The email address does not appear to be correct so I am posting this on
HISTARCH so that possibly it may be forwarded.
>----------
>From:  Edward Bell
>Sent:  Tuesday, May 06, 1997 9:39 AM
>To:    [log in to unmask]
>Subject:       FW: Coffin Hardware:  Estimated Age, Please
>
>Hello. I don't subscribe to ACRA, but your message was forwarded to me.
>
>>>>Can a probable date, between 1850 and 1958, be established based on
>these items?  Yes. However, you'd be able to narrow the date down
>considerably by doing some comparative research in trade catalogues of
>coffin hardware manufacturers and dated archaeological examples. My 1990
>article (cited below) gives some discussion to coffin "viewing plates"
>with some citations to reports that indicate where these have been noted
>before in archaeological, documentary, and museum contexts.
>
>>>>With the exception of the metal cross, could all of the other
>hardware items originate from the same coffin? Possibly. Highly
>embellished burial containers are not unusual; why do you need to rule
>out more than one container? Hacker-Norton and Trinkley's reports (see
>my note below) might provide you with an idea of what minimum and
>maximum amounts of embellishments might be expected...it's a bit of a
>vague thing, but there are a lot of issues to consider when evaluating
the amount of coffin hardware present. For your purposes, you'd probably
>want to know, First, when does it date to?, and second, what was available in
>that area for people to use to decorate burial containers (via general
>stores, mail order, funeral homes) at that date and place?
>
>Bell, Edward L. (1990) The Historical Archaeology of Mortuary Behavior:
>Coffin Hardware from Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Historical Archaeology
>24(3): 54-78.
>
>Bell, Edward L. (1994) Vestiges of Mortality and Remembrance: A
>Bibliography on the Historical Archaeology of Cemeteries. Scarecrow
>Press, Metuchen, NJ, and London.
>
>You don't say in what part of the world you found these things; I'm
>guessing Missouri. Michael Trinkley and Debi Hacker-Norton co-authored
>two good reports on coffin hardware in South Carolina; they should be
>useful for you even if your site isn't in the SE/US. Pat Garrow also
>published a useful chronology for Georgia (again, bec. of
>mass-production/distribution, his findings are applicable more widely).
>All these works are cited in my 1994 book, along with some examples of
>trade catalogues, and more complete bibliographic guides to trade
>catalogues.
>
>I'd be interested to know how this turns out. Keep me posted.
>
>Best,
>
>Edward L. Bell
>>[log in to unmask]
>
>>----------
>>From:         Brona Simon
>>Sent:         Monday, May 05, 1997 3:32 PM
>>To:   Edward Bell
>>Subject:      FW: Coffin Hardware:  Estimated Age, Please
>>
>>Ed,
>>Want to reply?
>>----------
>>From:         James Carucci[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>>Sent:         Monday, May 05, 1997 3:04 PM
>>To:   Multiple recipients of list
>>Subject:      Coffin Hardware:  Estimated Age, Please
>>
>>I appreciate any and all help on this.  I am cross-posting to ARCH-L
>>
>>Last week I was asked to evaluate an eroding historic burial.  The site is
>>now lakeside, but was originally a community cemetery which was
>>relocated in the early 1960s.  Records of those interred indicate that the
>>cemetery, prior to relocation, had been used for about 100 years; from
>>the 1850s to 1958.
>>
>>At the site, I collected a small number of human leg and foot bones, and
>>an array of what appears to be coffin hardware.  In my letter report to
>>the state, I would like to be able to suggest how old the burial was based
>>on the coffin hardware.
>>
>>DESCRIPTION OF THE COFFIN HARDWARE:
>>
>>The bottom of the coffin appears to be tongue-and-groove oak [or similar
>>wood] planks about 10 inches wide.  The planks lie cross-wise so that a
>>number of short pieces were placed side-to-side, ladder-like, to form the
>>coffin bottom.
>>
>>On the beach, near the coffin, was a long, twisted strip of fairly soft
>>formed lead channel or beading.  This appears to be the edging that may
>>have gone around the bottom of the coffin, tieing the planks together.
>>
>>Also on the beach was a large number of large, thin pieces of "tin" or
>>similar metal.  The local coroner identified these pieces as the remains of
>>the tin liner used in coffins, which allowed ice to be used to cool the
>>body, and which kept water and ice from leaking out.
>>
>>Six pieces of thin, clear [green-tint] glass which appears similar to
>>window glass, but several pieces have a circular or oval edge.  Again,
>>the helpful county coroner said that the broken glass was from a round
>>porthole or window that would have been on top of the coffin.
>>
>>Coffin handle hardware which is heavy, possibly an alloy of lead, and
>>which may have been hinged to snap out from the box at a 90 degree
>>angle, or snap back flat against the side of the coffin.  The handle plates
>>holding the hinge pieces were connected to square wooden handles
>>about 1 by 1 inch, which had metal end pieces.
>>
>>Possibly associated with this coffin was a silver metal anchor about five
>>or six inches long, which had a larger than normal top cross piece
>>making the anchor look like a catholic [or other religion??] cross.  No
>>filigree or rope or anything else on the anchor shank or ends.  I assume
>>that this item would have been applied to the top of a coffin.
>>
>>Can a probable date, between 1850 and 1958, be established based on
>>these items?  With the exception of the metal cross, could all of the other
>>hardware items originate from the same coffin?
>>
>>Any comments, references, or suggestions concerning the dating of the
>>coffin hardware would be appreciated.
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>>jim
>>
>>
>>James Carucci, Ph.D.
>>Archaeologist, Environmental Planning Branch
>>CELMS-PD-A
>>St. Louis District, Corps of Engineers
>>1222 Spruce Street
>>St. Louis, MO  63103-2833
>>
>>phone: (314) 331-8820
>>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>