Mount Vernon Midden: Part IV

The Native American assemblage from the South Grove. One of our more interesting projectile points is a Palmer type, similar to those seen in this image. It dates to the Early Archaic period, 8000 to 7200 BCE, slightly before George Washington came to live on the bluff overlooking the Potomac River!

This small object,broken in half, is a wig curler or tool used to curl the locks of wigs worn by both men and women, commonly encountered on archaeological sites dating from ca. 1700 to 1780. Its original shape was that of a dumbbell. Were the curler complete, it would have measured approximately 2 ½ inches. Made of white ball clay (the same material used to make tobacco pipes) these curlers were wrapped in wet paper and then in the hair of the wig. To set, the entire wig was placed in an oven. Much like hair styles today, wigs could have been maintained at a barber shop or at home, hence the common occurrence of curlers excavated from domestic archaeological sites. Being only one of two curlers found in the South Grove Midden, the archaeological record corresponds with the documentary evidence, suggesting that George Washington did not wear a wig!

This wig curler, and many like it, bears an off-center, encircled mark “_B” on the end. The first letter of the mark is illegible, but is probably a “W” or “I”, as most curlers are marked either “WB” or “IB”. The curler mark may also have the crown and dot symbol commonly impressed on the ends, but the mark is difficult to read. The marks and the fact that only two types have been found on colonial sites are a mystery.

A large, rusticated white salt-glazed stoneware mug, likely used for ale. You may notice the interesting decorative bands on this artifact- this is a unique application of grog, or bits of recycled ceramic, stuck to the exterior with a clay slip before firing in the kiln.

A short, thick glass cup with an unfinished, glass-tipped pontil scar. The vessel stands only 1.3” tall with a diameter of 2.4”. Have you ever seen anything like it? Some ideas that have been proposed: an ink well liner for a pewter desk set or a liner for a silver salt (the 18th century’s version of a salt shaker). The artifact dates to the earliest layers of the midden (ca. 1735-1757).

 A marble. One eighteenth century version of this game involves drawing a circle on the ground wherein the rest of the marbles are placed. The players then take turns shooting a marble into the circle and any marble knocked out of the circle is kept by that player. When there are no marbles left, the player with the most wins.

A small bone brush excavated from a 19th-century layer in the Midden. Bone brushes were often cut from cow femurs or pelvic bones with early bristles being of horsetail and later bristles (by the 20th-century) of wild boar hair, Although originally thought to be a toothbrush, the stock (head) of this brush is too long to fit in an individual’s mouth and does not taper in at the neck; it may instead be a fingernail brush.

Copy and photos from the Alexandria Archaeology Museum Facebook.

Mount Vernon Midden: Part III

Lead Shot. We excavated 521 pieces of lead shot from the South Grove Midden. Of the total, 30 were cast and 449 were dropped (using the Rupert method). Most of the shot (72%) measured 0.16” in diameter or less – a suitable size for hunting ducks, geese, pigeons, and other small birds and mammals.

The rim a wine glass, but not just any wine glass, one decorated with a leaf and a rosebud (right). But not just any rosebud. The rose was a symbol of the rebel English Jacobites, supporters of the late seventeenth-century exiled King James II and of his descendents, the Stuarts. Jacobites believed in divine right to rule and hereditary successionand sought to restore the Stuarts to the throne. The rose symbolized the Stuarts and the buds, the heirs. The Jacobite Movement occurred during a pivotal period in political history, during the transition from rule by divine right to rule by constitutional monarchy. Their efforts culminated in a failed rebellion in 1745. Glasses with the rose and other Jacobite symbols were used in secret clubs where the banned political party risked treason to meet, drink, and plot. What is this emblem of English political strife doing in the midden? Were the Washingtons Jacobites? In recent years, many Jacobite glasses have been exposed as fakes and the excavation of this object from the modern phase of the midden leaves this possible Jacobite glass open to scrutiny...

