Solutions to Analyzing Artifacts

The common straight pin has been around for centuries. This type of straight pin with a coiled wire head was made into the 1820s. After that time, pins were stamped out in one solid piece - much like the ones we use today.

This large gray stoneware crock rim fragment has a hand-painted blue floral decoration. It was used for preparing and storing food.

The artifact on top is the bowl of a tablespoon made from iron. As you can see, the general shape of a spoon bowl has changed little over the last 150 years! This is not the case with the fork. The example located underneath the spoon is a two-tined fork made of iron. Its iron handle is covered in bone that has been carved, or incised, with a criss-cross decoration!

This is a brass knapsack hook. This hook was used to keep their bags shut. Just like the zippers on your backpacks today.

This is an ink bottle. Can you guess why this bottle is cone-shaped? The reason is so that it would not tip over. The ink bottle was used to dip a pen into and then write on paper.

Photo Credits: http://www.kidsdigreed.com/discovery.asp