classified as loam, the soil had a dark gray quality, and was mottled with white-yellow sandy flecks, most likely from broken concrete from the pipe intermixed with the soil surrounding it. Very few artifacts were found, save for pieces of concrete from beside the pipe. The unit was determined to be sterile and was closed at 59 cm. Unit A had high concentrations of shell, a variety of building materials, and artifacts (including the toilet). The overall unit was rather tricky to excavate, because of the constant worries over damaging something that was embedded in the profile or had been put on a pedestal. In general, the artifacts were heaviest in concentration in the middle levels, but most of the artifacts that had been pulled out were building materials or fragments of shell. 8

11 K U A P L A B C D E F F G D L - B - M I C C D E L F C Excavated Levels for Unit B Unit B was located southeast of Unit A, and featured a quite different soil composition, as well as distribution of artifacts. The composition of the unit was rather different from Unit A in terms of complexity of artifacts and the excavation. 9

12 Level 1 of Unit B started at a depth of 8.5 cm from the point of origin, and ended at 14.5 cm. The root mat was cleared with dabas, and the first level was excavated with a mixture of dabas and trowels; the trowels were emphasized when cutting the profile, and when working with finer artifacts, such as the glass. A dark gray loam was directly underneath the root mat, and was pliable but thick and compacted. Materials found in Level 1 included glass fragments, some nails, and quite a bit of building material and rubble, as well as some porcelain shards. Level 2 had pliable soil, and much looser soil than the previous level, despite its clay composition. Dabas were almost exclusively used, except for working around two complete bottles, and pieces of bone that were found in the unit: the finer artifacts were excavated using a trowel. This level was very artifact-heavy. There were sandy patches emerging at the bottom of the level in both the southwest and north eastern parts of the unit. The colors were different however: in the southwest, the soil was more compact and tan, while in the northwest, the soil was loose and gray. The closing depth was 19.8 cm. Level 3 was a grayish-brown loam; the soil felt more silty, but still had a dense quality similar to clay. Dabas were used in excavating the third level as patches of clay emerged across the unit. Underneath a mixture of rust and soil, the clay spread across from the southeastern corner through the center. Artifacts recovered were mostly glass shards and building material. Once a streaky green clay layer emerged, the level was closed. Level 4 was a fairly heterogeneous and heavy loam, with patches of streaky green clay and color variation throughout the level. There were some patches of white, most likely mixtures of mortar and other building materials mixed in with the soil. Artifacts recovered consisted of nails and rusted pieces of metal, as well as ceramic and heavy concentrations of bone. At the close of the level, there were portions of a ceramic pipe emerging in the northeastern corner of the unit, and continuous deposits of green clay on the eastern side of the unit, with deposits of building material seemingly going into the eastern profile. This level was closed at a depth of 29 cm. Level 5 was a loam, though very wet, sticky and felt like a moldable clay. This level was quite artifact dense, with bone, a small glass bottle, a ceramic handle, as well as more metal, nails and rocks. There was less building material compared to previous levels. The extreme degree of moisture in this level may be attributed to the rain that occurred the night before. There were a few dispersed rust patches throughout the level. At the bottom of the level, because of the 10

13 continued presence of the streaky green clay on the eastern wall, a subunit was excavated for the next level in order to see if the green clay patch proved to have a different concentration of artifacts. The closing measurement was 34 cm. The green clay subunit, classified as a loam, fell along the western wall and proved to have a higher concentration of sand than the remainder of the unit. Likewise, the color of the soil in both the subunit and the rest of the unit was remarkably different a much more light yellowish brown color than a dark gray. The subunit was relatively artifact rich relative to its size. Artifacts found in the subunit included a rusted metal structure, pieces of bone, glass, nails, and a small shell button. The rest of the unit turned up many deposits of ferrous metal materials, as well as rocks, building materials, and fragments of glass and ceramic. The large ceramic piece, most likely belonging to a pipe, was removed from the western wall. The eastern wall had quite a few big bones, a shell button, and pieces of a soda bottle. For the most part, the western wall was rather sterile. This level was closed at 39 cm. Level 7 was divided into subunits because of a difference in artifact density in the northeast and the rest of the unit. Much of the unit was sterile, with only a piece of bone and a small piece of glass found along the western wall. Level 7A, in the northeastern corner, had a rusted metal object as well as pieces of bone, glass, metal, nails, and another small white shell button. There were many deposits of ferrous materials and rust patches in the northeastern corner surrounding those deposits. The closing depth was 45 cm. At this depth, the western half the unit was closed; excavation continued in the eastern half of the unit. Level 8 was divided into two subunits. The southern and northern halves of Level 8 were excavated separately to note any differences in artifact density. Artifacts were sparse, and consisted of a piece of ceramic, glass, rock, and nail fragments from only the northern half of Level 8. The level was closed at 51 cm. Level 9 continued in the northeastern quadrant only. This level was virtually sterile, and turned up a couple tiny fragments of glass and ceramic, as well as three small pieces of rusted metal. The closing depth was 57 cm. Overall Unit B exhibited denser soil and more clay throughout the various levels. There were much more bone and objects of personal adornment, such as buttons, recovered than other artifact classes. Because of the density and heavy concentration of clay throughout the unit, dabas were used more often than trowels in excavating, making the screening process 11

14 L O D C D M V A T A O G O YR L D L L YR C G YR L D S R C YR H L E N H - YR L D A G C A YR C YR A L D H L E A T T - NE A YR R YR A L C F L C F A M NE NE YR C G N S S YR C G A U - T U B 12

15 K U B P L A A B C D E F G H D L - D A D L B L - L - L - Y - L 13

16 indispensable. The materials coming from Unit B were rather different than Unit A, and feature what seems to be a heavier concentration of interesting artifacts in the upper levels than compared with Unit A. Sequences of Deposition For the most part, the excavated levels corresponded to the observed stratigraphy across the surface of the unit: if there were changes in the composition of the soil, the boundaries of the new deposit were identified, and the level closed out. In Unit A, the need to pedestal artifact concentrations that penetrated the walls interfered with excavating across the entire unit. Observations of natural layers in the profile and during the excavation indicate that both units have secondary fill related to pits that descend through several excavated levels. In Unit A, the concentration of large metal artifacts and toilet fragments in the central and north part of the unit seem to be a trash deposit. Either a depression existed into which the trash was dumped, or a pit was dug to contain it. Under the trash layers in the northeast corner, a ceramic pipe emerged from layer F and represents an earlier disturbance. At some point before the toilet fragments were deposited in Level 3, the metal (possibly gas) pipe running diagonally across the eastern half of the unit was put in place. Unit B presents a similar but different stratigraphic representation. The concentration of bone and glass shards within the unit, especially in the eastern half through layers E and G, indicates that a trench was dug, which most likely had been used to contain trash. The heavier concentration of artifacts suggests that the soil had been disturbed after the ceramic pipe had been laid. The homogenous type of artifacts, such as bone and shards of glass, help suggest that the refuse pit might have been used by the inhabitants of a house which was originally located near the unit. Conclusions Overall, both units seem to have been dug through refuse pits, due to the random nature of the materials, and the fact that the objects found had no intrinsic value, with the exception of the fragment of a ring. However, it seems probable that in the case of Unit A, the levels were disturbed several times over, as more modern artifacts were found in the deeper levels (for instance a red plastic cup). The likelihood of such an artifact being found in deeper levels indicates that 14

17 it was probably discarded when the pipe was being laid through stratigraphic layer E. The disturbances in Unit A seem to have been a result of laying pipes at two distinctly different times. In Unit B, the concentration of glass bottles found with little fragmentation in the western half of the unit indicates that the western half of the unit remained rather stable and untouched. Furthermore, the expansive nature of layer E in Unit B along the eastern wall correlates fairly well with the ceramic pipe that ran along the northeastern portion of the unit. The heavy deposits of rust and discarded materials such as bone throughout the deeper levels along that side of the unit suggests that it had been disturbed several times, and perhaps functioned specifically as a refuse pit. References Feit, Rachel and B. M. Jones 2007 Cultural Resources, HISD Freedmen s Town. Hicks & Co. September. Fleisher, Jeffrey, Carol McDavid and Robert Marcom 2009 Final Report on the 2009 Excavations at the Rutherford B.H. Yates House Site. Unpublished report. Anthropology Department, Rice University. Marshall, Thom 2005 Excavation to start on HISD site: Civil War-era cemetery could be unearthed in dig. Houston Chronicle. April 12, McIntosh, Susan, and Brian Clark 2008 Final Report on the 2008 Excavations at the Rutherford B.H. Yates House Site. Unpublished report. Anthropology Department, Rice University. 15

18 Ceramics Karen Martindale Introduction The Spring 2011 excavation of the site 1312RV yielded 335 fragments of ceramic weighing a total of approximately 1645 grams. All of the ceramics were further divided and analyzed by sub-materials and decoration. There is also some analysis on purchasing and use patterns based on vessel fragments. Methods Recording of ceramics considered several key variables: paste type, decoration and type of object, discernable by base and rim identification. A defining characteristic in dividing the ceramics into sub-materials was the production process specifically, the temperature at which the clay was fired and the quality of materials used, both of which can affect the porosity and color of the paste (Table 1). Using the cataloguing system employed by the Yates Museum, five Picture Paste type Firing temperature Earthenware C Stoneware C China (refined earthenware) C Bisque at least 1000 C, can be fired as high as porcelain Porcelain C Table 1. Paste Types. Florida Museum of Natural History and 16

19 different kinds of ceramic were identified: earthenware, stoneware, china, bisque, and porcelain. Earthenware is a porous, low-fired ceramic, like terra cotta, and was found both glazed and unglazed at 1312RV (Florida 2011). Stoneware is a medium-fired ceramic with a granitetextured paste that is very compact and non-porous and tends to be either gray or brown; it is most commonly produced as dinnerware (Florida 2011). China was defined during analysis as a type of fine earthenware that is cream to white in paste color and more porous than porcelain, and almost always thicker in body than porcelain; because of the dates of settlement of Freedman s Town and the general uniformity in paste of china, it was probably commercially produced and sold cheaply (Florida 2011). Bisque can be identified as any unglazed ceramic, but for the purposes of this analysis, it is defined as a fine, high-fired, unglazed ceramic that is white in color ( Though bisque and porcelain in this analysis are both fired at high temperatures, they are separated by the level of vitrification, the process by which at very high temperatures silicate fragments in the clay melt, giving the finished product a glassy look as the products essentially become partially glass ( Porcelain is a fine, high-fired, fully vitrified white ceramic; it has a translucent quality, particularly when held to the light (Florida 2011). Decoration was also examined. Often, porcelain I analyzed was decorated with embossed designs in the body of the fragment, as from a mold. Other types of decoration, such as transferware, flow blue, and makers marks, can be used to determine after what time period or year the artifacts were deposited. Transferware was a type of decoration developed in the 18 th century whereby an engraved copper plate is covered with ink and the print was transferred to the ceramic using a glue bat or tissue paper; these prints resemble pointillist art (Figure 1; Flow colors (blue being the most common) were first found in America during the mid-19 th century; the process is the same as transferware, but when put in the kiln to be fired, certain chemical processes cause the ink to flow past its original bounds (Figure 2; Makers marks are printed marks, generally located on the bottom base of an object; these marks can be used to identify the location from which the item was shipped and the general time period, as the company that owns the mark may retire and replace a mark after a given time. However, because the original items may have been kept for years, or possibly decades in the case of a family heirloom, these decorations did not prove useful in dating, relatively or absolutely. 17

