The field conservation was done by conservator Melba Myers of "the basket".
It was not sure if the deposit represented "ritual hiding" or a "time
capsule". There were less than half a plate of delft "chinoiserie" (with
panels of scenes around the marley and rim, shaved heads and "bobs" of hair
at the back of the head, two between a large "daisy" or sunflower), nails,
beads, fish vertebrae, thimble, a brass clothing or jewelry closure, a few
pipe stems, "coal bits" (?) a couple of rat hips (?) two small pieces of
other delft, some sawn bone, small "bird shot" (?) a "bug" delft tile
corner, some "calcined" (burnt?) clam shell fragments and some other misc.
things (may have been pins, etc.) and the marbles 3 larger brown glazed
marbles and fourteen smaller ones. I am not clear of the scale used it says
"cm" divided into alternating black and white would be eight divisions (one
making it seven is combined for the "cm". If it is the large marbles are
about 1/2 the size of the large ones.

I enquired of the other cermacist Nancy Stehling, MS Public
Archaeology who wrote this about the marbles:

"From what I remember, someone suggested that the marbles, which are
stoneware, were likely made from clay imported from Belgium. Not sure if
they were made in Belgium, or made in Holland with imported clay. They were
probably made using a centrifuge to shape them before glazing and firing.
The delft plate is Wan Li motif, don't exactly recall the 17th century
specific dates, but easily looked up."

George Myers
[log in to unmask]
2005-11-04


On 11/4/05, Ron May <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> George,
>
> Could you describe those marbles from the Dutch West Indies warehouse
> feature and propose a deposition date?
>
> Ron May
> Legacy 106, Inc.
>