Here we will look at objects that are of interest, or have an interesting story to tell.
Many of them will have been unearthed during our digs.
Some will have a beauty all of there own. Others may be ordinary, everyday objects, that give us an insight into past lives.
Many of them will have been unearthed during our digs.
Some will have a beauty all of there own. Others may be ordinary, everyday objects, that give us an insight into past lives.
Tobacco Pipe Bowl Fragment 18th Century. (Station Fields allotments, Kidlington)
Ornate tobacco pipes became fashionable in the 18th century. This example shows a floral design and ribbing and is made from fine white pipe clay. These high quality pipes would have been produced for the more affluent consumer, and would have been traded over significant distances.
Clay Pipes: Dating Sites and Assessing Occupancy
Tobacco pipes were introduced into England in the 16th Century, at first copying native North American Indian styles. The designs and manufacturing processes rapidly evolved driven by increasing local expertise and the decreasing cost of tobacco.
As a general rule bowl sizes increased and became more elaborate, and the stems decreased in diameter with the bore size also getting smaller.
Rapid changes in design and manufacturing techniques, local variations in style, and the introduction of manufacturer’s marks allow the precise dating of many of the pipes.
Pipe smoking rapidly became commonplace across all classes of society and fragments of clay pipe are one of the most common finds on post medieval sites.
As such, they have become one of the most important dating artefacts, as well as giving information about site use and occupancy.
An article looking at the development of clay pipe styles and manufacture, and their use in dating archaeological sites will follow later in the year.