Artifacts in Focus: Redware Vessels (May 27, 2020)

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These redware vessels were recovered from sub-floor deposits in a c. 1690-1720s dwelling/slave quarter/out-kitchen in Burlington County. The building was the first home at the site to the affluent Quaker Restore Lippincott family from about 1690 to 1700 when a second larger dwelling was built leaving the first building to serve as a slave quarters and out-kitchen. This building also contained the engraved bone needle case features on January 22, 2020. The right vessel is a portion of an Essex Post-medieval Fine Redware storage pot with a light lead glazed and thumb-impressed decorated exterior. This ware dates to the early to mid-seventeenth century.

The right vessel is a small collared bowl, a vessel style common on sixteenth to early eighteenth-century sites in England and early colonial areas. The interior decoration includes slip-trailed rings and a bird design at its center. Oxidized copper or brass filings added some green color to the decoration. The bird could represent a phoenix or peacock. Peacocks, while they didn't seem to be tasty, were features on estates and they were occasional foods for affluent people due to the novelty or exclusivity of the bird. The two redware vessels speak to the age of the site and the owner's connection to England.

📸: Allison Gall
📩: Adam Heinrich and Danielle Cathcart

Artifacts in Focus: Full Grooved Axe and Abrader (May 20, 2020)

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As some of you may have read in our newsletter, Alex Gonzales, graphics specialist and videographer, has kindly shared some of his artifact collection with us! Featured in breathtaking clarity, he has sent us photos of some beautiful prehistoric pieces including this full-grooved axe found on the Jacob Wills Farm in Evesham, New Jersey. While the Jacob Wills House still stands and is on the National Register of Historic Places, some of the surrounding property has been developed and no longer survives for archaeological exploration. All that remains of the prehistory of the site are a collection of artifacts to be shared and learned from.

Full-grooved axes were made using ground stone technology, where stone was pecked and ground in order to form a desired shape, rather than flaked apart (in the way that projectile points were created). They would then have been hafted to a wooden handle. Abraders are coarse stones that would have been used to smooth other stones.

Artifacts in Focus: Nails (May 12, 2020)

Missing the field? We all are! But a keen eye around your home in the city or elsewhere offers evidence on when structures were built and previous occupants. Nails are produced by hand and change styles many times before becoming manufactured by machine. They are a great indicator of chronology. 

📸: George Leader

Artifacts in Focus: Anchor Cuff Links (April 22, 2020)

This pair of cuff links that contain a stamp anchor design were found at the White Hill Mansion site in Fieldsboro, Burlington County, NJ. They were recovered in 2014 during Monmouth University's archaeological survey of the 18th-century property, which contains a large patterned brick mansion, typical of those erected in the Delaware Valley. The cuff links have been owned by Robert Field, a merchant, who was likely responsible for erecting the mansion in the mid-18th century. Robert died on the eve of the American Revolution, leaving his wife, Mary a widow. Alternatively, the cuff links may have been owned by Mary's second husband, Captain Thomas Read, the first Commodore of the Continental Navy. Read resided at White Hill until his death in 1788, again leaving Mary a widow, responsible for ensuring her son, Robert, and daughter, Mary, married into a wealthy family. That year, younger Mary wed Richard Stockton, son of the Richard Stockton who signed the Declaration of Independence. Young Robert Field wed Abigail Stockton. The Stockton family owned a large estate, known as Morven, in Princeton, which stands to present day. The marriages solidified the Field family's economic survival and political relevance.  

📸: Michael Gall

Artifacts in Focus: Stoneware with Watchspring Motif (April 15, 2020)

These sherds from the ASNJ’s Dunham House excavations are excellent examples of American stoneware. This distinctive type of stoneware originated during the eighteenth century in the American colonies, and it was composed of a generally gray or brown-colored body with blue painted or incised decorations and a salt-glaze finish. This form evolved from German traditions when multiple potters emigrated to the New World during the early 1700s and established local potteries, producing ceramics with familiar styles for a new market. New Jersey has a rich history of local ceramic production, and was one of the greatest producers of American stoneware.

One of the most important and influential potteries in 18th century America was established by the Morgan family in Cheesequake (located in modern-day Old Bridge, NJ). Morgan stoneware was often decorated with a distinctive “watchspring” motif, a brushed-on blue spiral design. These sherds from the Dunham House demonstrate this distinctive Morgan design and are great examples of New Jersey’s significant role in the early pottery industry.

