Update - 12 July 2012

Digging this week has been very pleasant; the cooler weather and refreshing breeze has been a nice relief! Through our excavation, we have been recovering a diverse array of material ranging from small personal items such as buttons and marbles to large architectural objects such as window glass and metal hinges. 

One artifact of note is an intact bottle that was discovered in Unit 5 at the end of last week. While troweling in the unit, volunteer Emily Lovett unearthed the bottle and discovered it was still in one piece. The bottle is oval shape with ridges on the sides and a smooth center section for a label. 

Ink bottle found in Unit 5.

Fellow volunteer Gail Lovett did some research was able to determine that the bottle was likely produced by Carter's Ink. It appears the bottle originally had a metal screw lid. Below is a picture of a representative Carter's Ink bottle. 

Carter's American Blue Ink Bottle.

Gail was also able to identify a print ad from Carter’s Ink dating to 1943 and showing similar ink bottles.

Carter's Ink Print Ad from 1943.

The ink bottle was unearthed in a level associated with the destruction of the tenement structure that stood in the back lot of 124 Elfreth’s Alley. The production date of the bottle seems to be right on track with when the building were torn down in the mid-twentieth century.

Thanks to Emily and Gail for their work in discovering and researching this artifact!