Nothing in the bottle - it was just the base. I suppose it could have been complete at the time it was inserted in the mortar. It was near a corner, obvious from the outside of the house. It wasn't near a door, and there was no evidence that there was a hearth or chimney. The bottle was square and of amethyst glass. Plat maps show a structure at the location in 1894 and 1916, but none in 1872, and it was torn down in 1950 according to locals. No hearth for a late 19th c. structure would be expected.
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 9, 2015, at 4:50 PM, Davis, Daniel (KYTC) wrote:
> Anything in the bottle? Near a hearth or a door?
> We had an upside down bottle below the hearth at the same structure that had iron knives in the foundation walls, but it had a broken neck and nothing inside. It's location suggests use as a protective charm, but it wasn't incorporated into the foundation itself, just under the large hearthstones of the fireplace.
>
> -----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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