Many beads have found their way into the archaeological record due to their small size, which made them easy to lose. Unfortunately their small size can also make them hard to find. Some general characteristics used to identify beads are: 1. a defined a smoothed shape (no sharp edges), 2. a uniform threading hole of constant diameter. Beads can be made of many materials including bone (white or brown with a random texture), shell, clay, and glass.
Like beads, buttons were easy to lose and therefore can be found in archaeological sites today. Although a variety of materials have been used to make buttons they are easy to identify as they resemble the buttons in use today.
Some common materials used to make buttons include bone, wood, brass, glass, iron, porcelain, shell, and white metal. As will be discussed later, the material a button was made of has a significant effect on the condition in which it can be found (if at all) today.
Although similar in size to many beads and buttons, a lost coin was more easily missed when lost and more likely to be reclaimed by its original owner (if not by someone else). Coins are therefore not an artifact which is commonly found.
If you think you have found a coin, make sure it is not in fact a lead seal (see below). Many very detailed books on coins are readily available to help you identify your find.
Early settlers built their houses out of wood and nails. Wood deteriorates easily but metal nails, although susceptible to rust, are fairly resilient and can be found in large quantities. If not too rusty, nails are fairly easy to date.
Wrought nails were most commonly used nail before 1820. They are identifiable by the fact that these square nails taper on all sides forming a V shaped point. Occasionally the points of wrought nails were hammered flat to form a spatula tip. Wrought nails can be headless or have heads which resemble a four sided pyramid (rose head), an L, or a T.
Around 1820 cut nails replaced wrought nails as the most common type. Cut nails are identifiable as more rectangular than handwrought nails and due to the fact that only two of its sides taper to a blunt point, forming a U shape. The heads of cut nails can take on many shapes which allow for more precise dating.
Around 1875 wire nails began to be produced in a large quantity, although cut nails maintained their popularity for some time. These wire nails resemble today's common nail and is readily identifiable by its round shaft and flat round head.
Pins are the most common sewing artifact found on archaeological sites. Pins were made of brass or iron wire but due to the effects of rust on iron, brass pins are the most commonly found. Small brass tubes which were containers for pins may also be found.
Brass thimbles are another common sewing artifact that survives in the archaeological record. Older thimbles were more functional than decorative and were made from one piece of metal. More recent thimbles were constructed from more than one piece of metal and bear some form of decoration.
Needles were made of iron or steel and therefore do not survive well in the archaeological record.
For reasons similar to those discussed for coins, rings are not a commonly found artifact.
Lead seals were used as a form of record keeping tag and to secure bags of merchandise for trade purposes. Seals bear some resemblance to coins in that they are flat pieces of metal which have been stamped. Seals however, usually consist of two circular pieces which are connected by a thin piece of metal which allowed the seal to open and close around a wire or drawstring.
As the seals had little actual value themselves, they are fairly common in the archaeological record.
Colonial curlers were made of a solid piece of white clay and survive very nicely in the archaeological record. These curlers, which served basically the same function as curlers today do, are slightly thinner in the middle than at the edges to keep hair in place. The curlers vary in size but most are around 3 inches in length.
References 1970 "A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America" by Ivor Noel Hume Published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York.
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April M. Beisaw