Scissors. This pair of incomplete iron scissors is missing one bow (or finger ring) and the point of one arm. The scissors were deposited open to their fullest extent, which is why they look more like a knife than scissors. The pair likely measured approximately 6 ½ inches (165mm) before being broken. Size helps in determining scissor function. These were most likely domestic utility scissors similar to the ones you have in your junk drawer because of their average size, thin blades, undecorated surface, and cheaper material.

The ONLY Pamplin pipe fragment to be recovered from the South Grove Midden! Made here in Virginia, this style, the "Pamplin Hexagonal Stemmed Milled Chesterfield", was produced for a long period of time- from approximately 1885 up until 1941.

This scary sea monster was once the handle of a salt-glazed stoneware teapot. 

Thimble- the lighting in the photograph better showcases its features such as indentations and true color, helping us to visualize what it once looked like. Thimbles varied in size; this thimble is fairly small, perhaps intended for use by someone with small hands such as a child.

Manganese Mottled earthenware vessels. These vessels often have a yellowish lead glaze with dark streaks or speckles, giving them their mottled appearance. This particular drinking pot is speckled on its exterior, with the glaze ending just above the base.

Copy and photos from the Alexandria Archaeology Museum Facebook.

Mount Vernon Midden: Part II

This photo is a tavern scene.

A Staffordshire slipware trailed, combed, and dotted drinking pot that was found in the Midden. Dating to the early years of George Washington’s tenure at Mount Vernon, these vessels were likely used for a wide range of things. We usually think of them in terms of their role in alcohol consumption but it is possible that people were also eating gruel or some form of caudle out of these pots. They were certainly not set out at any formal Washington affairs but may have had use among the Washington staff or in private meals. By the time of the Revolution, Staffordshire slipwares were largely obsolete and the Washington household had moved on to more fashionable wares.

Colonial buttons of the 18th century were used as practical clothing fasteners and as stylish adornment for both sexes (particularly men) and were often imported from England. This photo is of a faceted blue glass inset sleeve button, known today as a cufflink.

A French gunflint. What is a French gunflint doing in a British colony, you ask? Up to the time of the War of 1812, French gunflints were considered superior to their English counterparts and were often used by both the British and the Americans. French gunflints are distinguished by their honey or blond color and the round shape of their back edge.

Shoe buckles were worn by virtually everyone, from European royalty to those in the enslaved population. Today’s photograph is of a pewter shoe buckle with “TR” cast on the chape, the style of which suggests it is an early 18th-century buckle. More research is necessary, however, to determine if these letters refer to the maker or perhaps the client.

This globular teapot featuring a paneled spout is made of Nottingham stoneware. Though Chinese porcelain is most commonly associated with colonial teawares, evidence from the South Grove Midden suggests that the genteel ritual of tea taking could be expressed with other ware types as well. Found in the first phase of the midden (ca. 1735-1757), however, this brown teapot may have been cast aside when George Washington purchased more fashionable versions.

This photograph showcases objects that together make up a table setting. From back to front we have the base and a finish from two wine bottles, two wine glasses, a glass wine decanter, a two-tined fork, a Chinese export porcelain plate with a flower basket design and a knife.

Copy and photos from the Alexandria Archaeology Museum Facebook.

Mount Vernon Midden

According to the Oxford English Dictionary(OED), a midden refers to a dung-heap, refuse pile, or a domestic ash-pit. The origins of the word come from Scandinavian roots, appearing in print beginning in the 14th century. The OED’s definition for midden in an archaeological context characterizes it as a “refuse heap which marks an ancient settlement, consisting chiefly of shells and bones and often also discarded artefacts.” Danish scholars first used the term to describe archaeological remains found in the mid-19th century in association with shell heaps from antiquity.