20 Data Unit A yielded approximately one third of the total number of fragments, and most of the material was recovered from Levels 3 and 4. This includes a large amount of plain white china in Levels 3 and 4 with paste that is very similar to that of the toilet that was found in these levels; the toilet was broken either before or as it was being incorporated into the ground, creating numerous pieces of various sizes (Figure 3). Excluding toilet fragments, the remaining assemblage is characterized by fragments too small for diagnosis and by plain bases and rims of china, porcelain and earthenware (Figure 4). When analyzing decoration, the fragments that could not be identified as vessels tended to be painted in solid colors; whereas the three printed pattern fragments were either bases or rims (Figure 5). Two fragments with identifiable makers marks were found in Level 4 (Table 2). However, although the marks were matched with a company, the dates each mark was in use are unknown. Unit B yielded approximately two thirds of the total number of fragments. Ceramic fragments were found in Levels 1-6 and Level 8, peaking at Levels 4 and 5 (Figure 6). All levels except Level 8 contained at least china, porcelain and earthenware (Figure 7). Decoration was more varied in Unit B, with both printed patterns (limited in color to blue and green) and solid colors, though this variety may be due to greater sample size (Figure 8). Unit B had several artifacts of interest. In Levels 1 and 2, there were several fragments of flat bisque, ranging in width from 2 4mm, with a rough black backing (Figure 9). This likely would have been too thin for tile. The only other bisque object was a doll leg, found in Level 6 (Figure 10). Ten large rounded earthenware fragments with an amber glaze and hand-painted polka dots were found distributed in Unit B Levels 2, 3, 5, and 6 (Figure 11). These ten fragments account for nearly half (44%) of the total weight of Unit B. Though three of these fragments are rims, due to the straight lengths of the larger fragments, the curvature, and the fact that they match what appears to be a pipe embedded in the profile of Unit A, it is likely these fragments form part of a utility pipe. In Unit B Levels 4 and 5 yielded a large number of bases and rims made of china and porcelain; a china teacup handle was found in Level 5 (Figure 12, Figure 13, Figure 14). The china vessel fragments tended to be decorated with paint generally flow blue or transferware 18

21 patterns. The porcelain vessel fragments tended to have embossed patterns in the body of the fragment itself; with the exception of a china rim fragment, only the porcelain vessel fragments had wavy (scalloped) rims (Figure 13). Although there were vessel fragments found in Unit A, none of the decorations matched those in Unit B. The china fragment found in Unit B Level 8 has a partial makers mark, but it could not be found in Lehner s (1988) Encyclopedia of U.S. Marks on Pottery, Porcelain, and Clay and was too fragmentary for a wider search (Table 2). Context Photograph Makers Mark Company Origin and Dating Unit A Level 4 J.H. Baum Wellsville, OH Company: (tentative dates) Unit A Level 4 Edwin M. Knowles China Co. Newell and Chester, West Virginia Company: Mark: several vase designs, but they were used very rarely post Unit B Level 8 NA NA NA Table 2. Makers Marks J.H. Baum mark found at Brothers Handmade, further information found in Lehner 1988: 39. Edwin M. Knowles mark found in Lehner 1988:

22 Vessels Vessel fragments were identified as being an identifiable part of a vessel a base, rim, or handle. Although some non-vessel fragments may have been body fragments, the majority were too small to verify their original form. It is reasonable to conclude that the three fragments with makers marks originated from the bases of vessels. The vessels can roughly be divided into three usage categories: outdoor or utility, tableware (plates, bowls, etc.) and teaware (teacups, saucers, etc.). Four subcategories were found to have vessel fragments: earthenware, china, stoneware and porcelain. The earthenware fragments were generally large and, in the case of rim fragments, had the shape of modern-day flower pots. The polka-dot decorated earthenware fragments mentioned above could have originally been parts of a flower pot but were more likely parts of a utility pipe (Figure 11). The china vessel fragments were generally small and therefore difficult to determine original use, with the exception of the teacup handle found in Unit B Level RV yielded only a small sample of stoneware, but eight out of ten fragments were relatively thick rims or bases (in comparison to the 1312RV assemblage), indicating probable use as tableware, which is the most common use for stoneware. Porcelain vessel fragments tended to be fairly large and the most diagnostic of ceramic types. In comparison to regularly sized plates, the bases and rims of the porcelain fragments were rather small, indicating they were small side plates or teacup saucers, a more likely conclusion due to the dainty decorations (Figure 13). All of the larger rim fragments had scalloped, embossed edges, a style popular during the early 19 th century, and not common for teaware; however, though not common even today, scalloped edges can be found on saucers at tea stores such as Whittard of Chelsea and Fortnum & Mason ( Conclusions Of the two units, Unit B had a larger amount of ceramics and much more variation in sub -material and decoration in each level, though the reason as to why the units were so dissimilar cannot be explained through ceramic analysis alone. There was very little crossover between the two units: vessel rim and base patterns did not match between units, but the ten loose fragments of utility pipe were found in Unit B even though the larger piece was embedded in the profile of Unit A. The fragments of utility pipe are of further interest because they were found in four 20

23 different levels of Unit B, suggesting that the context had been disturbed prior to excavation. Though a conclusive analysis of many ceramics cannot be done due to the fragmentary nature of the majority of the assemblage, a few conclusions can be drawn. Of all ceramic types, china was the most numerous in the assemblage, suggesting that it was not as expensive as other types of ceramic and therefore used in daily life and discardable. There was also a relatively high amount of porcelain and the larger, diagnostic fragments were originally teacup saucers; together with the china teacup handle, this suggests that the inhabitants of the house may have enjoyed drinking hot tea and were able to do so with more expensive teaware. It is also possible that the saucers were collected rather than put to everyday use; the presence of a bisque doll leg, a popular collectible product since the 18 th century, supports this ( Stoneware, though it has been a popular ceramic for tableware since its production, was either not the preferred tableware in this household, was cost-prohibitive, or was sturdier than other ceramics. The presence of earthenware flower pots suggests the inhabitants of the house grew plants, likely flowers or herbs since the rim and base fragments are too small to support anything larger. References Brothers Handmade Pottery Marks and Pottery Markings of American Made Pottery. Electronic document. Florida Museum of Natural Science Introduction to Ceramic Identification. Electronic document. Lehner, Lois Encyclopedia of U.S. Marks on Pottery, Porcelain, and Clay. Collector Books

24 Figure 2. Flow blue Figure 1. Transferware Figure 3. Weight and Totals of Ceramics in Unit A. Note: This chart excludes two large fragments from Level 3 that are obviously from the toilet (weight: gr), but does not exclude smaller chipped fragments that are likely from the toilet but may possibly have chipped off from a different object. 22

25 Figure 4. Distribution of Ceramic Sub-Materials by Layer in Unit A 23

26 Level 4 Level 6 Level 6 Figure 5. Decorations from Unit A, excluding solid colors 24

27 Figure 6. Weight (gr) and Number of Ceramics in Unit B. Utility pipe is documented separately due to skewing of the graph. Figure 7. Frequency of Ceramic Sub-Materials by layer in Unit B 25

28 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Figure 8. Decorations in Unit B, excluding solid colors 26

29 Figure 9. Bisque fragments with black backing from Unit B Level 2 Figure 10. Bisque doll leg from Unit B Level 6 27

30 Figure 11. Utility pipe fragment from Unit B Level 5. Additional fragments found in Levels 2, 3 and 6 Figure 12. Distribution of vessels by sub-materials 28

31 Figure 13. Decorated porcelain rims from Unit B Level 5 Figure 14. China teacup handle with gold decoration from Unit B Level 5 29

32 Glass Artifacts Gianmarco Raddi Introduction This report summarizes the results of the 2011 Field Season at 1312 Ruthven Street in regard to glass artifacts. A large amount of material was recovered, for a total of 1546 objects weighting 3733 grams. Some intact bottles were retrieved, with colors ranging from aqua to clear and amber; however, the units contained mostly glass fragments, very few of which contained elements useful for identification. In rare instances it was possible to identify the provenience and dating of individual objects through glass maker marks and other features. The aim of this study is to gain insights into the use of material culture in Freedman s Town and how this evolved through time. However, in this report we are only able to report the dates of possible manufacture of artifacts. Their utility as time markers arises when used in conjunction with an intact stratigraphy. When units are highly disturbed, as in our case, interpretations are more difficult to make. Furthermore, one has to be careful when assigning precise dates to glass objects, as physical and manufacturing features can usually give only a date range of years (Lindsey 2011d, Lockhart 2011). Even then Toulouse (1969) warns us to treat terminal dates with care. We can always have some indication of a starting date for a technique if we can find who first put the idea into practice. But any technique, once developed, can be used right up to the present This report will thus primarily concentrate on the different types of glass material culture found at the site and their possible use through an analysis of trends and patterns that emerge from the artifacts assemblage. The aim is to contribute to our understanding of the life of the inhabitants of Freedman s Town, challenging the common perception of a destitute, violent community. Background The excavation site is included in the area designated as the Fourth Ward in 1839, a few years after the founding of the city by the Allen Brothers. After 1865, the area became known as Freedmen's Town when freed African-Americans started occupying this section of the city after their emancipation. This corresponds to a period of dramatic technological changes in glass 30

33 production, as mouth-blown bottles were phased out and the Owens Automatic Bottle Machine was introduced in 1905 (Lindsey 2011d). According to the Society for Historical Archaeology, The large majority of mouth blown bottles, probably at least 95%, date prior to the World War I era, At least a few American glass companies were using hand-blown into the mid 20 th century (Lindsey 2011). This means that the retrieval of mouth blown bottles is a powerful diagnostic tool for the age of an archaeological assemblage, with post-1920s sites containing only a very limited amount of this type of bottles. A couple of features allow for differential identification - pontil scars, embossing, suction scars, bottle s seam, maker marks and colors. The pontil scar identifies mouth-blown bottles. It is a circular irregularity present on the base of the bottle, which is caused by a pontil rod, usually a metal pole 4 to 6 foot long used during the bottle blowing process to keep the glass firm while the bottle is molded (Figure 1a). A scar is left at the end of the process by sharply tapping the pontil rod, which breaks the bottle free. With the introduction of machine-made bottles, there was no need for the pontil rod, and the scar disappears (Lindsay 2011a). A similar kind of scar is the suction scar (Figure 1b), which is caused by Owens Automatic Bottle Machine and other machines that use suction to funnel glass through molds (Lindsey 2011b). Embossing defined as the raised lettering, designs, or graphics on the surface of the bottle that are formed by incising on the mold surface can also be diagnostic (Lindsay 2011b). Some types of embossing are in fact helpful with dating. For example, capacity embossing (e.g. 12 OUNCES) found anywhere on a bottle likely identifies it as being made after 1910, when consumer protection laws started to be enacted (Young 1967). Another identifying feature is the mold seam, which is also the result of production processes (Lindsay 2011b). Machine-made bottles are left with seams due to spaces between the molds used (usually two or three) (Figure 1c,d). Seams can be found either on the base or on the rim, and in mouth-blown bottles the seam never reaches the top of the rim. That is because a tool to mold the mouth of the bottle was used, which caused the mold to disappear (Toulouse 1969). Finally, another identifying feature of machine made bottles is the valve mark on the base of the bottle (Figure 1e), which is almost exclusively found on wide mouth machine made hollow ware like food bottles and jars, milk bottles, and fruit jars (Lindsey 2011a). Thus, the primary questions a researcher has to ask first are: 31

34 1. Does the bottle have raised embossing on the body, shoulder, and/or neck or a distinct side mold seam visible on the body, shoulder, and/or neck? (Lindsay 2011d) 2. Do the vertical side mold seams go up to highest vertical point of the finish, onto the finish rim itself? (Lindsay 2011d) Another crucial diagnostic tool is the color of the vessel. Although color rarely gives precise information with regards to dating or function, it provides insights both into changes in bottle-making techniques, and assemblage patterns. Color can in fact help us determine which glass fragments belong to the same vessel, and help in their reconstruction. The color itself is due to the purity of the silica sand used for glass production, and the amount of iron present. In general, the clearer the glass the purer the sand, but the production of clear glass has been a challenge for centuries, and in fact most glass was not clear until the first decades of the 20 th century (Lindsay 2011c). Straw tinged glass is a result of mixing into the sand selenium or arsenic, a common practice between 1915 and 1950, while purple or pink tinged glass is a result of the presence of manganese dioxide, which darkens the glass under UV light. Aqua color was very popular in a variety of American bottles made from the early 19 th to the early 20 th centuries, providing little information. With the advent of machine-made glass, aqua started to disappear, with clear glass becoming predominant. The one notable exception to this general trend is soda bottles, including the greenish tint of the popular glass Coca-Cola bottle. Another exception is that large numbers of fruit jars were also made into the 1930s in aqua, although colorless glass eventually replaced aqua within a decade (Lindsey 2011c). Green can also be found in various bottles at different times; however, Olive green is a color that is very uncommon in any type of bottle after 1890 and almost unknown after about After 1900 it is primarily found in wine, champagne, and liquor bottles (Lindsey 2011c). Amber was used extensively, and it is of little diagnostic value. It was the most common color for bottles in which there was a need to protect the liquid content from sunlight, as it is better at that than green, aqua, or clear glass. While blue was of very limited utility, despite its low prevalence, American made black glass bottles of any type were uncommon after about 1880, making the presence of this color useful in the dating of archaeological sites (Wilson 1968; Lindsay 2011c). That holds true even for imported bottles, for which black glass seems to disappear during the 1890s. 32