📸: Sadie Dasovich

📩: Richard Adamczyk

Artifacts in Focus: Transfer Print Ironstone (April 8, 2020)

This ironstone mug fragment was recovered from a stream in Middletown, New Jersey. The stream is adjacent to the historic Middletown Village, which is home to many homes dating to the early 18th century, in addition to one bicentennial house situated about a quarter mile upstream. Ironstone, which was primarily produced from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century, was often decorated with molded designs such as the paneled foliage motif seen in this piece. Foliage motifs were most popular in the 1850s and 1860s.

With a background in botany, the finder of this fragment sees a resemblance between the foliage depicted on this mug and the native plant Uvularia (or Merrybells), which can be seen in Tatum County Park! What do you think? Is it possible that this mug was used by a member of one of the nearby households in the 19th century? 

📸: Kyle Clayton

Artifacts in Focus: Dunham House Assemblage (April 1, 2020)

More from the ASNJ’s Dunham House archaeological excavation last summer! This is a selection of artifacts that date from the 18th century and are associated with the Samuel Barron household from 1750-1801.

They include (top row) two buckles, a pin, a bone fan blade for a lady's hand fan, a knife, a chisel, a fragment of Morgan Pottery stoneware with a watch spring motif and a tobacco pipe stem; (bottom row) North Midlands hollowware, white salt glazed stoneware plate, dipped white salted glazed stoneware mug, porcelain with landscape motif, manganese mottled mug, and tin glazed earthenware plate. 

The assemblage represents a mix of imported goods and locally produced ceramics. Items like the fan blade, also highlight a household of wealth. Pins, like the one in the image, were used to fasten clothing and paper together and represented the 18th-century equivalent of the modern-day paper clip and velcro. Buckles, like the two in the image, were abound in the 18th century and used to fasten pants, shoes, stockings, leather straps, satchels, luggage, etc. 

📸: Michael Gall

Artifacts in Focus: LeCroy Projectile Point (March 25, 2020)

This is one of Hopewell Museum's oldest objects. It is called a LeCroy projectile point. This one is made of a roseate quartz and is probably about 8000 years old.

“The LeCroy blade was named by Madeline Kneberg in 1956 for examples found on the LeCroy Site near the Tennessee River in Hamilton County, TN. The location, itself, was named for the modern finder of this ancient site, Archie LeCroy. The LeCroy is the most famous of the bifurcated blade family but it certainly is not the only one – in fact it is somewhat late in the ancestral line of this artifact type. There have been some successful stratigraphic excavations of bifurcated blades thus giving us chronological evidence of the ages of the various types in this family and how to correctly align their successions. The classification of these blades as bifurcates is because their stems are split or divided on the basal edge – thus bifurcated. These blades are now believed to have been used mostly as knives because their basally notched stems would have been very effective knife hafting areas and because many, if not most, bifurcates have been sharpened and re-sharpened, as cutting tools, down to the short nubby and expended sizes that we generally find today. Many bifurcates have serrated blade edges and it is believed that serrations were used mainly on re-sharpened knives since it would have given the tools saw-tooth sides and greatly increased the cutting abilities. Some, though, most likely would have been used only as dart or small spear points.”

You can learn more about this type of point at http://www.jimmausartifacts.com/to-lecroy-or-not-to-lecroy/.

📸: Ian Burrow

Artifacts in Focus: Pearlware Plate Rim (March 18, 2020)

This Pearlware plate rim fragment was discovered in a box of artifacts from an old collection that is being rehoused. Pearlware can sometimes be difficult to identify, but this piece offered us some nice hints with its generally blue-toned color and blue specks observable in the glaze, which are two strong pieces of evidence for its identification!

This particular piece is believed to have been produced sometime in the 1820s or 1830s, based on the presence of the embossed foliage motif around the rim, a popular decorative style in that period. Old collections can sometimes prove to be illusive in terms of provenience, as the paperwork associated with them is often missing or has not been read in so long that a bit of contextual untangling must be performed before conclusions can be drawn! With time, we will understand the story of this little fragment better. 😊

If you have found yourself with some new time on your hands, you can learn more about collections management here: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1802/collections_mgt.htm.

