University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Archaeology and Anthropology, South Carolina Research Manuscript Series Institute of 8-1981 The iddM leton Place Privy: A Study of Discard Behavior and the Archeological Record Kenneth E. Lewis Helen W. Haskell Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/archanth_books Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Lewis, Kenneth E. and Haskell, Helen W., "The iddM leton Place Privy: A Study of Discard Behavior and the Archeological Record" (1981). Research Manuscript Series. 166. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/archanth_books/166 This Book is brought to you by the Archaeology and Anthropology, South Carolina Institute of at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Research Manuscript Series by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The iddM leton Place Privy: A Study of Discard Behavior and the Archeological Record Keywords Excavations, Ashley River, Middleton Place, Privies, Dorchester County, South Carolina, Archeology Disciplines Anthropology Publisher The outhS Carolina Institute of Archeology and Anthropology--University of South Carolina Comments In USC online Library catalog at: http://www.sc.edu/library/ This book is available at Scholar Commons: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/archanth_books/166 , THE MIDDLETON PLACE PRIVY: A STUDY OF DISCARD BEHAVIOR AND THE ARCHEOLOGICAL RECORD by Kenneth E. Lewis and Helen W. Haskell Research Man~seript Series No. 174 This project was sponsored by the Middleton Place Foundation with the assistance of a grant from the Coastal Plains Regional Commission. Prepared by the INSTITUTE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY I UNIVERSITY OF SQUTH CAROLINA August 1981 The University of South Carolina offers equal opportunity in its employment, admissions, and educational activities, in accordance with Title I, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and other civil rights laws. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES. • . .. .. .. vii LIST OF TABLES • . .. .. .. .. .. .. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. • xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. •••• xiii PART I: THE MIDDLETON PLACE PRIVY~ HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS INTRODUCTION .. .. .. .. .. .. •. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE MIDDLETON PLACE SETTLEMENT • 6 Intpoduction. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 MiddZeton PZaae in the CoZoniaZ and AntebeZZum Periods. 6 MiddZeton PZaae in Transition .....•. 9 THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE MIDDLETON PLACE PRIVY. • 19 ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT THE MIDDLETON PLACE PRIVY. 27 Introduation. .•..•...•...... 27 The Exoavation of the AraheoZogiaaZ Deposit • 27 Dating the Privy Deposit. ...•..... 27 The FunotionaZ Context of the Privy Deposit 31 Intpoauc:tion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. 31 The Privy Deposit as a Late Historia Domestio AssembZage . 31 The Privy Deposit as a Reoaaupation AssembZage ...••. 38 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. •••••••••••••••• 43 PART II: ANALYSIS AND DESCRIPTION OF ARTIFACTS FROM THE MIDDLETON PLACE PRIVY INTRODUCTION •• 47 BOTTLES AND JARS. 49 Introduc:tion. 49 AZaohoZ BottZes • .. ... .. 69 Beer BottZes 69 South CaroZina Dispensary BottZes. 62 . Unembossed Whiskey FZasks. .•. 66 Wine and Spirits BottZes .••... 68 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Mediaine and Chemiaal Bottles. .....• 71 Square-seationed Pharmaay Bottles .. 71 Narrow-mouthed Round Pharmaay Bottles. 73 Wide-mouthed Round Pharmaay Bottles • 75 OVal Pharmaay Bottles .•••.•••. .• •. 77 Paneled Pharmaay Bottles. ..•...• 80 Free-blown Bottles. ••..••..•• 82 Embossed Panknin Apotheaary Bottles'. ••. •• 85 Patent Mediaine Bottles ....•..•.•••.•. 87 Other Embossed and SpeaiaZized Bottles. • 90. Cosmetia and Ointment Jars. .•••.•. 93 Pharmaaeutiaal Aaaessories. • ..••.• 95 Household Bottles. .••.... 96 Food Containers ..•.... 96 Ink" PoZish" and Glue Bottles • 100 TABLE GLASS .....••.•. 105 Stemmed Drinking Glasses . 105 TUmbZers ........ 108 Deaanters and Pitahers 112 Glass Serving Dishes . .. ... 115 LAMP GLASS. •• 117 Student Lamp Chimney. 117 "Pearl Top" Lamp Chimneys•• 119 LABORATORY GLASS. •• 120 CERAMIC KITCHEN AND TABLEWARES. 122 Earthenwares ..•.•... 122 Creamware ••.••.• 126 Undeaorated Whi teware •. ......... 128 Transfer-printed Whiteware. 131 English Majoliaa. ....• 134 European or Ameriaan Poraelain . 135 DinnepwaPe~ •...•.••.. 135 Tea and Coffeeware. 140 Oriental Poraelain . ........ 144 CERAMIC TOILET ITEMS. 145 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page MISCELLANEOUS OTHER ARTIFACTS ••• 147 MetaZ. ........... 