Flint Tavern Glass Fragment (Archaeological Find)

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This flint glass fragment is clear, but has a grey tint. The body of the glass is smooth to the touch and has a rounded edge that is often found in tavern glasses, or "thumpers".
Drinking alcohol at the taverns was not suitable behavior for young men at the College in 1799; therefore, the men were forced to pay a fine.
A picture of a tavern glass, or a "thumper", that could have been used at Bush Tavern.
In upper left hand corner, the Harvard Rule book of the late 18th century references that students of the College are banned to go to taverns without being accompanied by the President, his parents, or a tutor.

Title:

Flint Tavern Glass Fragment

Subject:

Since glassmaking was the first industry in America, glass artifacts are able to reveal many clues about early Americans’ daily lives, social hierarchy, and the beginnings of Harvard. This glass shard was once a part of late 18th century tavern glass, often referred to as a “thumper”. In a 18th century Colonial American tavern, or an “ordinary” as it was referenced in Puritan Massachusetts, the thumper was filled with varying alcohols ranging from beers and ciders to wines and mixed drinks; however, rum was the staple of every tavern since it was a liquor that was unique to the colonies. Although one of the primary functions of the tavern was to carry on the traditions of British drinking, the early taverns surrounding Harvard had stricter practices on drinking and drunkenness was strongly looked down upon with the dominating Puritan culture of the time. Drinking out of this piece of clear flint glass with a grey cast, members of each social and economic class were able to engage in discussion and form a community in a Puritan Massachusetts ordinary, although some communities did not welcome Native Americans or African Americans. The 18th century men of Harvard could often be found at the tavern on Dunster Street discussing politics, their academics, or the latest gossip going around the College. Although it is a small piece of flint glass, this artifact signifies a community formed within an ordinary that was made up of differing social classes and that allowed discussion of politics, society, and travel to prosper.

Source:

Daniels, B. C. (2005). Puritans at play: leisure and recreation in colonial New England. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Field, E. (2007). The colonial tavern: a glimpse of New England town life in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Place of publication not identified: Kessinger Publishing.

Howe, D. W. (1899). The Puritan republic of the Massachusetts bay in New England. Indianapolis: Bowen-Merrill.

Struzinski, Steven (2002) " The Tavern in Colonial America," The Gettysburg Historical Journal: Vol. 1, Article 7.

https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:47007688$6i

https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:51409343$4i

http://www.jeffnholantiquebottles.com/webpages/Item6841.html

Object Name:

Flint Tavern Glass Fragment

Inventory Description:

Object is a fragment of a tavern glass. It is clear, but has a grey cast and is smooth to the touch. The rim of its bottle is circular and appears to be a part of a larger drinking vessel. The glass also appears to be uneven, giving clues that it was handblown.

Peabody Number:

2016.29.152

Culture/Period:

Late 18th Century/Early 19th Century

Intrasite:

H929 Level 4

Depth:

70-85 cm

Class 1:

Glass

Class 2:

Fragment

Class 3:

Bottle

Quantity:

1

Collection:

2017 Assignment 2

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