Good morning,
Sorry for the delay, I have been in the field. I actually came across
about ten of those blocks stacked together with the anode terminal. The
paper container had rotted away. Unfortunately it was part of a project
that was never finished at my former place of employment. I never got a
chance to research it. I would check patent records for batteries from
about 1900.
Sears and Montgomery ward catalogs from that time are selling batteries,
mostly to power door bells. Some batteries are illustrated but not
their internal structure. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Keith
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Sarah Croucher
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 2:44 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Mystery object, East Africa
Dear Keith,
Thanks so much for the information. It's super helpful - a couple of
other
people also suggested that it is part of a battery, so it seems more
than
likely. I don't suppose you know of any references to any of these
artifacts
that are in press? It would be really useful to both Lydia and I if
there was a
report or other publication of some kind we could reference for our
battery
related artifacts.
Many thanks,
Sarah
________________________________
From: "Doms, Keith" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, 15 November, 2010 8:35:48
Subject: Re: Mystery object, East Africa
I have encountered something very similar but the core is some highly
compress black compound not solid metal. I believe that it is a
segmented battery core. The thin plastic appears to help hold the
material together and keep its shape.
Keith
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Sarah Croucher
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 5:35 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Mystery object, East Africa
Dear List-members,
I'm sending the following from Lydia Wilson-Marshall, a PhD student at
the
University of Virginia. She sends the following:
I have a mystery artifact that I was hoping you could help me identify.
I
recovered what I think may be an early 20th-century battery or battery
part at
Awamthoya, a late 19th to early 20th century Giriama homestead. The
artifact
was found in a STP, so stratigraphy is unclear. It may be modern and
not
relate to the occupation, but I think it is more likely to be from the
occupation--Awmathoya was abandoned 1910-1920ish. Its metal core is
encased on
the edges in a type of flexible plastic (bakelite? celluloid?). It
may not
even be a battery, perhaps part of a weapon? I'm more than a little
lost on
this one.
***
The site in question is located near the Kenyan coast, but I have also
found an
artifact which appears to be the same at a site on Zanzibar. If anyone
would
like to see a picture, you should be able to access one at the following
link:
https://wesfiles.wesleyan.edu/home/scroucher/Archaeology%20pictures/IMG_
5241_reduced.jpg
Feel free to send replies to me off list at [log in to unmask] I
will also
forward any replies on to Lydia.
Many thanks,
Sarah Croucher
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