Richard Kimmel wrote:
 
>I think we need to remember that it's not just the stuff in the pit
>which fell into disuse, but the pit itself.  . . . .  In
>short, my point is that  we have to treat the pit as an artifact with
>a context  before we can understand the artifacts that went into it.
>
 
This is a point well taken, but I also think that the abandonment of these
pits, basements, privies, etc. often also  correlate to a family's life
cycle also.
 
Linda Derry ([log in to unmask])
Old Cahawba Archaeological Park
Alabama Historical Commission