35 Methodology We used the Yates Community Archaeology Project Cataloguing System to catalogue glass from Units A and B. First, during the excavation all glass was carefully washed and separated according to the level of provenience. Then, level by level, each artifact was first catalogued on the basis of color, differentiating between color tinges and actual colors. Next, the artifacts were separated on the basis of morphological types (Appendix B): whole bottles, flat and curved fragments, decorated and non-decorated fragments, bottle rims, bases and necks, and so on. For each single category, the artifacts were counted and weighted, and comments recorded if characteristics were deemed important for future analysis. Not all possible categories were used in our analysis. For example, while the division between flat and curved fragments, or bottle necks and rims was straightforward, the difference between tableware and kitchenware remained elusive, a problem common to previous years excavations. Decoration was defined as any letters, numbers, designs or lines that were not mold seams. Because of the fragmentary nature of our assemblage, we could not determine with certainty if fragments came from bowls or from bottles, even though bigger fragments were exclusively of bottle origin. Maker s marks are crucial in this respect, and the paucity of objects retrieved with analyzable marks made any generalizations difficult. Documents were reviewed which provided historical information on makers and firms using that glass, and in a few instances color was also used to narrow down possible uses of a vessel, or its date. Level Analysis Two units (A and B) were excavated in 1312 Ruthven Street, both for a total of 9 levels, each of a depth of approximately 5 cm. Exactly 1001 glass artifacts, totaling almost two kilograms, were recovered from Unit A (Figure 2), while Unit B produced 545 artifacts, weighting over 1.7 kilograms (Figure 3). By dividing the total weight of all artifacts in Unit A and B by their absolute number we obtained the average size of a fragment g and 3.2 g respectively. An average fragment size < 2 g was defined as high fragmentation, between 2 and 5 g as average fragmentation and > 5 g as low fragmentation. The analysis level by level is shown in Figures 4 and 5, and the high degree of fragmentation supports the idea that Units A and B both contained trash pits. On a cautionary note, it needs to be kept in mind that the degree of fragmentation relates to the size and thickness of glass, and to the bottle junction type. Different parameters will 33

36 lead to the formation of smaller or larger pieces, thus influencing the analysis. In general, clear glass was dominant in both units, but particularly so for Unit A (Figure 6 and 7). While in Unit A the vast majority of artifacts weight comes from small round or flat fragments (Figure 8), this is less so the case for Unit B, where whole bottles, bottle bases and rims make up an important part of the assemblage weight (Figure 9). This seems to suggest that Unit A was the site of some kind of excavation or building project, in which glass fragments were possibly used as fill, while Unit B was likely a more domestic trash pit. Unit A. Level 1 had a low density of glass artifacts, only 89 g, highly fragmented, with clear glass forming ~90% of the assemblage, of various tinges. The approximately 10 g of amber glass fragments probably originated from the same vessel, and a curved fragment presented the writing POS on it. Two curved, clear fragments could be connected, and together they formed the writing BOTTLED BY S.A.D The label seems to be applied, and applied labels only appeared after 1934, proving that the bottle comes from a later age (Figure 10). Unit A Level Class Color Maker's Mark - Company 1 Curved fragments Clear None 2 Flat fragment Black None 4 Base Amber 6 Bottle Clear Owens-Illinois Glass Company Chesebrough Manfg. CO.CD. 6 Insulator Clear None Dating Post 1934 Ante s Ante th century Comments Writing: "Bottled by S.A.D " N/A Writing: "D " Style unique of DURAGLAS Contained Vaseline Writng: "Crystal Clear 30A 125 V" Table 1. Identified bottles/fragments and other glass artifacts useful for the temporal analysis of Unit A. Level 2 shows a great increase in the number of artifacts, with a total of 274 g. However, the fragmentation level increased further, with artifacts reaching an average size of 1.2 g. In agreement with this, the share of fragments in the total composition of the artifacts rose to ~75%. Amber glass also increased its prevalence to over 20%, but the most intriguing discovery was 34

37 that of black colored fragments in the level. As explained before, black glass is extremely uncommon after 1890s, and its presence this close to the surface is a likely indicator of pit disturbance. Furthermore, we also found a green marble approximately 2 cm in diameter, a base with writings CL 2 0, mirrored fragments and a curved fragment with blue tinge and writings BE as well as the number 1 (Figure 11, 12). A spike in the number and weight of glass artifacts is registered in level 3, where 553 g (average size 1.5 g) of material was recovered. The color distribution of the material remained relatively constant, and so did the relative presence of classes. A lot of fragments presented characteristics very similar to the previous level, or even signs of being parts of the same vessel, which suggests that they were deposited at the same time. Level 4 continued the same trend, and here the weight of glass objects spiked to 733 g (average 2.9 g). The same color and class characteristics of the previous two levels continued here, with the exceptions of the presence of a recent whole clear bottle, which however had no marks or writings. A base fragment on the other hand showed part of the script writing DURAGLAS, the proprietary name for a process used by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company where the surface of the hot, just produced bottles, were sprayed on the body, shoulder, and neck (not base or the top of the finish) with a stannic chloride vapor that allowed the tin to bond to the outer surface and providing scratch resistance and durability to the bottles (Lindsay 2011b,d). Finding this fragment was helpful for our dating effort since this process - and the embossed script notation that is found on the base of Owens-Illinois bottles - began in 1940 and continued to the mid-1950s (Toulouse 1971) (Figure 13). In Level 5 there was a marked decrease in glass density, with only 131 g (average 1.9 g). In this level more than 90% of objects were fragments; 80% of the glass was clear. All classes but fragments and rims disappear, with no particularly interesting artifacts excavated in this level. Level 6 on the other hand showed a similar quantity of glass (158 g), but a very high average size, which spiked to 13.2 g due to the presence of large intact bottles and a limited quantity of other classes of glass. Two whole clear bottles were present in the level, both machinemade, so post In one the clear embossed name gave us the name of the company, CHESEBROUGH MANFG. CO. CD. followed by the anachronistic hyphenated NEW- YORK (Figure 14). This jar is commonly found in archaeological excavations, and it once held 35

38 Vaseline, the main product produced by Mr. Robert Chesebrough. The company merged with Pond in 1955, at which time they changed their name and bottles. Presumably then this artifact predates that change, in agreement with level 4. The Vaseline jar has no label at all on the bottom. However, it does have what appears to be a valve or ejection mark, a 1.6 cm diameter circle, which were common in the early half of the 20th century wide-mouth bottles made by a press and blow machine. So overall the likely dating is , probably 1930s or 40s. (Lindsay 2011d). The second whole object is a glass insulator, also probably used in the middle of the 20 th century, which reported the writing CRYSTAL CLEAR 30A 125V (Figure 15). In Levels 7 to 9, only a total of 30 g of material, all clear glass, was recovered. Unit B Level Class Color 2 Bottle Clear Maker's Mark - Company Owens-Illinois Glass Company 3 Neck Aqua None 5 Bottle Amber 6 Base Clear Brockway Machine Bottle Company W.J. Latchford-Marble Glass Company Dating Post 1954 Ante s Comments Identifier: "CL 86 10" Numerous, big air bubbles. Tool finish. B (serif) in a circle. Origin: Crenshaw, PA "L" identifier at the center Table 2. Identified bottles/fragments and other glass artifacts useful for the temporal analysis of Unit B. Unit B. Level 1 showed an average density of glass material, 242 g (average 2.7 g), with an high incidence of clear glass (~80%). More than 30% of the glass was green, and most of it was probably part of a single vessel. A clear bottle base presented the writing CP-2 41, but no further information was found on a possible origin. Another artifact was probably a glass stopper, made of clear, yet opaque glass. Level 2 had the largest artifact sample of the whole unit, with 424 g (average 2.4 g) of mostly fragmented, clear glass material. More than 30% of the material consisted of intact bottles. One had decorated neck, was clear in color and presented an identifier CL as well as a symbol (an I inside a circle between the CL and the 86). The mark was identified with 36

39 Owens-Illinois Glass Company, Toledo, OH, with 22 glass factory locations in the US and Canada (1929-to date). The mark of the bottle has been used from 1954 to the present (Figure 16). A diamond was present in older marks, superimposed over the I and O, but that was eliminated in the second half of the 20 th century (Whitten 2011). The other bottle had amber color, with a 13 written on the base. Glass in Level 3 drops to 81 g (average 1.6 g), with a 60% composition of flat and curved fragments, with the rest almost evenly split between bases and rims. Some white and blue glass was present, but mostly the fragments were clear and amber. One neck of aqua color was of particular interest (Figure 17). Numerous bubbles can be seen in the neck, and as a general rule large bubbles (~1/8" and larger) and/or numerous bubbles of all sizes are to be found in bottles manufactured from the 1890s to the early 1920s. Conversely, the absence of bubbles or presence of only a very few small bubbles denotes a bottle likely to date after the 1930s (Lindsay 2011b,d). Furthermore, a machine-made bottle made of aqua glass is likely to predate the 1920s, unless it is a soda bottle or canning jar, which does not seem to be the case here, due to the small neck. Finally, the neck presents a tool finish, as demonstrated by the lack of side molds on the rim, and the presence of concentric horizontal tooling marks in the upper portion of the neck above where the side mold seam fades (Lindsay 2011b). Together, these arguments strongly suggest that the neck was made sometime before the 1920s and it represents probably the oldest glass artifact to which we can assign a date. Its presence so close to the surface may be an indicator of disturbance, even though a later deposition due to e.g. bottle collection cannot be ruled out. In Level 4 there is another increase in glass, with a total of 265 g (average 2.7 g), comprising ~50% fragments, 25% rims and 25% bases. One fragment interestingly might have come from a square bottle, and had a CO writing. There was not enough information to find out more about the vessel. Some of the bottle rims show characteristics that connect them with the previous level. The distinction between level 4 and 3 may not represent temporally distinct events. Level 5 had 340 g (average 4.9 g) of glass. Clear glass does not dominate, for the first time. In this case amber made up more than 30% of the artifacts, followed by clear glass, ~30%, and green and violet glass. A whole amber bottle was identified thanks to the maker s mark, a B in a circle, characteristic of Brockway Machine Bottle Company ( ). The B in a circle mark was first used in In 1973 factories were located at Brockway PA, Muskogee, OK; 37

40 Summary Glass Chronological Tables Unit A Level Class Color Maker's Mark - Company 1 Curved fragments Clear None 2 Flat fragment Black None 4 Base Amber 6 Bottle Clear Owens-Illinois Glass Company Chesebrough Manfg. CO.CD. 6 Insulator Clear None Dating Lapel, IN; Crenshaw, PA; Freehold, NJ; Parkersburg, WV; Washington, PA; Rosemount, MN; Zanesville, OH; Montgomery, AL; Ada, OK; Oakland, CA and Pomona, CA. The code on the left of the B represents a plant, and it appears that this bottle was produced in 1972, at Crenshaw, PA (Whitten 2011) (Figure 18,19). Level 6 was divided into Level 6A (42 g, average 3.2 g) and Level 6 (306 g, average 8.5 g). While 6A was dominated (over 90%) by curved fragments and clear glass (100%), Level 6 was of bigger interest. Here more than 30% of the fragments were of blue color, and 50% of the total glass was bases. One of these possessed a marker that was used for identification a central, irregular, L. This corresponds to W.J.Latchford Glass Company, Los Angeles, CA ( ); this became the Latchford-Marble Glass Company ( ); and then, Latchford Glass Company (1957-c.1989). The mark was first used approximately in 1925, but during the "Latchford-Marble" era, the mark "LM in an oval" was used instead so L predates that and can be dated to ~ s (Whitten 2011). Considering that we divided the level in two to prove the existence of a trash pit, our hypothesis is validated by the much higher presence and diversity of glass material in 6 (representative of the pit) (Figure 20). Level 7 had 64 g (average 9.2) of mostly big fragments without any helpful writing or mark useful for identification (30% violet glass), while level 8 only had 1 artifact, of 0.5g, clear, which proved we had reached sterile ground. Post 1934 Ante s Ante th century Comments Writing: "Bottled by S.A.D " N/A Writing: "D " Style unique of DURAGLAS Contained Vaseline Writng: "Crystal Clear 30A 125 V" Table 1. Identified bottles/fragments and other glass artifacts useful for the temporal analysis of Unit A. 38

