Ask an Archaeologist #4

CCASM members were asked to provided answers to the next question. Here is one of the responses.

?      What is the oldest item you have found?  How old was it?

The oldest artifact that I have found in Southern Maryland is a Clovis projectile point--a large spear head--that dates back something on the order of 10,000 years. That said, oldest isn't the most interesting. With the right question, a piece of coal from a household deposit that formed in 1920 can be interesting. Why did a family buy coal instead of harvesting firewood from the neighborhood? Did their neighbors also use coal? If not, why did some people burn coal and others wood? Did the community over-harvest suitable firewood? Was coal too expensive for some families? Did coal use confer a degree of prestige on a family similar to wearing fashionable store-bought rather than homemade clothing? These and other questions from a simple lump of coal!

Answer provided by Jim Gibb

Look for future postings with answers to additional questions.  And don't forget to check out the answers given in previous postings.