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Tales From the Privy Shaft Part 3

The final blog in this series will discuss the analysis of the excavations from the Queensgate II archaeology project. All information and ideas discussed below, unless otherwise specified, was from Thomas Cinadr and Robert Genheimer’s report, “Queensgate II: An Archaeological View of Nineteenth Century Cincinnati.” Nearly 50,000 artifacts were processed and analyzed from the Queensgate II project. Pieces of mortar, brick, plaster, roofing material, and window glass were documented in the field but not saved. During the excavation, three privy shafts, two builder’s trenches, and one cistern were excavated. Due to the extensive amount of soil and artifacts from the cistern, a sampling method was employed. After sorting through these samples, it was determined that most of the artifacts were from a mid-20th century period and therefore not processed. Over 94% of the cultural material was recovered from the privy shafts. As such, the archaeologists focused the remaining discussions on these.
Glass

An exmple of a bottle similar to those found in the excavations. Credit: www.hairraisingstories.com

An exmple of a bottle similar to those found in the excavations. Credit: www.hairraisingstories.com


Glass containers and fragments made up over 20% of the artifacts recovered. Glass, particularly glass bottles, is an extremely good tool for providing dates. The way the bottle was manufactured and the company name and location can be used to narrow a date range. Cinadr and Genheimer note that the majority of the bottles were from Cincinnati firms; however there were also a number of embossed bottles from surrounding states as well as London and Paris. There were three bottle types including the blown-in mold, the semi-automatic, and the fully automatic machine made bottles. Machine made were generally found in the upper levels, which provides an earliest date of 1903, when the Owens automatic making machine was invented. Cinadr and Genheimer also noted that nearly all the beer and soda bottles had bottle caps, whereas the food and pharmaceutical bottles had cork stoppers. The following types of bottles were categorized: returnable pharmaceutical bottles, chemical, oil/polish, wine, whiskey, spirit, bitters, beer, ale, medicine, food, dairy bottles, and scroll flasks.
Metal
Extensive corrosion was found on the metal objects. Approximately 3,580 nails and nail fragments were recovered, however classification was mostly unsuccessful due to the extensive corrosion. Attempts at cleaning corrosion did not work. Nail fragments make up 15.6% of all the artifacts from the Betts House privy shaft. The other two privies had significantly more nail fragments in the upper levels compared to the levels with fecal material.
Bone
Unlike the metal objects, bone was remarkably well preserved. Bone made up 26.7% of all cultural debris, most of which were butchered bone or food remains. Buttons were the most common non-food bone artifact recovered. Twenty-seven of the twenty-eight were 4-hole buttons, 26 were Type 20 (four-hole bone disc with a rounded back). Cinadr and Genheimer explain that it was difficult to distinguish between bone and ivory because the bone was highly polished. Approximately 19 bone/ivory handles were recovered, which belonged to a variety of object including wax seal stamps, umbrella handles, a revolver, and tool handles. Evidence of 16 tooth brushes were found from the three privies. Thirteen bone comb and comb fragments were recovered, which Cinadr and Genheimer compare to lice tombs of today. A number of unidentified modified bone objects were also found. Cinadr and Genheimer point out that the majority of the bone artifacts were uncovered from the lower portions of the privies, particularly among the fecal material.
Shell
Fresh and saltwater shells were recovered from the excavations. Shell buttons or button fragments make up 64% of the 220 shell objects. While they varied in size, the majority were Type 22(shell button with a sunken panel and a flat back). Cinadr and Genheimer suggest that the limited number of local bivalve and marine oysters points to shellfish not being a substantial part of 19th century diet in this neighborhood.
Textile/Leather
These materials accounted for a very small part of the artifact assemblage. Cloth fragments were generally very brittle and fragile. While also brittle, leather was less fragile. Approximately 406 leather and cloth shoe fragments were identified, with an additional 109 leather fragments found. Approximately 612 cloth fragments were found. Cinadr and Genheimer suggest that the clothing fragments found were most likely used for cleaning, as rags. Sixty-five cloth buttons were found all within one level, but all were quite deteriorated. The mystery of Charles Dustin was also discovered in this level. This will be discussed later.
Rubber
A total of 176 rubber artifacts were recovered, approximately half were vulcanized. Twenty-four rubber combs and comb fragments were found from the three privies. Cinadr and Genheimer explain that the combs mostly intact and therefore were discarded for reasons other than breakage. Other rubber artifacts included bottle closures, record fragments, buttons, a ball, baby bottle nipples, several toy wheels, spherical aspirator fragments, and hydraulic orifice irrigators.  An interesting look into the health of the residents at 427 Chestnut Street (the Porter residence for 50 years) was also found with the rubber artifacts. A minimum of 38 rubber fragments were identified as enema apparati, including fourteen tube and tube fragments and 24 soft tubing and bag fragments. Cinadr and Genheimer further explain that during Victorian times, the use of enemas was commonly believed to be a means to cleanse the body of poisonous waste.
Paper
Clearly the environment of a privy shaft was not exactly conducive to preservation of paper, however, 73 fragments were recovered. Forty-three percent of this collection included fragments of wallpaper, tar paper, and pressed paper. Another interesting find from the Porter residence privy shaft (427 Chestnut Street) is a group of 31 newspaper fragments. Half of these were located in one level. References are made to World War I events and the clippings were found among celluloid campaign pin backs dating to the same era. Level 13 contained 4 fragments attached to leather backing describing attempts by the US Government to secure and operate an armor plate factory in Massachusetts. Below this, several politically themed fragments point to and 1897 date. The Porter’s privy also held two medicinal envelopes, one of which was legible and gives directions for Dr. Edward’s Blood Tonic and Olive … Tablets. The olive tablet was advertised as a means to ease constipation and the tonic was advertised to strengthen the mind and body.
Miscellaneous
Numerous artifacts which fit into multiple categories were also found, including fragments of furniture, jewelry, personal items, domestic equipment, and architectural items. A good amount of fragments from lamp globe glass, pressed glass, kerosene chimney glass, and electric light bulb fragments were found. Objects relating to electrical lighting tended to be found in the upper ash levels, which helped narrow depositional dates. A total of 110 glass buttons were recovered, 89 of which came from the Porter privy shaft. The majority of buttons were milk glass, with four holes more common than two. Glass and ceramic marbles were recovered from all privy shafts, with the glass marbles recovered from the upper levels as they were more recent. A wide variety of domestic hardware and furniture was recovered including cabinet handles, doorknobs, brass door keys, a variety of tool fragments, metal buckles, buttons, and grommets, several graphite fragments, and a few school slate tablets.
Ceramics
Ceramics were recovered from the privies at 425 and 427 Chestnut Street, making up 141 and 364 vessels, respectively. A variety of both material and vessel type were found, including tableware, toys, and clay pipes. Unlike the non-ceramic artifacts discussed earlier, it seems that with the exception of a jug and a few cups, vessels were discarded when no longer functional. Because of this, the mean date is significantly earlier than relative non-ceramic artifacts in the deposit. Manufacture marks showed a tendency towards purchasing Staffordshire pottery from England, making up approximately 50% of the ceramics recovered. The most popular type was undecorated ironstone (basic white dishes). Local ceramics were not produced until the 1880s.
 
