The buried wine bottles at Williamsburg also appear in a movie
("Doorway to the Past" is, I think, the title) put out by CWInc.
It shows their discovery and excavation and gives an explanation of
why they were buried.

At 09:37 PM 7/25/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>Excavations around the footings of Wetherburn's Tavern in Williamsburg, VA,
>found a series of old (18th century) wine bottles with cherries preserved
>in liquid.  The contents of most were in good shape.  Noel Hume wrote about
>it in the little booklet on the Tavern excavations but I bet someone down
>there could give you more details or tell of other finds.
>
>I'm not sure why anyone would bury a preserve jar, except to hide it, or to
>keep it out of the direct sun if they had no other shelter.  A farmer or
>rural family would not survive long without a root cellar (as you call it a
>"cave") in the days before refrigeration.  Jars found in those contexts,
>such as you have found, would not have really been buried but, more
>correctly, the room they were in was buried.  Post-use neglect /
>abandonment of the storage facility would result in burial, but that is
>after the fact.
>
>In the Chesapeake tidewater region small root cellars, a few feet across
>and deep, were dug just about any where and some sites have dozens of them
>overlapping and intersecting.  Under houses was a favorite spot.  Perhaps
>some of our subscribers form that neck of the woods have found jars and
>such in-situ.
>
>But then agin I speak from experience in northeast US where nearly every
>farmer had icehouses and cool flowing springs at there disposal.
>
>Dan W.
>
>
>At 02:03 PM 7/25/01 +1000, you wrote:
>>I'm looking for any previous excavation reports or information from anyone
>>who has excavated sealed deposits of preserving jars, that is, purposely
>>buried for later retrieval.  Jars buried in garden beds are of particular
>>interest.  I am also wondering if anyone knows where to get contents of
>>preserving jars identified.
>>
>>The type I have found buried are fruit preserving jars of the Mason type,
>>described below.
>>
>>1)      Clear green glass jar with screw top lid and porcelain lid insert.
>>Approximately 20 centimetres in height. The embossed wording on the jar is
>>[MASON'S PATENT NOV 30TH 1858] between the words Masons and Patent is the
>>Consolidated Fruit Jar Company symbol.  The base of the jar has [P9] on it.
>>[C201] is embossed on the base of the jar.  The porcelain lid insert has the
>>CFJCo symbol in the interior centre and [Consolidated Fruit Jar Company New
>>York] around the interior rim. The number [4] is on the exterior surface of
>>the porcelain (ie, the surface facing the metal screw top lid.
>>
>>2)      Clear green glass jar with screw top (no lid associated), broken
>>rim. Approximately 20 centimetres in height. On one side of the jar is the
>>embossed wording [MASON'S PORCELAIN LINED] and [McLEAN BROS & RIGG] embossed
>>on the other.  [P9] is embossed on the base of the jar.
>>
>>
>>Lucy Amorosi
>>Cultural Heritage Group
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Biosis Research Pty Ltd
>>322 Bay Street (PO Box 489)
>>Port Melbourne Vic  3207
>>
>>ph:   (03) 9646 9499
>>fax:  (03) 9646 9242
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>>
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>>
>
>
Robert L. Schuyler
University of Pennsylvania Museum
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Philadelphia, PA l9l04-6324

Tel: (215) 898-6965
Fax: (215) 898-0657
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