📸: Alexis Alemy

Artifacts in Focus: Debased Westerwald (March 11, 2020)

This probable tankard fragment was recovered from the Buried A horizon of an archaeological excavation. Buried A soil horizons may be indicative of a buried living surface (one on which historic people might have walked!) in archaeological terms, and sometimes contain within them dateable and unexpected artifacts! You can learn more about buried soil horizons here: https://www.sassa.org.uk/index.php/Tutorial:Buried_Soils.

This grey-bodied salt glazed stoneware fragment is stylized similarly to German Westerwald stonewares, but lacks the quality typically expected from them. It is believed to be a fragment of what is known as “debased” Westerwald, identifiable by its comparatively crude hand-painted design and generally poorer quality. Likely locally produced, the production of this fragment may range from about 1714 to 1760.

📸: Michael Brown

Artifacts in Focus: Transfer Print Ironstone (March 4, 2020)

Ironstone isn’t likely to rock the boat on an archaeological excavation as it is a relatively common find ranging in production from about the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. This Ironstone bowl base fragment broke in all the right places, however, revealing a charming boat scene - perhaps one that is reminiscent of the Lewis and Clark expedition. What do you think??

Ironstone, a durable refined earthenware, is often dated based on its decorative style and color, as certain motifs and colors were more heavily produced within a particular range of time. This example is transfer printed in light blue, placing its production within the approximate range of 1840 to 1867.

Its period of use, however, is largely dependent upon the archaeological context in which it was found, which might indicate that it was used much later than that. Unfortunately, this piece was displaced and its actual period of use is unknown.

You can learn more about archaeological methods of dating (no dinner required!) here: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dating-in-archaeology?fbclid=IwAR16mVoB71IIBGGZN3eaasCnApSNRAW1qhGGZuZveWO-8cgCjUKHy_eeOGw

📸: Alexis Alemy

Artifacts in Focus: Personal Artifact Collection (February 26, 2020)

This assemblage of artifacts is part of the personal collection of the Mydlowski family, mostly found during the 1960s in Mercer County. The prehistoric artifacts in this image range from the Early Archaic through the Late Woodland periods and are made from a range of materials including argillite, chert, Cuesta quartzite and jasper. Mostly projectile points, the collection also includes drills and a hammerstone. When this assemblage was analyzed in 2013 during the graduate work of Evan Mydlowski, some items were determined to be non-cultural. Two other items in the collection are historic, including the gun powder horn and the hatchet/hand axe blade.  

This collection, generously shared with us today, includes many more artifacts than are pictured here. It also includes a variety of flakes and other stone tools that are not usually deemed “display worthy”. It is the hope of Evan that these artifacts will also be analyzed and cataloged in the future. 

If you have any interpretations of the artifacts in this assemblage to offer, please let us know! History and archaeology are an ongoing process; one that is improved by the shared knowledge of those who engage with it. 

📸: Evan Mydlowski

Artifacts in Focus: Cast Iron Toy Bank (February 19, 2020)

Privies, which are essentially historic outhouses, can contain a wealth of information about the individuals who used them and are remarkably reflective of the time period of their use! "Archaeologists have found that privies embody 'ideas about cleanliness, health, beauty, and privacy, as well as providing data on diet, socioeconomic status, divisions between households, construction methods, and maintenance behavior,' according to Kathleen Wheeler..."

This cast iron toy bank was recovered from a privy identified during an archaeological excavation. What might this object say about the individuals who used the privy?

Learn about privies and their historical significance here: https://daily.jstor.org/privies-vaults-of-the-past/, and let us know what you think about this fantastic find! 

📸: Joshua Butchko

Artifacts in Focus: Rancocas Projectile Point (February 12, 2020)

This week’s #artifactinfocus is short, sweet, and to the point! 

This is a pre-contact period broken quartz projectile point found along the North Branch of the Rancocas Creek during an archaeological survey. 11,000 years ago, humans started populating the Rancocas Valley. Native Americans relied on the Rancocas Creek for fishing and trapping, as well as transportation and irrigation.   

“The earliest Europeans named the creek for Remkokes, the native king who occupied the surrounding lands. Whether this was the traditional name given to the stream by the indigenous people is unknown.”  (https://rcnwt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/theforksoftherancocas.pdf)  

📸: Allison Gall 

Artifacts in Focus: Lens (February 5, 2020)

This week, we have selected an object of curiosity, described as: "A quirky little lens found recently on a site in Trenton, NJ. The edge is threaded. Thoughts on what it's a part of?"