41 Unit B Level Class Color 2 Bottle Clear Maker's Mark - Company Owens-Illinois Glass Company 3 Neck Aqua None 5 Bottle Amber 6 Base Clear Brockway Machine Bottle Company W.J. Latchford-Marble Glass Company Dating Conclusion A comparison of the 2011 Field Season at 1312 Ruthven Street with previous seasons will be useful to determine consistency in the amount of glass excavated. In the spring of 2008 the Rice Archaeological Field Techniques class excavated a 2x2 meter unit (P) at the Yates house. Nine levels were dug in all four subunits of Unit P, for a total 1.8 m 3 excavated. In 2009 the class excavated another 2x2 meter unit at Yates (YC), and dug 12 levels in Subunits 1 and 2 and 6 levels in Subunits 3 and 4, for a total of 1.8 m 3. The glass density was different between the two units, calculated as the weight over the total volume excavated (1.1 kg/m 3 for Unit P and 3.3 kg/m 3 for Unit YC). Glass density distribution also differed, with Unit P presenting a bimodal distribution, with the greatest concentration of artifacts at a depth of 35cm, and the second largest concentration in 20cm. Unit YC, in contrast, had a unimodal distribution, with a peak of glass artifact density at 25cm. Our units were 1x1 meter, with 0.43 m 3 of soil excavated from Unit A (glass density 4.6 kg/m 3 ) and 0.38 m 3 from Unit B (glass density also 4.6 kg/m 3 ) which means that the amount of glass recovered in both units is relatively higher than in any previous excavation. This further supports the existence of trash pits in our units. Unit A also presented a unimodal distribution (max at level 3-4), while Unit B showed a bimodal distribution, with peaks at level 2 and 5-6. In 2008 excavators reported a clear divide between handmade and machine-made bottles, due to color and seam-style changes. That observation was not repeated in In the 2011 field season the units excavated were highly disturbed, and did not provide evidence of such divide either. Post 1954 Ante s Comments Identifier: "CL 86 10" Numerous, big air bubbles. Tool finish. B (serif) in a circle. Origin: Crenshaw, PA "L" identifier at the center Table 2. Identified bottles/fragments and other glass artifacts useful for the temporal analysis of Unit B. 39

42 The analysis of Units A and B provided some interesting insights on the activity at the site. Unit A has clearly undergone severe disturbance due to construction activity, which can be seen in the quality and color of the glass found, mostly clear and very small, as well as from the retrieval of older bottles from deeper levels. Unit B possessed material more typical of a household trash pit, including a multimodal distribution, which could indicate that a nearby house might have been occupied and abandoned at different points in time. However this unit might also be disturbed, as the presence of the older glass artifacts in recent levels suggests, so one must be careful in making any type of generalization from this data. One needs to consider that the trends observed, while valuable, should always be viewed with a critical understanding that what is deposited through human activity can also be modified by it. To sum up, we need to consider the formation processes that created the archaeological record we excavated. What is clear is that people at Freedman s Town used a large quantity of glass in their everyday life, of different quality and shape. Some was imported from different parts of the United States, and some was produced locally. Several artifacts could be identified thanks to makers marks, but for many there was not enough information for any meaningful interpretation. Many questions have been left unanswered, and only a more thorough excavation of this community will reveal trends and patterns indicative of what types of glass families used and discarded, as well as their economic and social evolution through time. References Lindsey, Bill 2011a Bottle Bases: Pontil Marks or Scars, Electronic document, accessed April 10, b Bottle Body Characteristics and Mold Seams, Electronic document, accessed April 10, c Bottle/Glass Colors, Electronic document, accessed April 10, d Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website, accessed April 10,

43 Lockhart, William 2011 The Dating Game accessed April 10, Toulouse, Julian 1969 A Primer on Mold Seams. Electronic document, accessed April 10, Toulouse, Julian 1971 Bottle Makers and Their Marks. New York: Thomas Nelson, Inc. Whitten, David 2011 Glass Factory Marks on Bottles. Electronic document, accessed April 10, Wilson, Bill, and Betty Wilson 1968 Spirits Bottles of the Old West. Wolfe City: Henington Publishing. Young, James Harvey 1967 The Medical Messiahs. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 41

44 Figure 1a. Blowpipe pontil scar produced by a pontil rod during manufacture of a mouth-blown calabash bottle that was produced in a post mold in the 1850s (Source: bottle/pontiledbase). Figure 1b. In this beer bottle the side mold seam on the neck of the vessel ends before the finish, indicating that it was in part handmade, probably (Source: Sidemoldseam.jpg). 42

45 Figure 1c. If the side mold of a bottle runs up and over the rim then the bottle is machine-made (Source: 43

46 Figure 1d. The typical features of a bottle, useful in our discussion of the artifacts, are presented (Source: 44

47 Figure 1e. The circular valve mark on the base of a bottle is proof that the bottle has been made with a press-and-blow machine (Source: bottle/suctionscar.jpg). 45

48 Figure 2. Unit A presents the highest distribution of artifacts in Levels 3 and 4. Weight and number of objects are usually consistent, and very few artifacts were recovered from Level 7 onward. Figure 3. Unit B presents a multimodal distribution, with highest artifacts presence at Levels 2, 4/5, and 6. Again weight and number of objects are usually consistent, and almost no artifacts were found in Level 8. 46

49 Figure 4. Unit A shows a relatively constant artifact fragmentation, except for level 6, in which the retrieval of whole bottles pushed the ratio above 10g per fragment. The high fragmentation in the first 5 levels, corresponding to the bulk of the glass material, further supports the hypothesis of a construction trash site. Figure 5. Unit B in average has less fragmentation than unit B, particularly at deeper levels. 47

50 Figure 6. The color analysis of Unit A shows that clear glass dominates the assemblage. However, amber and green glass make up an important portion of the glass retrieved. The consistent color composition throughout the levels, as well as the total lack of colored glass in depth, further confirms that the Unit was highly disturbed. 48

51 Figure 7. Unit B is more diverse and shows that clear glass was not always the dominant color. Unit B seem thus to be less disturbed than Unit A. 49

52 Figure 8. Artifact class analysis of Unit A shows a prevalence of small fragments throughout the levels. An increase in the share of bigger fragments like rims and necks, or even of whole bottles, is evident after Level 5. Figure 9. Fewer small fragments are present in Unit B, which sees high prevalence of whole bottles, necks, bases and rims. 50

53 Figure 10. Flat fragments found in Unit A, Level 1. Not enough information was found for an identification of the product or producer, but the applied label means post Figure 11. Green marble found in Unit A, Level 2. No writings or marks were found on it. 51

54 Figure 12. Flat fragments with mirrored back found in Unit A, Level 2. The backing seemed to be applied post-processing. Figure 13. Base fragment of Unit A, Level 4 on the other hand showed part of the script writing DURAGLAS, the proprietary name for a process used by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. 52

55 Figure 14. This jar retrieved in Unit A, Level 6 once held Vaseline, the main product produced by Mr. Robert Chesebrough. The company merged with Pond in 1955, at which time they changed their name and bottles. Likely dating is , probably 1930s or 40s. 53

56 Figure 15. Glass insulator found in Unit A, Level 6, also probably used in the middle of the 20 th century, which reported the writing CRYSTAL CLEAR 30A 125V. Figure 16. Bottle of Unit B, Level 2. The mark was identified with Owens-Illinois Glass Company Toledo, OH, with 22 glass factory locations in the US (1929-to date). 54

57 Figure 17. Neck of Unit B, Level 3. The aqua color was of particular interest and presence of large bubbles is of interest, as these characteristics are found in bottles manufactured from the 1890s to the early 1920s. Figure 18. Bottle of Unit B, Level 5. The whole amber bottle was identified thanks to the maker s mark, a B in a circle, characteristic of Brockway Machine Bottle Company ( ). The B in a circle mark was first used in

58 Figure 19. Identification scheme for the bottle of figure 18. The whole amber bottle had the code 2 on the left of the circled B (two serifs), which corresponds to Crenshaw, PA. Figure 20. Base of Unit B, level 6A. The marker that was used for identification a central, irregular, L. corresponds to W.J.Latchford Glass Company, Los Angeles, CA ( ). 56

59 Metal Artifacts DeAngela Hayes Introduction Metal artifacts can play a vital role in helping archaeologists to gain insights into the lifestyle of the people who may have inhabited a certain site. Metal artifacts can be, and have been, used as tools, adornment, practical household items, and much more. Through careful analysis, these artifacts can provide the analyst with a wealth of information about a certain time period and those living within them. This is a difficult task, however, because as metal is weathered, it rusts or becomes discolored. Although analyzing metal artifacts can be difficult, through electrolysis and washing, the analyst can identify the object, and perhaps establish a more concrete time period for a particular level of the excavation. Analysis Large quantities of metal artifacts were found in both Unit A and B. The majority of these artifacts were nails, which were weighed separately. The nails were not analyzed because there is not much information that can be gathered from them with regards to dating. In Unit A, Levels 3 and 4 contained the most nails based on weight while Level 1 contained the least amount of nails by weight (Figure 1). In Unit B, Level 2 contained the most nails by weight while the Levels 1 and 4 contained no nails (Figure 2). The complete information on weight of nails can be found in Appendix 1. After weighing the nails, metal from Unit A was analyzed by level. Within each level, the metal was further divided into determinate (meaning the artifact had a recognizable form) and indeterminate (meaning the artifact could not be recognized). The indeterminate metal was further divided by type of metal (iron, copper, gold, etc.) and then into artifact class (metal fragment flake, flat metal fragment band, or indeterminate). All indeterminate artifacts were simply weighed and counted. The vast majority of metal in all levels was indeterminate (Figure 5 and Figure 6). Upon completion of weighing, counting, and cataloging the indeterminate metal, the determinate metal was divided by type of metal and artifact class according to the YCAP artifact cataloguing system. Their function was determined as best as possible depending on how corroded the artifact was. Level 4 contained the most metal objects (Figure 3 and Figure 4), and the majority of objects were iron (Figure 7). The most interesting artifacts from each level are listed below. To see all others, please refer to Appendix II. 57

60 The metal artifacts in Unit B were analyzed using the same methods as those used to analyze Unit A. The vast majority of metal in Unit B was also indeterminate (Figure 10 and Figure 11). The majority of artifacts in Unit B were in Level 2 (Figure 8 and Figure 9) and were composed of iron (Figure 12). The most interesting objects are listed below. To see all others, please refer to Appendix 3. Artifacts of Interests There were many artifacts found that, while not providing much information about the site in particular, are still notable. Unit A Level 1 (Figure 13) A metal vial still intact. Unit A Level 2 (Figure 14) An aluminum bottle cap with the word turn on it five times and five arrows pointing left indicating which direction to turn. An iron spring that is usually seen in mousetraps. A pull tab ring, perhaps from a soda can. A pull tab, usually seen on sodas dating from After 1975, sodas in the United States had the pull tab ring. Unit A Level 3 (Figure 15) A square washer made out of indeterminate metal. It is in great condition. An iron spring usually used in mouse traps. An aluminum seal liner, perhaps used in a medicine bottle due to its size. A screw in great condition. The lined can still be distinguished. Several large staples of the type that is usually found in staple guns. A lid to an aluminum can that was still intact (Figure 16). A penny from One can still clearly see the embossing. (Figure 17) (Figure 18) Unit A Level 4 A basket for a bicycle that was whole and in very good condition. (Figure 19) A tricycle wheel hub. (Figure 20) Mattress Coils still intact. (Figure 21) A screw still intact. The lines are still discernible. (Figure 21) 58

61 The bowl of a teaspoon. (Figure 21) Pieces of an aluminum bag with bits of red paint on it. (Figure 21) Unit A Level 5 (Figure 22) More mattress coils. An aluminum tube, perhaps from ointment or toothpaste based on its shape and size. Aluminum gum wrapper still discernible. A spring still connect to a hook. In excellent condition, not corrosion or rust at all. Unit A Level 7(Figure 23) A very large round iron stake, almost completely intact. Unit B Level 2 (Figure 24) A silver jack that is commonly seen in a children s jack set. A pewter key with SPC around the keyhole on one side and 670S around the keyhole on the other side. A bullet shell casing with CORAL on it. A white bottle cap screw sides. It has the words TURN TO followed by an arrow pointing to the right three times. A door hinge. A key clip. Unit B Level 5 A penny. The date could not be determined, but it has One Cent on the back. (Figure 25) A small, flat round piece of indeterminate iron. (Figure 25) A large round iron stake. (Figure 25) An intricate piece of brass. The use exact use of the object could not be determined. (Figure 26) Conclusion While little can be determined from these non-nail metal artifacts about Freedman s Town s residence, they still provide us with a view of the consumption patterns of the residents of the household. 59

