HISTARCH members,

I am having a tin can dispute with a colleague, which I'm hoping some of
you might be able to lend your expertise. We have a tin can type with the
following attributes:

Attributes: cylindrical; 5 1/2 inch diameter; hole-in-cap (2 3/4 inch
diam.) filling method; crimped end seams, lapped side seam; and opened via
a key strip around the body (i.e., can body essentially separates into 2
parts, a smaller upper and a larger lower); the can (obviously) is not
reclosable.

Provenience: several trash pits from mining settlements in Interior Alaska,
circa 1905-1920.

Dispute: I look at this artifact type, and think "food can - meat or bacon
or fish product". My colleague disagrees, and says that we do not know this
for certain, and can take it only as far as "food can", if that.

Well..... what do you think??  (1) Food? Could be something else?  (2) If
Food, then "meat/bacon/fish"?

Best,

Robin Mills
BLM-NFO
Fairbanks, AK