April,

As I remember, probably a decade ago, Archaeologist working on an Antebellum
riverfront hotel called the St. James in Selma Alabama found a stash of pig
jaws (bottom jaws only) in the  courtyard of this hotel.  At the time, I
wondered if these were cached to be used later as musical instruments  -
large animal jaws being, I believe, the precursor of the washboard.  A
player would run an object like a key across the tooth line to create
rhythmic sounds.  

Or is there another reason for stockpiling just a bunch of lower pig jaws?
(If others on the list can suggest other possible reasons for doing this,
please speak up,  because it has nagged at me for over a decade now). 

I don't know if the archaeologist in charge interpreted these as potential
musical instruments or not, but I think her crew also found jaw harps as
well.  You can contact  her,  Mary Elizabeth Gantt, now at R.S. WEBB &
ASSOCIATES, INC., and ask however.  (her email is available on their web
page.) 


Linda Derry
Site Director
Old Cahawba
719 Tremont St.
Selma, AL 36701
ph. 334/875-2529
fax. 334/877-4253
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-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of April M.
Beisaw
Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 7:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Musical Instruments in Tavern Assemblages

Histarchers,

I am looking for information on musical instruments (or pieces thereof) that
have been recovered from excavations of tavern sites. I have a carved mammal
bone mouthpiece to a wind instrument and am trying to ascertain how unusual
it is to recover instruments from sites where music may have been a
relatively common form of entertainment.

Thanks for your help.

-April

---------------------------
April M. Beisaw, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Heidelberg University
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