62 Figure 1 Figure 2 60

63 Figure 3 Figure 4 61

64 Figure 5 Figure 6 62

65 Figure 7 Figure 8 63

66 Figure 9 Figure 10 64

67 Figure 11 Figure 12 65

68 Figure 13: Iron vial Figure 14: (from top left to right) pull tab ring, pull tab, aluminum bottle cap, iron spring, indeterminate hardware 66

69 Figure 15: (from top left to right) screw, aluminum seal liner, large staple, square washer, spring, indeterminate hardware Figure 16: Aluminum can lid or bottom. 67

70 Figure 17: Front of penny dated Figure 18: Back of the penny dated

71 Figure 19: Bicycle basket Figure 20: Tricycle wheel hub 69

72 Figure 21: (from top left to right) A screw plate with screws still in it, mattress coil, spoon bowl, aluminum bag piece with bits of red paint, screw, spring, top of a small bottle or vial Figure 22: (top left to right) Mattress coil, a spring still connected to hook, bottle cap, aluminum gum wrapper, ointment or toothpaste tube. 70

73 Figure 23: Round iron stake Figure 24: (top left to right) Jack, key, bullet casing, bottle top, hinge, key clip 71

74 Figure 25: (top left to right) penny, flat indeterminate round piece, round stake. Figure 26: Intricate brass piece 72

75 Miscellaneous Artifacts and Objects of Personal Adornment Stephanie Stutts Introduction From plastic to diamonds, the inhabitants of 1312 Ruthven Street purchased, utilized and discarded a wide range of miscellaneous material and objects of personal adornment. Through the analysis of archaeological data obtained during the 2011 field season and the reports done on the assemblages of previous field seasons, the material pulled from the ground can be used to understand consumer choices and the daily lives of members of this community. Perhaps it is for this purpose the bringing to life of material long abandoned in the earth that we study artifacts. People not only actively utilize material objects for functional purposes, but material objects are imbued with a power all their own a way in which to deal with the challenges of everyday life. In this regard, the data presented in this chapter, in conjunction with prior and future assemblages, will help to not only convey consumer trends, but also the ways in which material can work to build personal and community identities. Concerns About Stratigraphic Integrity The stratigraphy of both Units A and B was called into question in light of the discovery of what appear to be pits in each of these units. In Unit A, the presence of a pit became apparent when a fragment of a red Solo cup was found in Level 8 (Figure 1). If it is, indeed, a piece of a red Solo brand cup, it could have been deposited either during or after the 1970s, when Solo first introduced this product (Company History 2011). The fact that material dating from the midtwentieth century is found so close to sterile soil (found 50 centimeters below the point of origin) suggests that the soil in this unit was mixed, presumably in the act of digging a pit, disrupting the stratigraphy of previous deposits in the period during or following the first production of this material. The eastern profile of Unit B also indicates the presence of a pit, which in turn suggests that the deposits of Unit B were disturbed as well. Because of the lack of certainty in the stratigraphic integrity of these units, conclusions about changes in trends over time will be difficult to make based on the 2011 field season s data. However, if the material can be placed in the larger context of previous seasons work and the work of future seasons, conclusions can be drawn 73

76 regarding temporal changes in consumer trends. Miscellaneous Material The assemblage of miscellaneous material (Table 1, Figures 2 and 3) is not large and therefore makes it difficult to draw overarching conclusions about consumer patterns. An almost insignificant amount (5 pieces weighing less than 2 grams) of burned material was found in Level 1 and 3 of both units and also in Level 8 of Unit A. Only six pieces of fabric material (one long string and 5 vinyl fragments) were found in Levels 1 through 4 of Unit A; Unit B only contained one piece of vinyl in Level 4. Foil was only found in Level 1 and 2 of Unit A. Hard plastic material was recovered the most of any other miscellaneous material in both Units A and B, with a consistent rise in frequency until Level 5, where hard plastic material becomes rare. There was a significant amount of polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) in Levels 1 and 2 of Unit A, but this material had no other significant frequency in other Levels. Soft plastics such as wrappers, plastic bags and plastic cups were also found with relatively high frequency in both units, with the highest frequencies coming primarily from the top four levels. Many wrappers were found in the 2009 field season, indicating that perhaps some of the clear seemingly unidentifiable fragments of thin plastic are in fact pieces of larger wrappers (Boudreaux 2009: 181). However, only two pieces of soft plastic had unambiguous evidence of belonging to a commercial wrapper barcodes. As stated before, conclusions of any kind are difficult to draw from such a small assemblage of data. When set into a broader context, this material will have the potential to show consumer trends and choices made by the Freedmen s Town community. Two Other Identifiable Items of Interest A large piece of plastic with the letters ILAT and EXHA painted found in Unit B Level 1 was concluded to be a part of a ventilation and exhaust unit (Figure 4). It could have part of a fan or even part of a ventilation system attached to the roof of a house. A Texaco cigarette lighter was found in Unit A Level 1 on the first day of this season s excavation project (Figure 5). Texaco Oil Company was founded in 1901 and merged with Chevron Corporation in 2001 (Wikipedia, Texaco 2011). During that century of existence, Texaco and its logo have become a part of popular culture. As such, the materiality of this lighter 74

77 stems from its association with this large oil company. The owner of this lighter not only utilized this object in a purely functional manner, but was at the same time becoming a part of the global oil industry and its consequences through the use of this lighter. Perhaps the presence of the logo on the lighter influenced the owner or those using the lighter to buy gasoline from Texaco. Or perhaps, disregarding the logo all together, the owner used this cigarette lighter to identify himself or herself as a member of the smoking community. In both cases, this object carried more significance than the fact that it could light things on fire it placed the individual into a broader sphere (the global oil industry) and may have also become a means through which the owner identified himself or herself to a larger community. Distribution of Material by Weight and Number Unit A Personal Adornment Unit B Weight (g) Number Weight (g) Number Burned Material Fabric 3 6 <0.1 1 Foil Hard Plastic Soft Plastic Polystyrene <0.1 2 Total Table 1 Items of personal adornment recovered during the 2011 field season include buttons made of glass 1, metal, plastic and shell (Tables 2, 3, and 4), as well as metal grommets and snaps, a vermeil ring and an earring. A small sample size consisting of only 28 buttons and snaps of only four different materials, a few metal grommets, one ring and one earring makes drawing overarching conclusions about consumer button trends difficult and unreliable. However, as with the miscellaneous material, when analyzed in conjunction with earlier studies, a greater body of data can be accumulated, allowing for future studies to draw more substantial conclusions. Analysis can show that these materials not only served a functional purpose, but also worked to establish the identity of the wearer as a member of consumer culture and as actively involved in navigating the changing waters of the fashion world and even daily life. 1 Only one glass button was recovered during the course of this field season (Figure 6). This button was found in Level 4 of Unit B along with the more common plastic and shell buttons. 75

78 Table of Buttons from Unit A Decorated Undecorated Metal Plastic Metal Plastic Level Level Level 4 1 Level Total Table 2 Plastic Buttons Only four buttons were recovered in Unit A Levels 2, 3 and 4, all of which are plastic (Figure 7). The largest, found in Level 2, resembles a brown pickle slice with a raised wave pattern; the brown plastic material looks very similar to wood. This button has no holes but rather a shank on the back. A small white button and a medium sized light brown button were recovered from Level 3; each of these buttons has two eyes. The light brown button has wavy lines of irregular shapes and sizes carved into it, making it resemble some kind of organic material. Level 4 of Unit A contained a medium black button with uniform, raised squiggly lines radiating from the middle, and it also has two eyes. Plastic buttons from Unit B were recovered from Levels 2 through 5 (Figure 8). The button found in Level 2 is a medium sized button with two eyes and a thick rim, which seems to have been made to look like mother of pearl. A plain black button with four eyes and an offwhite button with two eyes were found in Level 3. The off-white button has a raised hexagon surrounding the eyes, which is decorated on each side with straight grooves. Level 4 contained three plastic buttons one complete white button with four eyes, one incomplete white button with four eyes, and one large incomplete salmon button with three eyes. This salmon button has a convex back, giving the button a distinctive bowl shape. Another off-white button was recovered from Level 5. This button has two eyes and is decorated with diagonal grooves cutting across the face and horizontal groves cutting through the eyes. All of these buttons serve a functional purpose. But they serve a symbolic one as well. None of these buttons are especially fancy; some are even plain. Yet all of them had the potential at one time to help the wearer form an identity and manage daily life. For instance, the plain white buttons from Unit B Level 4 could have been chosen to represent simplicity as opposed to 76

79 Table of Buttons From Unit B Decorated Undecorated Glass Metal Plastic Shell Glass Metal Plastic Shell Level Level Level Level Level Level 6a 1 Level 7a 1 Total Table 3 Summary of Buttons and Snaps Unit A Unit B Glass 1 Metal 5 2 Plastic 4 7 Shell 9 Total 9 19 Table 4 the distinctive salmon button, which could have been selected in order to add individuality to an outfit thereby helping to create an identity. Furthermore, it is likely that these buttons were worn during different social interactions, helping to wearer and those interacting with the wearer to identify the situation, whether formal or informal. Shell Buttons Shell buttons were only recovered from Unit B Levels 2 through 7a (Figure 9). The limited shell button assemblage for this field season affects the conclusions that can be drawn, making it nearly impossible to draw any conclusions. But, as stated previously, the addition of these buttons to the assemblages of previous and future field seasons can help to further the kinds of conclusions that can be made. From Level 2, half of a shell button with two eyes and a shell button of the fisheye style were recovered. Fisheye buttons were also found in Level 3 and Level 6a. Three incomplete buttons were found in Level 3, as well as an English rim style button with two eyes (Wise 2009: 77

80 145). Levels 4 and 7a also contained one English rim button with two eyes. From Level 6, a shell button was found with no eyes but rather a shank of indeterminable style. As is the case of the other buttons, the potential to demonstrate the way that individuals participate in their world is present in these shell buttons. The different styles of these buttons fisheye, English rim and the range in the number of eyes all show the consumer choices made by the inhabitants of 1312 Ruthven Street. However, trends cannot be concluded from such a small sample size. Metallic Objects of Personal Adornment Buttons and Snaps: The metal buttons and snaps found ranged in size, degree of decoration and shank style (Figure 10). Unit A Level 2 contained a button that appears to be from a work pant or overall. The robust nature and size and lack of decoration of this button indicate a possible desire for durability and strength. The report from the 2009 field season also shows that work buttons were found in two units, though in lower units (Wise 2009: 155). This indicates that this button is not one of a kind in the Yates Community, and it is not too problematic to draw conclusions about consumer choices based on the presence of this kind of button in more than one context. Level 5 of Unit A contained an octagonal button, with a raised red center and concentric ovals bordered by a gold rim. This button appears to have been stamped from one piece of thin (approximately 1 millimeter in width), presumably, copper alloy and seems to have had an alpha shank (the only metallic button to have an identifiable shank) (Aultman 2003: 4-7). This button is in marked contrast with the last button due to its degree of decoration and elegance. Instead of durability, embellishment was selected. Again, the 2009 report also discusses showy buttons, objects thought to be a way for individuals to express themselves as opposed for a function relying on strength and durability (Wise 2009: 155). A small (less than 0.2 grams) round two-piece, semi-domed button with a missing shank was recovered from Unit B Level 2 (Aultman 2003: 5-7). This button, too, was likely not chosen for strength. Unit B Level 6 contained a round twopiece button, which was neither particularly strong nor delicate (Figure 11). Levels 3 and 5 of Unit A contained one and two metallic snaps, respectively (none were present in Unit B). Additionally, neither the 2008 report nor the 2009 report gave any accounts of snaps. The rarity of snaps thus makes it difficult to draw conclusions about consumer choices 78

