A number of years ago, we recovered a complete round in diameter blue-green
glass bottle buried neck down against the edge of a hearth in a small cabin
in coastal South Carolina. The structure was part of what we believe to be
a post-bellum ex-slave settlement located at the outer limits of a
plantation. We theorized that the bottle was a minkisi--object buried for
spiritual purposes--primarily because of the blue color, location, intact
form and neck down position. An iron spike was recovered nearby, but may
have been related to the construction of the cabin, rather than any ritual
reason.
The same structure and its immediate surrounds yielded a relatively high
number of pharmaceutical bottles (probably high alcohol content types). We
did speculate that the tenant of this cabin may have been the "root doctor"
for the settlement, based on the blue bottle and the medicine bottles.
Lucy Wayne
SouthArc, Inc.
www.southarc.com
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Misty
Jackson
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2015 4:13 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Horseshoes - Foundations
Chris,
After reading your article in Historical Archaeology on this topic, I have a
related question about witch bottles. Are you or anyone on this list serve
familiar with any examples of glass bottles/bottle bases incorporated in
stone foundations? There is an example in Hillsdale County, Michigan along
US12. I've thought for years that it seems a strange thing to include in a
foundation and could not see how had anything to do with the need for
building materials, stabilizing, etc. I figured it was simply a fluke, but
now maybe not.
Misty
Misty Jackson, Ph.D., RPA
Arbre Croche Cultural Resources,
www.arbrecroche.com
Center for Maritime and
Underwater Resource Management
www.cmurm.org
On Apr 7, 2015, at 11:20 PM, M. Chris Manning wrote:
> This is most likely evidence of a widespread folk practice in which a
> horseshoe or other iron object, such as an edge tool, is secured to a
> building or integrated into the structure itself to bring good luck
> and/or protection to the house. Check out my recent article in the
> fall issue of Historical Archaeology. I specifically discuss horseshoes on
pages 72-73.
>
> Manning, M. Chris. 2014. The Material Culture of Ritual Concealments
> in the United States. Historical Archaeology 48(3):52-83.
>
> I would be very interested in learning more about the details of this
> find and seeing some photos. Please message me off list.
>
> Chris
>
> M. Chris Manning, M.A., M.S.H.P.
> [log in to unmask]
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Ben Resnick
> Sent: Tuesday, April 7, 2015 1:56 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Horseshoes - Foundations
>
> We encountered several horseshoes buried partially beneath the corner
> of a dressed stone foundation at a 19th century domestic site located
> along the southern Virginia coastal plain. Additional horseshoes were
> also recovered along the foundation wall of an early 20th century
> addition. I would be interested to hear of any similar observations
> for these site types including information regarding the possible
> background of site occupants (ethnicity, etc.).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ben
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> Ben Resnick, MA, RPA, MBA
> GAI Consultants, Inc.
> 385 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120-5005
> 412.476.2000 ext. 1200 | C 412.759.3156
>
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