Pipe Bowl (Archaeological Find)
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Title:
Pipe Bowl
Subject:
Discovered within Harvard Yard, this 17th-century clay pipe bowl brings to the surface the nuances of colonial student life. Dated between 1650 and 1680, using Hume’s depictions of the evolution of pipe bowls, the pipe lies as evidence of the silent defiance practiced within the grounds of Harvard College, where tobacco was a discreetly enjoyed contraband (Hume 2001) (Loren 2022). Despite Puritan regulations condemning tobacco as a needless vice, its prevalence among the student body was unmistakable. The pipe’s English origin speaks to a time when the Atlantic was bridged by the trade of such goods, making smoking a widespread, if not an openly discussed, pastime among Harvard's youth.
The archaeological record from Harvard Yard, enriched with numerous pipe fragments, suggests that smoking was a clandestine ritual that transcended social boundaries. These fragments reveal a culture of reuse and community—where pipes, likely shared among students, became artifacts of commonality in an environment stratified by class. The craftsmanship of the bowl, indicated by its refined shape and the consistency of the stem hole size, reveals a sophistication in production, pointing to well-established English techniques that had matured by the 17th century (Hume 2001). The white clay, a hallmark of such pipes, was a canvas upon which the social and cultural practices of the time were etched. This pipe bowl from Harvard Yard is not just a relic of individual use but a fragment of a broader narrative. It reflects a historical tapestry where tobacco was intertwined with notions of health, propriety, and camaraderie—a small yet significant thread in the fabric of early American history.
Source:
Claesz, Pieter. (1636). Still Life with Clay Pipes. Scala Archives. Retrieved from https://library-artstor-org.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_10313879677
Hume, I. N. (2001). A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Loren, D. D. (2022). Smoke and Spirit: Exploring Bodily and Sensual Concerns at Early Harvard College. Historical Archaeology, 56(2), 217–226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-022-00344-5
Steen, Franz van der. Two Men, One Smoking , S5.11.2,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Feb 24, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/237351.
Object Name:
Pipe Bowl
Inventory Description:
English clay Pipe bowl fragment dated to about 1650-1680
Peabody Number:
2023.11.1
Culture/Period:
1650-1680
Intrasite:
H979 Level 4
Depth:
21-31 cm
Class 1:
Ceramic
Class 2:
Pipe
Class 3:
Pipe bowl
Quantity:
1
Height (cm):
4.3
Width (cm):
2.2
Depth/Thickness (cm):
2
Century:
17th