81 and trends. Each button and snap was probably not selected to perform in the same way as the others. However, function is not the only reason that consumers make choices. The objects themselves can illustrate the ways in which the consumer coped with daily life. Demonstrated by the range in strength of each button and snap, the owners of these objects experienced life with the same, if not greater, range of difference. From the rough and tumble to the chic, these buttons and snaps demonstrate how consumer choices are affected not only by desired function, but also as a way to manage life. Clothing Eyes: The category of metallic clothing eyes includes both grommets and eyelets. Clothing eyes were recovered come from Levels 3 and 5 of Unit A, with Level 3 containing one grommet and Level 5 containing two grommets and two eyelets (Figure 12). Both grommets from Level 5 have writing, however in both cases, the writing is illegible. But taken in conjunction with the branding analysis done on the work buttons in the 2009 report, this writing could indicate that the quality signified by name brands was important to the inhabitants of 1312 Ruthven Street (Wise 2009: ). Jewelry: One earring and a partial vermeil ring were recovered in Level 3 of both Unit A and Unit B, respectively (Figures 13 and 14). The earring from Level 3 of Unit B appears to be made of copper. On top of a small disk decorated with a swirl pattern surrounding an empty setting, a glass rhinestone placed inside a copper setting is soldered. The partial ring is adorned with two stones of either diamond or cubic zirconia. A 2.7 millimeter stone is set into a raised setting in the middle of the ring, with a smaller (approximately 2 millimeter) stone set into the band to the side of the raised setting (if the stones are diamond, the larger diamond would be 0.07 carats, and the smaller stone would be 0.03 carats) (Ajediam 2011). The stones appear to be cut stones rather than chips because the facets are not jagged but flat (Jewelry Secrets 2011). On the inside of the band, an engraving, of which only Bri crest was discernable, is found (the signifying the letters that are rubbed away). The vermeil ring was most likely chosen, in part, due to economic reasons. The size of the diamonds or cubic zirconia attests to this idea. It is also possible that ring was an engagement ring; although the only evidence used to support this statement is the presence of the 79

82 diamond(-like) stones, which do not appear only on engagement rings. If it is a ring of this type, then it is a symbol a symbol of a contract made between two people. This ring could have symbolized the marital status of the wearer, identifying her as one party to a committed relationship. Its purpose was not only to adorn a finger, but also to help create the identity of the wearer. Regardless of the price or quality of the material, the ideas that it represents convey the wearer s identity. Concluding Remarks While the size of this assemblage makes it difficult to draw and support conclusions about consumer trends through time, when placed in a broader context of past and future assemblages, conclusions of this nature will be possible to make. What can be done currently is to recognize that the choices made by the members of the Freedmen s Town community most likely played a role in forming identities and helped the owners navigate the changing, and sometimes murky, waters of daily life. Through the materials they discarded, a narrative of the everyday life of conscientious shoppers will begin to be formed which will provide an account of life richer and more nuanced than once would imagine could result from bits of old plastic and clay covered buttons. References Ajediam 2011 Diamond carat size chart. How big are carat, karat size diamonds on scale, Electronic document. accessed April 19, Aultman, Jennifer, and Grillo, Kate 2003 Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery (DAACS) Cataloging Manual: Buttons. Electronic document, accessed April 19, Boudreaux, Nadine 2009 Miscellaneous Artifacts and Building Materials. In Final Report on the 2009 Excava tions at the Rutherford B. H. Yates House Site. Jeffrey Fleisher, ed. Pp

83 Jewelry Secrets 2011 What are Diamond Chips, Electronic document, Diamond-Chip.html, accessed April 19, Solo Cup Company Company History, Electronic document, accessed April 4, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia 2011 Texaco, Electronic document, accessed April 4, 2011 Wise, Brittany The Things They Wore: A Study of Personal Adornment at the R. B. H. Yates House. In Final Report on the 2009 Excavations at the Rutherford B. H. Yates House Site. Jeffrey Fleisher, ed. Pp

84 Figure 1: Fragment from a red Solo cup found in Unit Figure 2: Distribution of miscellaneous material artifacts by number in Unit A, including whole pieces and fragments. 82

85 Figure 3: Distribution of miscellaneous material artifacts by number in Unit B, including fragments and whole pieces. Figure 4: Artifact from Unit B Level 1, VENTILATION and EXHAUST. 83

86 Figure 5: Texaco lighter found in Unit A Level 1 Figure 6: Glass button found in Unit B Level 4 84

87 Figure 7: Buttons from Unit A; Level 2, Level 3, Level 3, Level 4. All plastic Figure 8: Plastic Buttons from Unit B. Top Row: Level 2, Level 3, Level 3. Bottom row: Level 4, Level 4, Level 4, Level 5. 85

88 Figure 9: Shell buttons from Unit B. Top row: Level 2 (fisheye), Level 2, Level 3, Level 3. Second row: Level 3 (fisheye), Level 3, Level 3, Level 4 (English rim) Third row: Level 5, Level 6, Level 6a (fisheye), Level 7a (English rim) 86

89 Figure 10: Metal buttons and snaps from Unit A. Top Row: Level 2 (button), Level 3 (snap), Level 3 (snap). Second Row: Level 5 (button), Level 5 (snap). 87

90 Figure 11: Metal buttons from Unit B: Level 2 and Level 6 Figure 12: Metal clothing eyes. Top row: Level 3, Level 3 Second row: Level 3, Level 3, Level 5 88

91 Figure 13: Earring from Unit A Level 3. Figure 14: Ring from Unit B Level 3. 89

92 Faunal Remains Yvana Rivera Introduction Analysis of the faunal remains from Units A and B was undertaken to enhance our understanding of the culture of the African Americans of Houston s Fourth Ward by reconstructing meat consumption trends. Categorizing and identifying these remains uncovers what their diets may have consisted of, their food consumption preferences, and other species either naturally or purposefully present for reasons other than consumption. Animal bones with butchery marks (from a saw or cleaver) give information on meat cuts that were consumed, and patterns of consumption provide clues to the socioeconomic statuses of the residents. Modifications such as burning may indicate cooking methods (roasting or grilling) or the use of back yard burn pits for trash. Therefore, the analysis of faunal remains can provide insights into the everyday lives of the African Americans residing in Houston s Freedman s Town. Methodology All of the faunal remains were bagged by level, unit, and lot number at the field site. The assemblage composed bone and shell. Because shell may have been used in construction or for other non-food purposes, it is considered separately. Shell fragments were weighed for each level and classified by material, sub-material, and class according to the YCAP cataloguing system. Where possible, species was identified. Animal bones were also weighed and recorded in the YCAP system, and divided into: non-diagnostic and diagnostic elements. Non-diagnostic bones were those that lacked identifying attributes due to fragmentation; no taxon more specific than bird or mammal could be assigned. They were weighed separately from the diagnostic bones. Diagnostic bones were those that could be identified based upon attributes such as articular surfaces, shape and size. Each diagnostic bone was weighed individually and identified as to species and type of bone. Modifications of bone including burning, holes, butchery marks, and bleaching were recorded. For bone identification, the HAS comparative collection in the Archaeology Laboratory at Rice University was consulted. I also took butchered bone to the B & W Meat Company to see if professional butchers could help me identify them and the type of meat cut they represented. 90

93 Shell Weights Shell remains were identified to be oyster shell and white mollusk shell remains. In Unit A, oyster shell dominated the faunal assemblage (Figure 1), which could indicate that oyster shell was either consumed or used for construction purposes. However, because some shell was found in context with butchered bones in Levels A4-A6, it is hard to conclusively determine that the oyster shell was either exclusively used for construction purposes or consumption. There were only two whole oyster shells from Unit A Levels 1 and 2. Three whole white mollusk shells were recovered, two from Unit A Levels 2 and 4 and one from Unit B Level 1. Whole shell may have been food, but the rest of the crushed shell probably was not. According to previous scholars who conducted studies of faunal remains at Houston s Freedman s Town, Rachel Feit states that throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in America, urban oyster houses were popular, and that in Houston oysters were also popularly consumed because the residents were so close to the Gulf of Mexico, which was a rich resource of oysters. Oysters were also used to pave alleyways, driveways, and roads (Feit 2007: 170). It is likely that white mollusk shell was used for construction purposes because one was found with concrete plastered onto it. It is therefore difficult to make any conclusions about the shell as either consumed remains or landscape remains in Unit A as the unit itself may have also been disturbed by a trash pit (Feit 2007: 170). Bone Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6 reveal few conclusive overall trends except that bone was recovered from both Units A and B (perhaps indicating a trash pit area), and there was much more shell in Unit A than in Unit B. Species Identification of Bone The species identified are presented in Tables 1 and 2 by level. Level Chicken Cow Pig Sheep Probable Rat ? 1? 0 0 Table 1: Unit A identified species of bone in each level 91

94 Level Chicken Cow Pig Sheep Unidentified Probable Unidentified Bird Crow Ungulate ? 0 0 1? Table 2: Unit B identified species of bone in each level Not surprisingly, almost all are domestic species (Figure 7, 8, 9, 10, 11). In both Unit A and B, the limited sample size of diagnostic bones makes it difficult to draw conclusions about meat preferences. Chicken was not found to be heavily consumed at the site. The probable crow, bird, and rat remains are most likely from natural deaths rather than consumption as food. Analysis of Modified Bone Modified bone is summarized in Figures 15 and 16. From the small sample size, it is difficult to discern meaningful patterns. The largest number of modified bones (9 non-diagnostic burnt bone) is in Unit A Level 3. All that may be inferred from the burnt, bleached, and butchered bone in both units is that roasting or grilling of meat or trash pit burning may have occurred. Some bone fragments were also left exposed to the sun, which caused the sun to bleach them. One bone fragment in Unit B Level 4 had a cut mark, but this is not surprising due to the fact that meat from some of the bones was consumed. Across levels it is difficult to conclude anything; however, in Unit A there were more burnt bone fragments. Butchered bone was found more in Unit B than in Unit A, but this could be because of the larger amount of bone present in Unit B overall. More bleached bone was found in Unit A than in Unit B. Therefore, more burning and bleaching occurred in Unit A than in Unit B. Analysis of Butchered Bone Table 3 illustrates all of the butchered bones that were identified in both units. With this limited amount of data, one can only suggest that beef and pork were more frequently consumed from the rib, leg, and shoulder parts (Figures 17, 18). All of the cut marks except one chopped cut mark, are professional saw marks indicating that the residents most likely bought professionally cut beef, pork, or mutton. Generally speaking, rib meat is tender and can be more expensive. 92

95 Ribs were present in the assemblage but could not be identified as to species. Shank leg cuts are often more tough and used in stews. The seven-bone steak cut is a more economical beef cut (Mullenix 2006: 1). Therefore, what can be concluded is that the residents did in fact consume economical cuts of meat, but also consumed ribs and intermediate cuts such as chuck roast. Unit A Level Species Element Cut of Meat Mark type Grams (g) 4 Bos taurus Shoulder Seven bone steak cut Saw 3 5 Ovis Humerus Unknown Chopped 16 6 Bos taurus/ sus scrofa? vertebrae Unknown Saw 4 Unit B Level Species Element Cut of Meat Mark type Grams (g) 2 Bos taurus Tibia Steak cut Saw 12 2 Bos taurus Unknown Chuck roast Saw 2 2 Bos taurus? Rib Unkown Saw 13 2 Bos taurus Leg Shank leg cut Saw 4 3 Sus scrofa Unknown Pork roast Saw 26 4 Probable ungulate 6 Conclusion Probable ungulate (Ovis?) Shoulder/ Arm? Unknown Saw 4 radius Unknown Saw 12 Table 3: Classification of Butchered Bones Evidence of socioeconomic status is difficult to conclusively infer from the data because of the large amount of fragmented unidentifiable bones and the limited sample size of identifiable bones. What is known is that the diet included mutton, beef, pork, and chicken and possibly oysters. A more rigorous lab analysis and a larger comparative collection are necessary to infer additional information about the residents of Houston s Freeman s Town. However, it is hoped that the results from this faunal analysis can help provide more insight into the daily lives of the residents and be used as a springboard for future studies at Freedman s Town (Feit 2007: 184). 93

96 References Feit, Rachel 2007 Assessment of Research Design with Final Research Goals. Cultural Resources: HISD Freedman s Town: Mullenix, Troy Figure 17, Beef cuts Figure 18, Pork cuts 94

97 Unit A Shell Weight Weight (g) Level Figure 1: Unit A shell weight by level Unit B Shell Weight Weight (g) A Level Figure 2: Unit B shell weight by level 95

98 Figure 3: Oyster shell Figure 4: White mollusk shell 96

99 Unit A Animal Bone Weight (g) Diagnostic Bone Non diagnostic Bone Level Figure 5: Unit A bone weight by level Unit B Animal Bone Weight (g) A Level Diagnostic Bone Non diagnostic Bone Figure 6: Unit B bone weight by level 97

