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Date: | Wed, 25 Jul 2001 21:37:34 -0400 |
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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
>general e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
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