The midden’s location, behind the kitchen on a gentle declivity which extends to the Potomac River, provides the reason why.  Deposits of household trash were often placed in depressions (natural or man-made, such as privies and disused wells or cellars), which overtime, could help to level out uneven ground.  The surface below the feature suggests a natural depression, perhaps where a large tree had fallen down.  It seems there was some conscious effort to fill in this depression with refuse.  The majority of the trash accumulated from c. 1735 – 1775, when the yard surrounding the midden was turned into the South Grove, a formalized area planted with flowering shrubs and small trees.

A view of the south grove midden area at Mount Vernon.

Copper alloy bell. Drawer pull. Furniture plate. Copper alloy hinge. Copper alloy hook. Copper alloy and iron hook. Iron skeleton key. Trunk plate engraved, "Gen: Washington." Iron turn key. Small copper alloy tack. Large copper alloy tack.

A Rhenish stoneware jug from the early 1700s. Although Rhenish stoneware was made on the continent of Europe-in either present day Germany or the Flanders region-at the end of the 1600s almost the entire range of exported stoneware began to be decorated for the British trade. Often these jugs displayed an "AR" or "GR" medallion in honor of Queen Anne or King George I. This particular piece features a manganese purple color, a technique introduced in the 1660s.

 Nottingham stoneware mug.  Base/ Can of Mug. Squat Nottingham mug.  Rusticated Nottingham stoneware mug. Nottingham stoneware zig-zag mug. Slip-dipped stoneware mug.  White salt-glazed stoneware mug. Large, rusticated white salt-glazed stoneware mug. Nottingham mug. Manganese mottled mug, base and partial handle. Manganese mottled mug. Maganese mottled mug, base only. William Roger's stoneware mug made in Yorktown, VA.

This flat disc, tombac button was manufactured by casting the molten metal into a mold. Tombac is a copper alloy with additives of zinc and occasionally arsenic that often ensure high levels of preservation in the archaeological record. Decorations like this eight-point star were commonly engraved on the surface of tombac buttons. The diameter of this button suggests that it may have once served as a closure for a man’s waistcoat. In general, eighteenth-century buttons are most often associated with men’s clothing, appearing on outer wear such as coasts and cloaks, but also on waistcoats, breeches, stocks (or neckcloths), sleeves, and handkerchiefs. Women’s clothes were fastened using laces, hooks and eyes, buckles, and straight pins.

A few 18th century wine bottle necks found in the Midden. While these particular bottles might have held a variety of alcoholic beverages, it is likely that they contained the general's favorite drink: Madeira. During his residency at Mount Vernon, George Washington ordered hundreds of gallons of Madeira and often entertained guests on the piazza, glass in hand. His love for wine inspired several vineyard attempts on the estate using grapes from Portugal and Spain as well as native plants. Unfortunately, his attempts ultimately failed and, in fact, it would be close to two centuries before Virginia's vineyards would prove successful.

Denier gauge. Thimble. Thimble. Lead bale seal. Straight Pins  Straight Pins. Metallic thread. Two-holed bone button. Tombac button. Two-holed shell button, small.

This object is the bulbous body of a stoneware jug made in the Westerwald region of Germany and transported to the colonies via England. It features a medallion molded with the initials “GR” for the English monarch King George (latin name, Georgius Rex). The succession of monarchs named George beginning in 1714 through the early nineteenth century makes the assignment of this “GR” jug to a specific king (and therefore dating) impossible. Hail to the king!

This complete, miniature pewter bowl might have once served imaginary tea, punch, or soup to a doll, or even George Washington during a "party" hosted perhaps by Martha Washington’s children or grandchildren. Children in the colonial period often entertained themselves with toys that were simply miniature versions of adult objects, including guns, whistles, and dishes. Like children today who have play-kitchens and host tea parties, the miniature pewter bowl would have been a welcome addition to any child’s toy collection. Pewter toys could be purchase in a variety of shapes and forms, and this bowl was probably one of many dinnerware miniatures.

Copy and photos from the Alexandria Archaeology Museum Facebook and the Mount Vernon's Mystery Midden Blog.