We have a lot of silver in our collections, ranging from candlesticks to teapots to spoons. With all the silver, I have become familiar with eighteenth-century silversmith marks, but I have never explored the artisans behind the marks. I was pleasantly surprised to find at least four women silversmiths represented through various pieces. These four … Continue reading The Women of Silver: 18th-century English Silversmiths
British Empire
Cowrie Shells: Cultural and Economic Ties in the 18th-Century Atlantic World
Figure 1: Ferry Farm cowries Many readers will undoubtedly recognize these two artifacts (Fig. 1). Known as cowrie shells, these artifacts have become synonymous with slavery and serve as identifiers for the presence of free and enslaved Black individuals in the Americas. Still, the role of cowries in the 18th century goes far beyond that … Continue reading Cowrie Shells: Cultural and Economic Ties in the 18th-Century Atlantic World
Stop Collaborate and Listen TD is Back with a Brand New Edition
A quick refresher from part one of the TD marked pipe saga - Clay tobacco pipes with the mark TD are a ubiquitous item at historical archaeology sites dating from the mid-18th through the 20th century. While at one point the mark represented a specific maker, it later became a mark synonymous with clay tobacco … Continue reading Stop Collaborate and Listen TD is Back with a Brand New Edition
You Down with Old TD? Yeah, You Know Me!
TD Marked Tobacco Pipes That Is! Clay tobacco pipes are a hallmark of historical archaeology. Grandma smoked, the enslaved smoked, the elite smoked, children smoked, just about everyone smoked. Smoking was one of America’s favorite pastimes, and there are plenty of pipes left in the archaeological record to prove it. Tobacco pipes were not only … Continue reading You Down with Old TD? Yeah, You Know Me!
Spilling the Tea: The Boston Tea Party at 250
Author’s Note: This blog contains hyperlinks to primary documents related to the event. Figure 1: 250th Logo (Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum) Intro This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party (Figure 1). Hailed as a defining moment in the quest for American independence and an act of patriotism, the event has … Continue reading Spilling the Tea: The Boston Tea Party at 250
“To Rendezvous at Fredericksburgh”: The Washington-Lewis Family, Fredericksburg, and the World War of 1754-1763: Part I
Editor’s Note: As the two-hundred-sixty-ninth anniversary of the skirmish of Jumonville Glen approaches this Sunday, May 28th, some recent and exciting discoveries have occurred at the battlefield. The National Park Service (NPS) released an announcement this week stating that after a four-week archeological investigation, objects have been found to verify the location of the first … Continue reading “To Rendezvous at Fredericksburgh”: The Washington-Lewis Family, Fredericksburg, and the World War of 1754-1763: Part I
Lives & Legacies 