Something very similar to this, but not identical, came through the door 
here at The Charleston Museum a few years ago.  It was designed to be placed 
on a pig's snout to keep them from rooting in the ground.  Ours had no 
context, but my sense is that it was later than your 1730s date.
I will find a photo of the object, and send it off-list.
Martha Zierden
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "King, Julia" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 6:16 PM
Subject: Artifact ID


> Dear HistArchers,
>
> One of our students, Andreas Lutz, is in an Archaeology Practicum class at 
> St. Mary's College where he along with his colleagues is cataloging, 
> analyzing, and interpreting materials from the Addison Plantation site 
> (18PR175; aka Oxon Hill) located in Prince George's County, MD. He has 
> come across several iron artifacts, and links to images of one of these 
> objects are posted below. Andreas has shown these to archaeologists at 
> various institutions around the region, with some tentative -- but still 
> unsatisfying -- identifications. The context is cellar fill believed to 
> date to c. 1730s. Later disturbance is possible but not likely.  I told 
> Andreas about the "hundreds of years of experience" represented by 
> HISTARCH; colleagues, if you have suggestions for Andreas, we would both 
> be grateful for your assistance!  Here are the links:
>
> http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o289/knifetrader/Addisson%20Artifacts/18PR17503.jpg
>
> http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o289/knifetrader/Addisson%20Artifacts/18PR17501.jpg
>
> Julie King
> St. Mary's College of MD