147 Personal Items •••••••••••••• 149 Non-metal Household and Construction Items • 152 APPENDIX A: CATALOGUE OF ARTIFACTS ••• ••••• 153 APPENDIX B: CALCULATION OF ARTIFACT TYPE PROBABILITIES 159 REFERENCES. ......... .. ... ,. ....... 161 v vi LIST OF FIGURES Page FIGURE 1. Looator map of Middleton Plaoe plantation., Dorohester County., South Carolina. .•...•.••••...• 2 FIGURE 2. Map of Middleton Plaoe struatures of the aolonial and antebeHum periods. ••.•.••...••••.•. 8 FIGURE 3. Ruins of the main house and northern dependenoy at Middleton Plaoe in 1865 ••••..•..•.•••. 11 FIGURE 4. The west faae of the southern dependenoy at Middleton Plaae after its aonversion to a residenoe in 1871. • 12 FIGURE 5. The southern dependenay residenoe with the "pagoda" porah mentioned in 1879 .............. 12 FIGURE 6. The east faoe of the southern dependenay residenoe in the 1920s showing the frame kitahen wing at the southe1!Yl end. •..••.•••.•.• .. •••.• .13 FIGURE 7. Map of struotures in the vioinity of the southern depen­ denoy residence prior to the aonstruation of the modern guest-house and stableyard in 1937 ••.. .• 17 FIGURE 8. The Middleton Plaae privy as it appears today in its role as a publia restroom faoility., looking southeast. .• .• 20 FIGURE 9. The Middleton Plaae privy at the time of the araheo­ ZogioaZ exaavations. Visible in the photograph are the wainsooting on the south walZ and the raised foundation be -'low it. .. .......... ., .......... .. 21 FIGURE 10. Plan and aross-seation of the foundation of the Middleton Plaoe privy •.•....•..... 22 FIGURE 11. PZan of the first floor of the Middleton 7?laoe privy. 22 FIGURE 12. Elevation of the north side (front) of the Middleton pl,aae ppivy ., ....... .. ........... 2;3 FIGURE 13. Elevation of the east side of the Middleton Plaoe privy. 23 FIGURE 14. The privy pit during exaavation .•.•..•. 28 FIGURE 15. Comparison of use ranges of ~tifaats reaovered from the Middleton Plaoe privy. .••....• 30 FIGURE 16. Comparison of use ranges of preaisely datable artifaots with the dooumented oaaupations of Middleton 7?laoe. • .. 41 vii LIST OF FIGURES (Continued) Page FIGURE 17: Graph of probability distribution of accurately dated artifacts from the Middleton Place privy by five year intervals. •••..•.•...•••. 42 FIGURE 18: BottZe shapes from the Middleton Plaae privy•. 5;) FIGURE 19: Bottle finishes from the Middleton Place privy.• 54 FIGURE 20: Beer Bottles. ••. .••.•••. 59 FIGURE 21: South Carolina dispensary bottles 62 FIGURE 22: Unembossed whiskey flasks • 66 FIGURE 23: Wine and spirits bottZes•• 68 FIGURE 24: French square pharmacy bottles. ?1 FIGURE 25: Narrow-mouthed round pharmacy bottles . 73 FIGURE 26: Wide-mouthed round pharmacy bottles •• 75 FIGURE 27: OVal pharmacy bottZes .•• 77 FIGURE 28: Paneled pharmacy bottles. 80 FIGURE 29: Free-blown bottle necks . 82 FIGURE 30: Pontil-marked bottle bases. 84 FIGURE 31: Panknin Apothecary bottZes. 85 FIGURE 32: Patent medicine bottZes •. 87 FIGURE 33: Other embossed and specialized bottles. 90 FIGURE 34: Cosmetic/ointment jars• .• FIGURE 35: Pha~aceutical accessories. • 95 FIGURE 36: Food bottles. •• •••• 9.6 FIGURE 37: ~0UY' beef extract jar . 9.9 FIGURE 38: Ink, polish, and glue bottles • 100 FIGURE 39: Stoneware and machine-made inks . 102 FIGURE 40: Stemmed drinking glasses. .•• lOS viii LIST OF FIGURES (Continued) Page FIGURE 41: Reproduation of ahampagne flute and "Masaotte" wine glass • •••••••••• 107 FIGURE 42: Tumblers • 108 FIGURE 43: Tumblers .. .. .. .. 110 FIGURE 44: Out glass decanters. • 112 FIGURE 45: Out glass pitaher. •• 114 FIGURE 46: Glass bowl fragments • 115 FIGURE 47: P1>essed gZass Ud• •• 116 FIGURE 48: Student lamp chirrmey • 117 FIGURE 49: Reproduation from aatalogues of student and piano Lamps. ....... ..... 118 FIGURE 50: "Pearl top" lamp chirrmeys•• 119 FIGURE 51: Laboratory beaker. •••• 120 FIGURE 52: Ceramia makers t marks from MiddZeton PZace . 123 FIGURE 53: Creamware sauae tureen 126 FIGURE 54: Creamware baker. •••• 127 FIGURE 55: Undeaorated whiteware pZates • 128 FIGURE 56: Whiteware nappy. • 129 FIGURE 57: Whiteware aup. ••• 130 FIGURE 58: Transfer-printed whitewarebowl. • 131 FIGURE 59: Transfer-printed rrrug and cup fragment. 133 FIGURE 60: Majoliaa handle. ••••••••• 134 FIGURE 61: Enameled English porcelain platter • 135 FIGURE 62: Undeaoratedporaelain plates and saucers • 137 FIGURE 63: Undeaorated poraelain pZatters • 139 FIGURE 64: Deaal-printed Austrian teaware 140 LIST OF FIGURES (Continued) Page FIGURE 66: "CornfZower" pattern poreeZain pZate. 142 FIGURE 66: GOld-banded poreeZain eup . 143 FIGURE 67: OrientaZ export poreeZain .... ...... 144 FIGURE 68: Molded ehamber pot.• . .. ...... 146 FIGURE 69: Iron hazeZ hoe.". 147 FIGURE 70: MiseeUaneous metaZ,artifaets 148 FIGURE 71~ Liberty head quarters and niekel. 149 FIGURE 72: Bone toothbrush .. 160 FIGURE 73: Leather shoe heeZ • 161 FIGURE 74: