Page 32 - Maryland Historical Trust - Archaeology Colonial MD

documentary research should always precede or at least accompany historical archaeology projects.
Another group of artifacts was discovered to bear actual dates. These were the “H” shaped strips of lead used to hold the glass panes of win- dows in place. Only in the 1980s (first in Virginia and soon afterward at St. Mary’s) was it discov- ered that the interior of these leads, when cleaned, often displayed names and dates (see figure 19). This was a product of British guilds trying to in- still some quality control among their artisans, and giving archaeologists an excellent new dating tool in the process. But for many other artifacts, we had to turn to other sources for investigation.
When the St. Johns excavations began, the work at Jamestown in the 1950s was the best source of information about what would be
found. Fortunately, Ivor Noël Hume was working at Colonial Williamsburg and he had just pub- lished A Guide to the Artifacts of Colonial America in 1969. This invaluable volume, his personal advice, and consultation with people such as the founder of historical archaeology J.C. “Pinky” Harrington and Malcolm Watkins of the Smithsonian Insti- tution allowed the tobacco pipes and a number of the ceramics to be identified. I began the task of sorting thousands of pot sherds from St. John’s into recognizable types in 1977. While some were obvious like North Devon Sgraffito Ware, Rhen- ish Blue and Gray Stoneware, and Tin-glazed earthenware, many were unidentified. Piles of broken pots had to be put into similar appear- ing piles, those groups then sorted by as many variables as possible (color, clay, inclusions, glaze,
figure 15
The mapped distribution of white clay pipes at St. John’s.
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