Small Finds
Historical archaeologists often use the phrase
“Small Finds” to discuss miscellaneous objects
that are not found on excavations in large quantities, the
way ceramics, glass, architectural debris, and faunal remains
often are. Small finds can be problematic to use in archaeological
analyses because they vary greatly and it is often difficult
to find publications that provide information about them.
This website is designed to help fill that void by providing
details about the chronology, function, manufacture, etc.,
of small finds recovered in Maryland. Our hope is that this
website will increase the value of these objects for site
interpretation.
So far, we have added the following categories
of Small Finds to the website:
-
Leather
Ornaments: Decorative metal pieces that are primarily
related to horse tack, but might also be found on other
leather goods such as sword belts and firearm straps.
- Bridle
Bosses: Decorative metal attachments for curb bits that
conceal the area where the bit’s mouth-pieces and cheek
pieces attach.
-
Bodkins:
Large and sometimes personalized blunt needles used for
threading ribbons and laces through clothing and hair.
-
-
Smoker’s
Companions: These tools were used by 17th and 18th-century
pipe smokers for packing, lighting, and cleaning pipes.
-
Religious
Artifacts: This category includes any artifacts that
were made with some kind of religious symbolism in mind,
such as saint medals, a Madonna figurine, a reliquary, etc.
As time and funding permit, we plan to expand the Diagnostic
Artifacts website to include a variety of other small finds
from Maryland’s archaeological sites. Additionally, each
small find category will grow as more examples are discovered.
New collections arrive at the MAC Lab regularly, and we are
also partnering with other institutions that curate Maryland
archaeological collections to add their data as well. At this
point we have included artifacts that are curated by the following
outside institutions:
- The Anne Arundel County Lost Towns Project
- The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission,
Prince George’s County Archaeology Lab.
We hope you will visit our site on a regular basis to check
for updates as we expand the website and make more collections
available.
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