17th Century Pipe Stem (Archaeological Find)

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17th Century Pipe Stem (1650-1680)
This chart shows the variations in tobacco pipe stem hole diameters over time, along with their frequency in each time period.
The front cover to Doctor Nicholas Culpeper’s “The Complete Herbal” written in 1653.
Cover to a book detailing the Laws of Harvard College.

Title:

17th Century Pipe Stem

Subject:

Breathe in. Breathe out. The repetition causes you to close your eyes as the bitter taste of tobacco floods your senses. You have both a Greek and Natural Philosophy exam tomorrow and you pray that the medicinal qualities of tobacco cures you of your headache. You are a Harvard College student in the mid-to-late 1600s. The abundance of pipe stems in the archaeology record of Harvard Yard is of note to archaeologists and current students alike. After all, according to early Harvard College Laws, inspired by the strict religious beliefs of the Puritans, “Noe Student shall…take Tobacco or bring or permit to be brought into his Chamber strong Beere, wine, or strong water, or any other inebriating Drinke to the end that all excesse and abuse thereof may bee prevented” (Overseers President and Fellows 1655, 331). However, colonial smoking is much more nuanced because although smoking recreationally was forbidden (i.e. “to the end that all excesse and abuse”), students were allowed to smoke to cure their aliments. As seen in the front page to a 1650s herbal book, tobacco was smoked along with various medicinal herbs and was a treatment strongly supported by doctors (Culpeper 1653). Although archaeologists are not able to tell whether a pipe was used for recreational or medicinal purposes, it gives archaeologists an insight into the actual students who once studied here centuries ago outside of the College’s historical documents. Additionally, due to the unique ability to date pipe stems, their discovery allows archaeologists to date other non-dateable artifacts found in the same context. Through consulting archaeologist J.C. Harrington’s pipe stem dating chart, since the pipe stem hole diameter measures 7/64, the pipe was made between 1650 and 1680 (Hume 1969, 298).

Source:

Culpeper, Nicholas. 1653. “The Complete Herbal.” London: Thomas Kelly.
Hume, Ivor Noel. 1970. “A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America.” The University of Michigan: Alfred A. Knopf.
Peirce, Benjamin. 1778-1831. “Benjamin Peirce personal archive, 1787-1832.” Admittatur, 1797 August 16. HUG 1680 Box 1, Harvard University Archives.
The Overseers Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College. 1655. “The Lawes of the Colledge published publiquely before the Students of Harvard Colledge.”

Object Name:

17th Century Pipe Stem

Inventory Description:

Pipe stem fragment 7/64

Peabody Number:

2021.6.53

Intrasite:

H971, Level 6

Depth:

49-64cm

Class 1:

Ceramic

Class 2:

Pipe

Class 3:

Pipe stem

Quantity:

1

Height (cm):

3.8cm

Width (cm):

.7cm

Century:

1650-1680