100 Figure 7: Bos Taurus bone fragments Figure 8: Butchered Bos Taurus bone fragments Figure 9: Sheep bone fragments Figure 10: Sus scrofa bone fragment Figure 11: Sus scrofa bone fragments 98

101 Percentages of Species in Unit A 1% 15% 48% 21% Probable chicken Cow Pig Sheep Probable rat 15% Figure 12: Weight percentages of species in Unit A 9% Percentages of Species in Unit B 12% 0% 0% 3% 39% Probable chicken Cow Pig Sheep Unidentified Bird Probable crow 37% Probable unidentified ungulate Figure 13: Weight percentages of species in Unit B 99

102 Figure 14: Probable crow (left) and rat (right) Modified Bone Unit A Number of Fragments Level Diagnostic Butchered Bone Non-diagnostic Burnt Bone Non-diagnostic Bleached Bone Non-diagnostic Butchered Bone Figure 15: Number of modified bones per level in Unit A. 12 Modified Bone Unit B Number of Fragments Non-diagnostic Modified Bone (Cut Mark) Diagnostic Butchered Bone Non-diagnostic Burnt Bone Non-diagnostic Bleached Bone A Level Non-diagnostic Butchered Bone Figure 16: Number of modified bones per level in Unit B. 100

103 Figure 17: Beef Cuts Figure 18: Pork cuts 101

104 YCAP Artifact catalogue form RV Recorded By: Karen Martindale Date: March 2011 Unit Subunit Level Lot # Material Sub- Material Art. Class Quantity Wt (gr) Comments A I CA curved, light green on one side A I CB rim A I CB A I CC base A I CC rim A I CC undecorated, unfinished A I CF white, curved; toilet fragments A I CF rim A I CF A I CF one-sided fragments A I CF base A I CF rim A I CF base A I CF curved, light blue A I CF shiny dark green A I CA A I CA yellow, slight curve A I CA off-white, recessed line A I CB rim A I CC slightly curved A I CC rim A I CC amber gloss over both sides, white gloss over one side's amber A I CC base, circular lines A I CC pattern of uniform straight lines cut in A I CC very straight, all angles perpendicular A I CF A I CF base A I CF rim 102

105 A I CF A I CF bases A I CF rim A I CF rim and base A I CF rim; band of blue with floral horizontal pattern inside symmetrical bands fo mustard yellow; gold line around rim A I CF Maker's mark ("PARIS WHITE", "JH BAUM" inside ribbon) A I CF Green maker's mark/pattern; looks like egg with feathers A I CL rust orange A I CA A I CA unfinished A I CF base A I CF off-white, curved A I CF white, may be part of base A I CF white, somewhat thin, curved A I CF thin rims A I CF thick rim A I CF some raised pieces--part of a pattern? A I CF dark amber glaze A I CF flat A I CF bases A I CF curved A I CF base, brown wheat pattern A I CF curved, small pink flower with pink curlicues, small blue petals on edge; transferware A I CF flow blue curlicues A I CF A I CF rim A I CA base and part of rim; white; glazed only on outside; part of glaze pooled on inside A I CF A I CF slightly curved B I CA B I CC Gray, raised linear sections on inside 103

106 B I CE rough dark backing B I CF base B I CF tan B I CF curved B I CA B I CA rim, s-shape pattern B I CB B I CC utility pipe; brown glaze with blue polka dots B I CC curved, white with green blotches B I CC light orange on one side, gray/cement-like on the other; smooth both sides B I CE rough dark backing, 2 mm thick B I CE rough dark backing, 3 mm thick B I CE rough dark backing, 4 mm thick B I CF B I CF B I CF rim, traces of pink flower and green decoration B I light blue one side, slightly curved B I Green glaze on inside, other side rough with long h-shaped embossing B I CA B I CA blue transferware, curved/petals B I CC perpendicular B I CC utility pipe; brown glaze with blue polka dots B I CF B I CF B I CF rims B I CF perpendicular base B I CF curved with embossed dot B I CF green transferware, leafy B I CF blue transferware B I CA B I CA B I CA rim, embossed curlicues, curved lines going out to rim; rim wavy B I CA rim, two wavy lines, like "S"s B I CA curved with large embossed lines 104

107 B I CA base, with "Made in Germany" inside two concentric circles B I CA base and rim, paint faded out on inside; flower-like pattern remains; small, like a doll saucer or something B I CB stoneware, rim B I CC brown glaze B I CC B I CE B I CF base B I CF rim, embossed square-ish pattern, brownish inclusions B I CF B I CF unfinished B I CF B I CF base; white outside, green inside B I CF rim; white inside, green to tan outside B I CF rim, dots on outside B I CF rim B I CF rim, blue lines on rim B I CF rim, indeterminate embossed pattern B I CF rim, blue transferware with flowers and cow(?)/other animal B I CF rim, green transferware with flower and leaves B I CF Flow blue, indeterminate image B I CA B I CA B I CA rim B I CA base B I CA base, with concentric circles B I CA base B I CA B I CA base and rim; curlicues, line of dots, flower, wavy rim B I CA embossed curlicue B I CA rim, wavy, line of dots B I CA base with gold around inside dip B I CA rim, wavy, line of dots B I CA rim, embossed curlicues 105

108 B I CB base B I CC utility pipe; brown glaze both sides with blue polka dots; rim B I CC B I CC B I CF B I CF rim B I CF base, perpendicular B I CF thin, curved B I CF bases B I CF rim B I CF thicker, flat B I CF wavy rim, arrows pointing to rim B I CF curved, embossed indeterminate pattern B I CF flow blue leaf B I CF teacup handle and part of rim; gold around handle B I CF flow blue, flowers and leaves, white on other side B I CF transferware blue, floral B I CA rim and base B I CA B I CA base and rim, rim wavy; curlicue/leafy pattern B I CB base B I CC Curved, brown glaze with blue polka dots B I CC utility pipe; rim, brown glaze with blue polka dots B I CC terra cotta, rim B I CC tiers B I CE B I CF B I CF rims B I CF base B I CF yellowed B I CF rim, flow blue, embossed dots toward rim B I CF possible maker's mark (blue "IOI " or " IOI" inside of long rectangle) 106

109 Glass Artifact Catalogue: RV 1312 UNIT LEVEL Lot Material Sub- Art. Quantity Wt Comments # Material Class (gr) A Glass GA Some with blue tinge A Glass GA Yellow pigment on surface A Glass GA Pink tinge A Glass GA Black surface on glass, with yellow "bottled by: S.A.D." A Glass GA Two styles (some bottle necks present) A Glass GA A Glass GA Two styles A Glass GE Same type as of GE2005/2006 A Glass GE Same type as of GE2001/2006 A Glass GE Same type as of GE 2001/2005. ".. P.O.S..." writing A Glass GA A Glass GA Mirrored back, silver on surface A Glass GA Green tinge A Glass GA Blue tinge: ".. BE..". One very soiky, reguar. One round. Snake pattern, also a ".. 1.." A Glass GA Same large rings of level A A Glass GA Round and square bottle fragments A Glass GA A Glass GA Granular feel, some burned fragments A Glass GB Small fragment with piece sticking out A Glass GC Different shades of green A Glass GD A Glass GH A Glass GG Black flat piece A Glass GK Pink tinge A Glass GE Maybe ".. SOX000.." A Glass GE

110 A Glass GE A Glass GE Same patterns of GE2002 A Glass GE Cap closure A Glass GE "CL", a "2" and a "0", a square A Glass GA A Glass GA One is ondulated, ne has "B" and orange print A Glass GA Similar to previous level A Glass GA Some fragments with writings/numbers A Glass GA A Glass GA A Glass GA A Glass GA Numbers and letters, and some writings A Glass GC Slightly different tinge A Glass GC A Glass GD A Glass GD These 2 GD are probably from same bottle A Glass GE A Glass GE Small, linear, raised dots and "0" A Glass GH Mason Ball? Writing A Glass GA A Glass GA A Glass GA A Glass GA A Glass GA Molded bottle, 2 lines plus base A Glass GB <0.1 A Glass GC "Sale bottle" A Glass GC "Dur, 3I" A Glass GC A Glass GD A Glass GE Probably from same style, if not bottle A Glass GE Writings/numbers: 6:I or "Bott..RE-U.." 108

111 A Glass GH A Glass GH These latter 2 are the same style/bottle A Glass GK Pink tinge A Glass GA Different colors and thickness. Some with blue tinge A Glass GA Same as previous entry A Glass GA Writing ("6" a measure), hexagonal and lines pattern A Glass GA styles. One wavy, one classical, one maybe not rim A Glass GE Molding line A Glass GE A Glass GC A Glass GA A Glass GA A Glass GA styles. One small, one large, closed by metal cap? 1 bottle rim, molded, fades on top A Glass GA The center is raised A Glass GA "Chesebrough Monfg. CO. CD. New York" 3-part mold A Glass GA Probably glass insulator ("Royal Crystal 30V-125V") and stopper of metal and ceramics (total 28g) A Glass GC One piece with dots, a base? A Glass GC A Glass GE Small dots, probably decoration A Glass GH Similar to oher levels A Glass GA A Glass GA No molding lines/low quality A Glass GA Decorations, parallelepiped, unusual base, and closing off at top A Glass GA A Glass GA All one type except for smallest fragment A Glass GA A Glass GA Flat top, with concentric rings B Glass GA different types/bottles B Glass GA One type has much less transparent glass 109

112 B Glass GA At least 2 types. One irregular, one square. Maybe 3 B Glass GA One fragment may be a glass for whater B Glass GA "CP-2", "41", concentric rims. B Glass GC Two types B Glass GC One single vessel B Glass GC Pattern on the side and on the bottom B Glass GE B Glass GE B Glass GA B Glass GA B Glass GA fragments prabably from same vessel B Glass GA fragments probably from same vessel B Glass GA Decorated neck, unusual molding pattern B Glass GA Short neck B Glass GB B Glass GC Same vessel B Glass GC Molding line present B Glass GD B Glass GE Same vessel B Glass GE molded. Small "13" B Glass GG B Glass GH B Glass GA B Glass GA This and previous entry have seemingly two types B Glass GA One line vertically on one B Glass GA One has full neck, seems not molded. B Glass GA Two different rings patterns B Glass GC B Glass GD B Glass GE B Glass GE Small dots and lines for friction 110

113 B Glass GH B Glass GA B Glass GA B Glass GA Two intact with neck. Part of previous level fragment maybe B Glass GA B Glass GA Unusual morphology B Glass GC Very light color. 2(8g) very dark green B Glass GC "CO" writing. Might be square B Glass GD Neck made by multiple rings B Glass GE B Glass GI B Glass GK Slight pink tinge. Seems like to previous bottle neck. B Glass GA B Glass GA Similar type B Glass GA B Glass GA B Glass GC B Glass GC Base extremely raised at the center B Glass GE Same type B Glass GE It was broken/fragmented B Glass GE "2 B (1/2)" 3 molds B Glass GE Lines where bottle increases diameter B Glass GI Very light color. Arch pattern around the glass. B 6A 1549 Glass GA B 6A 1549 Glass GA B 6A 1549 Glass GA Small octagons, like before. 4 pieces very complicated, but from same vessel B Glass GA B Glass GA One has pink tinge B Glass GA "L". One has orbitals-style décor B Glass GC B Glass GD

114 B Glass GD Same of other blue styles. "..EXAS", "ON" B Glass GD "00". Seemingly same type B Glass GE Small dots on border B Glass GE B 7A 1554 Glass GA Same octagons of previous levels B 7A 1554 Glass GA B 7A 1554 Glass GA B 7A 1554 Glass GA Two parts raised, connected by one at the bottom B 7A 1554 Glass GC B 7A 1554 Glass GI B Glass GA

115 Appendix I: Catalogue of Nail Artifacts Unit A and Unit B Metal Artifact Catalogue: 1312 RV Unit Level Lot Material Sub-mat Art. Class Quantity Wt (gr) A 1 Metal MA A Metal MA A Metal MA A Metal MA A Metal MA A Metal MA A Metal MA A Metal MA A Metal MA B Metal MA B Metal MA B Metal MA B Metal MA B 6A 1551 Metal MA B 7A 1554 Metal MA B Metal MA B Metal MA Appendix II: Catalogue of Non-Nail Metal Artifacts Unit A Unit Subunit Level Lot Material Sub-mat Art. Class Quantity Wt (gr) Comments A 1 Metal MI Complete Vessel (vial) 113

