Marbles found in the woods

[autographcollector11]

Okay, just a general question. I recently found a few glass marbles in the woods in Illinois. Just out of curiosity, how common were marbles back of the day?
I often see videos of metal detectorists finding marbles On farmland or other areas. Were marbles frequently used outdoors in wooded areas? If so, when?
thanks

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

In kid's slingshots.

Back in what day? Marbles can date a site based on composition and manufacture. Clay, slates, glass, and then the inclusions in the glass, etc.

 

[autographcollector11]

One of the marbles I found contained glass that was shattered. From what I understand these were frozen and placed in boiling water to crack them. Does this prove anything about potential age of the site?

 

[Peachy]

Over the years, I have dug up many marbles along with coins. I always figured that it was some childs buried treasure stash. It is quite amazing how often this happens,at least to me. Clay marles have been around forever. Found in Egyptian tombs. Glass marbles were not really mass produced until about 1915.

 

[worldtalker]

I know a few people that have lost their marbles,well............now I give it some thought,more than a few.


GOD Bless

Chris

 

[Professor of Engineering]

I love find the old clay marbles!

 

[pepperj]

Marbles were a passion growing up going to elementary school, played every chance we got. Between my brother and my self we had amassed a 5 gallon ice cream cardboard container full. Then the passion of seeing how far we could shoot them with a slingshot became the craze, no more marbles in our yard and whole lot more in the surrounding neighbours.

 

[BosnMate]

In kid's slingshots.

Back in what day? Marbles can date a site based on composition and manufacture. Clay, slates, glass, and then the inclusions in the glass, etc.

Including me, shot glass marbles from Chinese checkers games, or if we had money we'd buy glass marbles. Our favorite was "steelies," actually ball bearings. We also made clay marbles ourselves, for slingshot ammo. Worked pretty good, dug from a clay bank in the creek, hand rolled and sun dried.

 

[yakker]

One of the marbles I found contained glass that was shattered. From what I understand these were frozen and placed in boiling water to crack them. Does this prove anything about potential age of the site?

You should post your questions- and maybe pics too- over on the bottle and glass forum here on T-Net. There's a sub-forum there just for marbles, and there are a couple guys whop know everything you'd ever want to know! Marbles have been around for a loooooooong time....

 

[SusanMN]

One of the marbles I found contained glass that was shattered. From what I understand these were frozen and placed in boiling water to crack them. Does this prove anything about potential age of the site?

Glass marbles have been around since at least the 1920's. Around the 50's there was a craze to make jewelry out of fried marbles, causing all the inside breakage. I dont recall hearing anything about boiling, I heard they were heated in frying pans.

 

[TJE]

You should post your questions- and maybe pics too- over on the bottle and glass forum here on T-Net. There's a sub-forum there just for marbles, and there are a couple guys whop know everything you'd ever want to know! Marbles have been around for a loooooooong time....

Think they may be mine!...Lost them over and over for years Yakker!...kidding

 

[Slingshot]

We used to get Cat Eyes and heat them in a cast iron frying pan on the stove then pour them into a container of cold water. Most of them would shatter on the inside but still hold their round form, some would break apart. Then we would shoot them in our slingshots and if they hit a fairly solid object, they would shatter on impact, sending out an impressive spray of glass shards. We called them Fragmentation Rounds. We were poor kids, only had 3 channels on the TV, and no electronic games to occupy our fertile minds with, it was a great time to grow up, and that was the 1960's. Cheers!!