17th Century Pipe Stem and Bowl Fragment (Archaeological Find)
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Title:
17th Century Pipe Stem and Bowl Fragment
Subject:
Current students at Harvard break the rules and based on our archaeological finds of pipe stems and glass bottle fragments, we can confirm that they have been breaking the rules since colonial times as well. Smoking was a common habit at Harvard all through the Colonial period and after, as demonstrated by the large number of pipe stems found in excavations of Harvard Yard. This pipe stem is one of many that are found in excavations of Harvard Yard. Based on the chart in Hume, the date the pipe was made, then, was between 1620-1650 (Hume 1969:298). The rule against smoking tobacco was instituted when the college was and carried well into the early 19th century. There are constant instances of how history repeats itself, but it appears through our discovery of this pipe stem and through records in the archives that tobacco usage in colonial times has striking similarities to marijuana smoking in contemporary times. Some of these similarities are that students hid tobacco in their rooms like students do with marijuana now, they smoke it even if it is against school policy, and both were used for medical reasons. In the rules of the college, tobacco was banned at all times except if it was used medically (Loren, 2016). Another similarity is that tobacco slowly got legalized nationally- which might be the trend of marijuana if it continues with its synchronization with tobacco.
Source:
Works Cited:
Hume, Ivor Noel. 1970. “A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America”. the University of Michigan: Alfred A. Knopf.
Loren, D. D. (2016). Bodily protection: Dress, health, and anxiety in colonial New England. In The Archaeology of Anxiety (pp. 141-156). Springer New York.
Object Name:
17th Century Pipe Stem and Bowl Fragment
Inventory Description:
A fragment of a pipe stem (8/64" bore diameter) and part of a bowl with the initials PD on the flat bottom of the bowl (7/64" bore diameter).
Peabody Number:
2016.29.303
Culture/Period:
17th century
Intrasite:
Unit H944
Depth:
Level 2
Class 1:
Ceramic
Class 2:
Pipe
Class 3:
Stem
Quantity:
1
Height (cm):
The stem is around 4cm and the bowl is closer to 3 cm.
Width (cm):
The width is about 1 cm for the stem and 2 cm for the bowl.
Depth/Thickness (cm):
The thickness is about 1 cm as well.