I found over 100+ various diameter carbon rods and some still with battery casing here on the Sequoia NF. These came from a mining site and were in the trash piles dating from 1880- 1980. Many newer archeologists would not know a carbon rod if they saw one. Education on this is important. My 2 cents.    Mark Howe Arizona State University "Life is how you make it, the future is how you leave your past." > Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:30:08 -0500> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: use of carbon battery rods> To: [log in to unmask]> > I have to admit that the carbon rods were low on my list of things to > research on the U.S. Army, Fort Rosecrans archaeology. I recall observing a wide > variety of carbon rod shapes. These varied from pencil sized up to very thick > rods. There could be dozens of them. Depending on how this thread runs, I may > pull up the catalogs and see what we have to offer. If there is a typology, I > could sure use it. Fort Rosecrans was under construction from 1872-1874, > stopped, and then began again in 1895 and the first batteries staffed during the > Spanish American War of 1898. I expect the search light carbon rods began to > appear at that time. The post really began operation in 1902 and went into > full compliment a year later with drilling a standard practice. The place shut > down in 1922 and gradually reopened after 1935. We probably had a lot more > carbon rods from 1940 through 1959. Then the place shut down and the Navy > occupied the place around 1962. Based on this, I should think the carbon rods > would date between 1898 and 1946.> > Ron May> Legacy 106, Inc.> > > In a message dated 1/23/2009 5:39:55 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, > [log in to unmask] writes:> > Jake - > > I found about a half dozen C and D cell batteries (with carbon rods) at Fort > Johnson last year in a deposit dating between 1930 and 1941. I found (thanks > wikipedia) that dry cell batteries were invented in 1898. > > Stan South found carbon arc light rods in his excavations on campus (the > Horseshoe) at USC. I did lab analysis. As I recall, those rods were thicker and > longer than dry cell battery rods, and drawn to a symetrical point on the arc > end. You could probably get access to those and measure them for comparison.> > I'll put measuring battery rods on my list of things to do.... > > Carl Steen> > > > > > > > -----Original Message-----> From: Robert L. Schuyler <[log in to unmask]>> To: [log in to unmask]> Sent: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 7:55 am> Subject: Re: re-use of carbon battery rods> > > > > > > > > > Keep working on that inventory and chronology. If there is a > narrowing perhaps we will end up with "carbon rod dating" similar to > pipe stem dating minus the hold. I have always wondered if it was > possible to do something with an artifact we all fine on almost all > sites and your comments on function and use are really interesting. I > have seen catalogs on batteries but not on the rods. How were they > made and who made them - the battery makers or some more specialized > companies??> ?> > Bob Schuyler?> ?> > At 03:07 AM 1/23/2009, jakob crockett wrote:?> > >Hello,?> > >?> > >I have no useful info re: modified carbon rods, but I am in the?> > >process of putting together a typology/chronology of carbon rods,?> > >which may be of interest to the list in general. The?> > >typology/chronology is based on primary documents gathered at?> > >Winterthur, including manufacturing, distributing, and retailer trade?> > >catalogs of the late 19th and early 20th century. This is a low?> > >priority project right now, as it only fits tangentially into my?> > >research, but I poke at it when I've the time. So far, it appears?> > >that the typology will be useful--in some cases--for identifying the?> > >size of the battery (in terms of current, which might be useful in?> > >narrowing down the range of circuits it may have been used for, e.g.?> > >telephone or door bell) or arc lamp. There also seems to be narrowing?> > >of ranges available over time in terms of diameter, which could aid in?> > >dating.?> > >?> > >I'll let the list know when the typology is (more) complete.?> > >?> > >Best wishes,?> > >Jake?> > >?> > >--?> > >Jakob Crockett?> > >?> > >Department of Anthropology?> > >University of South Carolina?> > >Hamilton College, Room 317?> > >Columbia, SC 29208?> > >?> > >http://mannsimons.freehostia.com?> > >?> > > > Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:45:29 -0600?> > > > From: Alasdair Brooks <[log in to unmask]>?> > > > Subject: re-use of carbon battery rods?> > > >?> > > > Dear All,?> > > >?> > > > I have a sneaking suspicion that this has come up before, so apologies > for?> > > > potentially raising an old topic, but...?> > > >?> > > > Over the last few years, I've worked on or been associated with sites in?> > > > both Australia and the UK where large numbers of late 19th- to early?> > > > 20th-century carbon battery rods were recovered.?> > > >?> > > > A small, but noticeable, portion of these - some (if memory serves) > found?> > > > in the same context as slate pencils and writing slates - had clearly > been?> > > > sharpened at one end in manner similar to a sharpened pencil. I'm?> > > > currently doing the glass for a Sheffield (UK) based project where > another?> > > > colleague has been identifying these 'sharpened' battery rods in some?> > > > quantity.?> > > >?> > > > My question is: do any of you know of any citations in the > archaeological?> > > > (or other) literature that addresses this phenomenon, particularly as?> > > > regards confirmation (or otherwise) of the recycling of carbon battery?> > > > rods as pencils.?> > > >?> > > >?> > > > A quick google search reveals some references to the reverse (how to use > a?> > > > pencil's graphite core in a home-made battery), but not to battery rod?> > > > recycling.?> > > >?> > > > Please send (or cc) replies off-list in the first instance as the other?> > > > colleague involved doesn't subscribe to HISTARCH - but I promise to?> > > > collate any and all references (if there are any) into a single handy?> > > > post.?> > > >?> > > > Anecdotal reports, rather than academic citations, of the occurrence of?> > > > re-used battery rods are also welcome.?> > > >?> > > > Thank you,?> > > >?> > > > Alasdair Brooks?> > > >?> > > > > > > **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. 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