Please leave your insight in the comments on our social media platforms! We look forward to hearing your ideas!

📸: Joshua Butchko

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Artifacts in Focus: Porcelain Saucer (January 29, 2020)

We have a rare treat for you this week! We received two submissions of the same artifact by two different individuals, showing the moment it was discovered in the field and the moment it was pieced back together after the excavation.

This porcelain saucer was made between the 1750s and 1790s, and was found in a context dated to 1801 at the Dunham House in Woodbridge, NJ during the society’s recent research excavation in September 2019. The saucer was used by the Barron Family, who occupied the house until 1870.

The Barron name was an important one in town, as the family was one of the first to settle in Woodbridge in the late seventeenth century. Well known for their patriotism and philanthropy, the Barrons made many contributions to their country and town.

You can learn more about the Barron family and the history of Woodbridge here: https://www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/935/Woodbridge-Walking-Tour-Map---Volume-I-PDF.

Learn more about ASNJ field excavations here, and keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities to dig! https://www.asnj.org/volunteer-digs

👀: Discovered by Joshua Butchko
🍽: Reassembled by Michael Gall

Artifacts in Focus: Bone Needle Case (January 22, 2020)

This bone needle case was recovered from a sub-floor pit in a c. 1690-1720s slave quarter/out-kitchen in Burlington County. It is decorated with repeating series of four incisions. The repetition of four has significant magical and spiritual meaning for several West African cultures, particularly those of the Kwa language cultures who were heavily exploited for enslavement. It likely served a divination purpose at the site as it was found in association with quartz crystal, quartz pebbles, and a copper spoon. A similar bone needle case was also recovered from a c. 1700-1730 slave quarter at Utopia in Virginia. The NJ bone needle case along with the identification of a subfloor pit and other artifacts found at the site more commonly in the Chesapeake region may speak to the sale of enslaved Africans from that area northwards to NJ.

📸: Photographed by Allison Gall

📩: Submitted by Adam Heinrich

> We want to see more! Photos of your artifacts can be submitted via direct message to our Facebook or Instagram accounts, or by email to asofnj@gmail.com. Please include a small text blurb to be featured with your photo if selected. We will select one each week to highlight on our social media platforms and our website.

Artifacts in Focus: Shell Buttons (April 2019)

Four shell buttons found by Guy DiGiugno while surface collecting along Raccoon Creek and Oldmans Creek in New Jersey. Picture illustrates front and back of the buttons. Two of the buttons have metal backs. The buttons were found in the 1980s and 1990s.

Artifact of the Month: February 2017

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Photo Credit: Lauren Lembo

The artifact is an agate swirled thumb pot manufactured by the Akro Agate Company in Clarksburg, West Virginia between 1930 and 1951. These thump pot fragments were recovered in Freehold, NJ. The base of this Depression glass horticulture vessel is embossed with "U.S.A."

Artifact of the Month: September 2016

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Photo Credit: Rich Veit

This is a wine bottle seal from Somerset, New Jersey. Would love to know the manufacturer. If you have any information, please forward comments to the ASNJ webmaster at thilliard@rgaincorporated.com with subject heading "ASNJ."

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UPDATE 11/29/2016

An ASNJ supporter Alicia Batko discovered a similar bottle seal online in a collector's forum. This seal was excavated in eastern North Carolina along with other 18th Century artifacts. Scott Ford, the owner of the bottle, reached out to the Webmaster of www.BottleBooks.com. His inquiry received the following response:

"Scott, The crowns on your seal certainly suggest a European connection.  The seal appears to be made of four quadrants. I found only one early seal that consisted of a similar organization. From what I can gather, your seal is probably a coat of arms.  I am going to guess that it might not be as old as you suggest. I checked in Antique Wine Bottles by Roger Dumbrell.  He lists hundreds of seals, although none like yours.  In fact, all of the seals of the 17th and 18th centuries were much rounder and not one of them was a squared shaped like yours.   I cannot tell from the picture what the remaining glass attached to the seal is like.  I am looking for some hint of where on the bottle the seal might have been attached (neck, shoulder or body).  Its location might provide a clue to the age.  Going out on a limb, I am going to suggest your seal might be late 19th century rather than 18th.  Numerous wines and olive oils were made with applied seals in the 1880s.  Maybe a reader will help out.  Digger" (Bottle Books 2007).