Matthew and other Colleagues,
I fully support this idea and have contributions to make. Much of the current
literature on bottles and other glass is out of date. I suspect that numerous
researchers have important parts of the puzzle at their disposal, and a joint effort to
compile them would be a great idea. Parts of Toulouse need to be revised based on
recent research.
Glass has long been the "poor stepchild" of historical archaeology, and we
can use a bit of a face lift. With the ever-increasing importance of late 19th century
and early to mid-20th century research, glass artifacts have the potential to be an
even more important dating item than in the past. This database could be a helpful
tool.
Bill
-----------------
Bill Lockhart
[log in to unmask]
New Mexico State University at Alamogordo
> Colleagues,
>
> I have a proposal and a question for all. I have been trying to embark
> on a project for more than five years now, but have not yet made it
> off the ground. The times have changed and I want to float a balloon
> with everyone about the feasibility of my project. The brevity of this
> post (I didn't want to put folks to sleep) may over- or understate
> some of my objectives, but I will try to get the message across as
> succinctly as possible.
>
> I have always had a special analytical interest in glass and bottle
> identification. Within the past five years, though, this interest has
> extended into the realm of distribution networks. While many of us
> count on the standard reference tools for dates and origin of glass
> items found at historical-period sites, I would like to embark on a
> project to take this information one step further. I am proposing to
> establish a nationwide database of glass manufacturer's marks found on
> bottles from archaeological contexts (with solid provenience
> information), to allow all of us to track the local, regional, or
> national distribution of materials through time.
>
> Being a historical-period archaeologist in the Southwest, I realize
> that the database would be severely self-limiting were it to only
> track manufacturer's information seen in the form of maker's marks. I
> have worked in many of the eastern states and would solicit help from
> my colleagues in that part of the country to develop a viable means of
> quantifying manufacturer and temporal data from glass containers that
> predate the last quarter of the nineteenth and all of the twentieth
> centuries.
>
> I guess what I'm requesting from everyone is input regarding the
> utility of such a database. I foresee it as a database that is
> accessible to everyone, both for input and for research, and one that
> would allow all of us to combine our research into a tool that could
> truly benefit everyone. The database would not have to be overly
> complex, for the research I see to be gained from it is relatively
> straightforward.
>
> Please give me feedback (either on or off list) and let me know
> whether this is a worthwhile undertaking.
>
>
> Matthew A. Sterner, M.A., RPA
> Senior Project Director
>
> Statistical Research, Inc.
> 6099 E. Speedway Blvd.
> Tucson, AZ 85712
> (520) 721-4309
> [log in to unmask]
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