Artifacts
There are frequent finds of “trash” on the grasslands. What is trash? Seems like a simple question doesn’t it? Anything twenty-five years or older I have heard you should leave alone. Archeologists say fifty years. In archaeology there is an important concept called context. Context is, in part, the location where an artifact was found. It is also the type of soil it was in, the type of site where it was found, and perhaps most importantly, what the artifact was found with or in relation to.
So some of these may have been from almost a hundred years ago. Certainly, others are more recent. Indeed, all the artifacts have stories to tell. As a family left the farm, mama says leave it behind, there is no room to take it with us. Farm equipment will have no use in the city either. Of course some of the artifacts would be considered rather “recent”. The indigenous people also left stuff behind. However, I have never found any personally on the grasslands. Additionally, if you do find an arrowhead take a photo, do not disturb it, and report it to the Forest Service. Hence, the grasslands has lots of stories and sometimes they lay right at your feet.
When Does Trash Become History?
These Gorgeous Photos Capture Life Inside a Drop of Seawater
Can Scientists Save the World’s Tiniest Rabbit?
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
Who would have thought about all that in a single drop of water. You probably. And poor little rabbit.
Poor bunny yes
Ha ha, this is an everyday occurrence at our farm.
Most of it ends up being a lotion bottle, milk of magnesia blue glass, or something not THAT old but still fun to find.
Yes we have found the same white porcelain lids here too. They are canning jar seals.
We also have 3 stones with perfectly ground holes partially through. I think they were native Americans’ mortar/pestle.
We have found plenty here at the house too. And I thought the lid might be a canning jar lid. Do you know when they went to metal?
Gary thinks the white ones with the jars with the metal screw over lid. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1163379557/vintage-canning-jar-lids-zinc-lids-with?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_a-craft_supplies_and_tools-storage_and_organization-containers-bottles_cans_and_jars-jars&utm_custom1=_k_EAIaIQobChMIxbL8hu-2_AIVFBbUAR0D8wrUEAQYBCABEgKpWvD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_12573075997_120353232220_507798833253_pla-320716692886_c__1163379557_516666277&utm_custom2=12573075997&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxbL8hu-2_AIVFBbUAR0D8wrUEAQYBCABEgKpWvD_BwE They are called milk glass. Not sure of the age but shows up first half of the 1900’s.
https://www.ballmasonjars.com/evolution-canning.html
Here you go!
Zinc and glass two piece invented 1930. Not exactly sure when the lids with the screw ring and rubber on metal lid came about.
Kathy and Gary, Thanks for your research into the milk glass. Both of your links very interesting. I wished the ballmasonjars one had included photos of their products. Thanks again for sharing your finds!
I’ve sometimes wondered when I’ve picked up similar trash if I shouldn’t leave it for future archeologists. Similarly, when I worked at FW Nature Center, we debated whether to leave horticultural plants around old homesites as cultural artifacts to be interpreted, or to remove them and rewild.
Yes, it is conundrum on when to pick up sometimes. On the plants, it is not uncommon to run across the occasional rose bush, wisteria or other horticultural plants. Of course then you know immediately that it was someone’s front yard. Additionally, there are the root cellars, hand-dug wells and garbage/trash piles, etc that the homeowners left behind. Which did you decide, leave or remove?
When the plants were invasive, like privet or Japanese honeysuckle, we definitely removed them. When they were not, like lilac, crape myrtle and (at that time) Vitex they stayed at least for the moment.
Very thought provoking!
I remember finding irises around many old homesites in north TX. But the best that I took a collection of and grew is Byzantine Gladiolus. In my grandmother’s yard down here she had a mix. Lots of iris, narcissus, etc. that just take care of themselves but she also gathered local natives like American Germander, Blue Curls, Lantana and such.
So neat that your grandmother gathered natives too. So natives are in your genes. 🙂