Charles Dustin
Charles Dustin is a man of mystery. He is listed in the City Directory at 427 Chestnut Street as a 36 year old night watchman in 1899 and 1900 while E.A. Ferguson Porter was a traveling salesman. After 1900, the occupants of 427 Chestnut Street are unknown.  A number of artifacts identified as part of a Cincinnati Police Uniform were recovered during the excavation, including a circular buckle embossed Cincinnati Police, several metal buttons with the Cincinnati seal and Cincinnati Police on them, a bronze metal attributed to being the son of a Civil War veteran, and a loaded single shot revolver along with numerous unfired bullets and casings. Dustin was identified through a rubber stamp with his name. Further research showed he lived at 427 Chestnut Street until 1902. Research conducted by this team during the 1980s provides the beginnings of a mystery. Coincidentally, the Cincinnati Museum, in collaboration with the Northern Kentucky University’s Public History program, is currently exhibiting “Medicine, Marbles, and Mayhem” which features artifacts from this excavation as well as a very interesting update on research into the mystery of a police uniform in a privy. Check it out here.
 
Observations
While one of the goals of the project was to further the research of class difference in the Queensgate II neighborhood, a lack of mercantile material made this not possible. However, as Cinadr and Genheimer point out, several other observations and conclusions can be made based on the material culture recovered. The activity use of the privies shows use as a toilet facility as well as a place to dump kitchen refuse and a place to discard unwanted items. Looking at the two privies which appeared undisturbed, Cinadr and Genheimer noted a tendency towards dense amounts of 19th century artifacts in the same levels as fecal material, kitchen refuse, and heat altered byproduct. There is a trend towards the upper levels as a place to dump ash, kitchen refuse, and contained 20th century artifacts. They concluded the privies were abandoned as toilet facilities around the turn of the 20th century. Another topic to discuss relates to the health of the residents. The recovery of several 19th century medicinal bottles and enema apparati suggest that the 19th century residents were concerned about their health. Additionally, it was noted that duplicate bottles were found, which could suggest they may have found the medicine to provide relief. A number of tobacco-related objects were also recovered, which suggests it was common.
An analysis of seed samples recovered was performed by Mary Eubanks. Seeds included: grape, blackberry, wheat, sunflower, ragweed, and some oblong orange seeds which were unidentified. An analysis of animal bones was conducted by David Dyer. A sample of the approximately 12,000 bones was made by selecting the level with the highest representation of species. Animal bones from two of the three privies were analyzed. Almost half of the identifiable bones had butcher marks on them, which indicated food use activity. Butchered bone from cattle, swine, and sheep were the three most common. The privy at 425 Chestnut Street also contained unbutchered rat and cat bone, including high amounts of fetal or juvenile cat bones. It was suggested that this points to either the death of a pregnant cat, or frequent disposal of kittens. In addition to the above mentioned food sources, the privy at 427 Chestnut Street showed evidence for rat, goose and a frog being used for food. Non-food animal remains included rat, cat, and domestic dog (which appeared to be from one dog).
 
The Queensgate II neighborhood became designated as the Betts-Longworth Historic District in 1983, for architectural significance and the significance of archaeological data. While the buildings may have been vacant, there was still a wealth of knowledge below ground. Since the designation, the neighborhood has gone through a revitalization period and occupancy rate has increased.
 

Comments

One Response to “Tales From the Privy Shaft Part 3”
  1. LIZ PETTIT says:

    THANK YOU FOR THE RECENT INFO.
    CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR CONTINUED WORK .
    LIZ