116 A Metal MA Thick Flat Metal Fragment A Metal MA Spring A Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" A Metal MH Bottle Cap: Screw Sides (has the worrd turn written five times with an arrow pointing left) A Metal MH Pull Tab A Metal MH Pull Ring A Metal MA Indeterminate Chunks of Metal A Metal MA Hardware: indeterminate A Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) A Metal MA Screw: Found attached to screwplate and washer A Metal MA Other: Screw plate (found attached to screw and washer) A Metal MA Washer (found attahced to screw and screwplate) A Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" A Metal MA Spring A Metal MA Screw A Metal MA Screw (hooked) A Metal MA Washers A Metal MA Rivet: other (indeterminate) A Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) A Metal MA Other: Pencil Ferrule A Metal MB Other: Part of bottle cap left on lip to hold cap to bottle A Metal MB Coin: Complete (1956 penny) A Metal ME Other: Pencil Lead A Metal MH Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" A Metal MH Other: Aluminum Seal Liner A Metal MH Can: round (1 whole top, 1 piece of a top) A Metal MI Square Washer A Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) 114

117 A Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" A Metal MA Indeterminate A Metal MA Thick Flat Metal Fragment A Metal MA Tube A Metal MA Screw A Metal MA Other: Screw plate with 3 screws in it A Metal MA Other: Matress Coil A Metal MA Spring A Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) A Metal MA Wheel Part: Hub (Training Wheel) A Metal MA Other: Bicycle basket A Metal MB Bottle Cap: Screw Sides A Metal MB Flat Metal Fragment: "Band" A Metal MB Wire: round (cross section) A Metal MB Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" A Metal ME Other: Pencil Lead A Metal MH Other: Aluminum Bag A Metal MH Utensil: spoon A Metal MH Bolt A Metal MA Spring (Hammer) A Metal MA Indeterminate A Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" A Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Band" A Metal MA Bottle Cap: Crimped sides A Metal MA Other: Matress Coil A Metal MA Spring A Metal MH Other: Gum Wrapper A Metal MH Other: Aluminum Seal Liner A Metal MH Other: Tootpaste/Ointment Tube 115

118 A Metal MH Other: Spring on a hook A Metal MH Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" A Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" A Metal MA Indeterminate A Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) A Metal MB Other: Clip A Metal MB Wire: round (cross section) A Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" A Metal MA Indeterminate A Metal MA Round Spike A Metal MA Indeterminate A Metal MA Thick Flat Metal Fragment A Metal MA Round Tack A Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" Appendix III: Catalogue of Non-Nail Metal Artifacts Unit B Unit Subunit Level Lot Material Sub-mat Art. Class Quantity Wt (gr) Comments B Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" B Metal MA Spring B Metal MA Bottle Cap: crimped sides B Metal MB Other: a screw, nut, screw plate, and washer stuck together. B Metal MA Bolt B Metal MA Screw B Metal MA Hook B Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) B Metal MA Indeterminate piece of wrought iron with "E" on it B Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" 116

119 B Metal MA Indeterminate B Metal MA Hardware: hinge B Metal MA Hardware: latch B Metal MA Other: bottle retainer ring B Metal MB Munitions: bullet (shell casing) with CORAL on it B Metal MH Bottle Cap: screw sides (has TURN TO with an arrow point to the right 3 times B Metal MF Hardware: key (with SPC around hole on one side and 670 S on the other side) B Metal MB Nut B Metal MA Bolt B Metal MD Toy: jack B Metal MA Rivet: other B Metal MH Other: Aluminum foil B Metal MB Wire: round (cross section) B Metal MB Indeterminate B Metal MB Bolt B Metal MA Other: Key Clip B Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" B Metal MA Indeterminate B Metal MA Thick Metal Fragment B Metal MA Indeterminate B Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" B Metal MA Indeterminate B Metal MA Other: round stake B Metal MA Other: square spike B Metal MA Ring: Small B Metal MA Coin: complete (penny dated indeterminate) B Metal MA Indeterminate 117

120 B Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" B Metal MH Screw B Metal MA Wire: square (cross section) B Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) B 6A 1551 Metal MA Indeterminate B 6A 1551 Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" B 6A 1551 Metal MA Nut B 6A 1551 Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) B 7A 1554 Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" B 7A 1554 Metal MA Indeterminate B 7A 1554 Metal MA Other: Screw with two washers B 7A 1554 Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) B Metal MA Flat Metal Fragment: "Flake" B Metal MA Wire: round (cross section) 118

121 Miscellaneous and Personal Adornment Catalogue: RV 1312 Unit Level Lot # Material Sub-Material Art. Class Quantity Wt (gr) Comments A Other 4014 Plastic 9 2 Styrofoam A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 2 1 Blue A Rubber 4011 Indeterm 1 <0.1 A Other 4011 Indeterm Charred material, maybe fiberous A Other 7005 Fabric string A Other 7007 Cig Lighter Black TexaCo lighter with logo A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 clear plastic A Rubber half rubber ball A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic biege, triangular pattern A Other OG 7001 Bldng Mat mosiac pattern of misc bldng mat A Other foil A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic plastic bag bits A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 green, white, blue wrap w. bar code A Ecology 6010 Button, D wooden button, pickle slice (large serations) A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic cream colored A Other clear, plastic bag A Metal MB Copper/Brass 3032 Button, P 1 3 medium size metal button (brass?) A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic white, curved A Metal MH Aluminum 4014 Plastic foil A Rubber 4014 Plastic vinyl, bron and black 119

122 A Other 4014 Plastic styrofoam A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 white A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 6 <0.1 bits of clear plastic A Rubber 4004 Button, P white, 2 holes put into rectangle A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 2 <0.1 clear, plastic wrap, one has bar code A Metal MB Copper/Brass 3027 Clothing Eye grommet top half is very rusted A Metal MF Tin Snap rounded snap A Metal MH Aluminum 3027 Clothing Eye eyelet A Metal MH Aluminum 3027 Clothing Eye eyelet A Metal MB Copper 3144 Earring w/ cut glass MB A Metal Copper/Brass 3178 Other snap with nub, can't read lettering MB 3027 Clothing A Metal Copper/Brass Eye grommet, can't read lettering RD Hard A Rubber Plastic 4014 Plastic black plastic nut--large RD Hard A Rubber Plastic 4014 Plastic detorirating plastic--same as A4 RA Soft A Rubber Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 light blue w/ yellow back--similar to A4? RD Hard A Rubber Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 blue paint, white writing RD Hard A Rubber Plastic 4014 Plastic bead w/ "G" RD Hard A Rubber Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 white, ridges, tapers to point A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 wire cover rhinestone on top of red/orange disk w/ swirl patterns radiating from center, missing rhinestone or other stone form middle 120

123 A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic part of plastic cup A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic all but prongs of plastic fork A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic fit together, green and white, thick A Other OB Cement 7001 Bldng Mat pink and white, ridge A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic black A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 2 <0.1 robbin's egg blue A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic grey, pink, brown, curved A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic light bulb cover--like 4A A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic burned w/ bits of fabric attached A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 2 <0.1 silver plastic A Rubber 4014 Plastic brown and black vinyl--same as A2 A Rubber 4005 Bttn, D holes, squiggles dug in A Other 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 Styrofoam A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 off-white w/ small waffle texture A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic white, flat A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic white, curved A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic green A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 clear, part of plastic cup A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic off-white, some kind of texture A Rubber RD Hard 4014 Plastic brown, textured, some black iincrusted on back 121

124 Plastic A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic brown, textured, string stuck through it A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 orange, possible part of a cup? A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic white, textured, hole surrounded by metal A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic brown, rim of something A Rubber 4005 Bttn, D black, squiggly texture pattern A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 white, rime of something A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 white, curved, hook/barb near tip A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic yellow A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 light blue A Rubber 4013 Shingle black, pattern on back A Other 7002 Indeterm white and green A Other 7002 Indeterm beige, textured A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic green, transparent, large piece, curved A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic black, signs of burning A Other black plastic/vinyl w/ fabric inside A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic deteriorating plastic A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic part of duck figurine, white A Rubber 4014 Plastic white, vinyl w/ white thread A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic red A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic light orange 122

125 A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic light bulb cover--like 3A A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic white/grey recatngular tubes A Metal MI Indeterminate 3178 Other metal snap A Metal MI Indeterminate 3027 Clothing Eye metal grommet A Metal MB Copper 3033 Button, D oblong octagon, red w/ gold border, concentric circle pattern A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic green/blue, deteriorating A Rubber 4014 Plastic black magnet strip A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic black, melted A Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic piece of red plastic cup A Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 transparent red plastic B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic off-white, decorative B Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 clear, letters "SW" embossed B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic thick, clear, "ILAT" over "EXHA," decorative designs B Other 7002 Indeterm burned remains of something B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic black, lines embossed B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4015 Plastic large, yellow disk, 1 hole in center, lines radiate from center B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic lime green, curved B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic red, looks like a tiddly-wink B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic yellow, folded into cylindar shape 123

126 B Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic robbin's egg blue B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic black, cylinder, pen cap B Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 white, plastic wrap-like B Other 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 Styrofoam B Ecology 6009 Button shell button w/ 2 holes B Ecology 6009 Button half a shell button B Metal MI Indeterminate 3032 Button, P small round metal button B Rubber RA 4014 Plastic robbin's egg blue, various sizes B Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic opaque, soft B Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 clear, very thin B Rubber 4004 Bttn, P white, shiny, 2 holes B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic transparnet orange B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 2 browm/bronze with lip B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic bright orange B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic bolt cover with metal teip B Other 1 <0.1 Styrofoam B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic green, might be part of a spoon B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic yellow, hole in top, arm w/ ball joint, toy piece? B Rubber 4014 Plastic blue twist-tie B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic red, small and slender rod B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic robbin's egg blue, hard, deep ridges w/ flat back 124

127 B Other OF Indeterm 7001 Bldng Mat black, think it's bldng mat B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic seafoam green,lip, texture B Other OF Indeterm 7002 Indeterm red paint covers black material B Rubber 4013 Shingle 3 1 shingle bits B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 small bit of green rod B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic blue, small piece of handle? B Rubber 4005 Bttn, D about a quarter, off-white, ridged rim B Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic clear soft plastic B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic red, reverse rhinestone or large gromet B Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic black B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic white, ridged, rounded B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic light green, cone shape B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic wire cover B Other 7001 Bldng Mat half a large red brick, HOUST stamped in center B Ecology 6009 Button 2+3 halvs 2 white shell, irregular shape, 2 holes B Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 grey, thin, crinkled B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic dark green, glaze-like, curved B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic red cap, goes to tube? B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic black cap B Rubber RD Hard 4014 Plastic off-white, handle?, ear-shaped curve 125

128 Plastic B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 red, melted? B Rubber 4004 Bttn, P black, 4 holes, rim B Rubber 4005 Bttn, D 1 2 white, brown, 2 holes, raised hexagon w/ lines radiating B Metal MC Gold 3039 Ring, small gold ring, small circel diamond in square setting, tiny diamond in band, band is decorated near diamond setting, maybe painted gold over silver colored metal, engraving on back "Bri crest," larger gem (if diamond) is 0.07 carats and the smaller is 0.03) B Glass 2019 Buttn P flat top, drilled eye shank B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic transparent orange, long, slender--like B2 B Rubber 4004 Bttn, P white, 4 holes B Rubber 4005 Bttn, D white, 2 holes, grooves around edge B Rubber 4004 Bttn, P /2, white, 4 holes B Rubber 4004 Bttn, P salmon, large, 4 holes, concave B Rubber 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 beige vinyl sliver B Rubber 4005 Bttn, D diagnol grooves, 2 holes w/ 3 horizontal grooves through holes B Ecology 6009 Button, P shell, no holes, attachment on back B Other 7002 Indeterm might be bone B Rubber RA Soft Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 green, thin wrap of some kind B Metal MI Indeterminate 3032 Button, P small metal button B Rubber RD Hard Plastic 4014 Plastic 1 <0.1 white, thin rectangle B 6A 1551 Ecology 6009 Button, P holes, shell B 7A 1554 Ecology 6009 Button, P shell, 2 holes 126

129 Appendix E: Unit A Opening/Closing Pictures 127

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137 Appendix F: Unit B Opening/Closing Pictures 135

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