A few clay pipe bowls and marked stems from early trash pits

[Bill D. (VA)]

I love digging these very cool artifacts. Click on photo to enlarge .....

 

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[Ahab8]

Bill that's a great pile of bowls and stems! I am yet to find a bowl. And I only have 2 stems. At some point I need to dig out some pits at my early sites. I am glad to have one nice early stem that's marked and dates to the last quarter of the 17th century. What's the earliest marked bowl or stem you've found?

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Those stems and bowls with markings are just incredible Bill. As you know, all my bowls are all in the 1800's period... Looking forward to the day I pull one of the older bowls out of the dirt.

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Bill that's a great pile of bowls and stems! I am yet to find a bowl. And I only have 2 stems. At some point I need to dig out some pits at my early sites. I am glad to have one nice early stem that's marked and dates to the last quarter of the 17th century. What's the earliest marked bowl or stem you've found?

Thanks Abe. My oldest date-able piece is part of an early bowl with the maker's mark "WS" representing William Sterridge who was in the pipemaking business in London between 1610 and 1640.

 

[Rege-PA]

I love those old pipes, they are found on colonial sites and scattered Indian contact sites from 1610 to 1820.
They can be dated by makers marks, shape and angle of the bowl and hole diameter. If anyone is interested I can provide more info on the dating methods.

 

[Ahab8]

I love those old pipes, they are found on colonial sites and scattered Indian contact sites from 1610 to 1820.
They can be dated by makers marks, shape and angle of the bowl and hole diameter. If anyone is interested I can provide more info on the dating methods.

Thanks for the input. I believe most of us are pretty familiar with the dating system by bore diameter but I'd love to know anything I can to help broaden my knowledge base on these. Such a cool piece of the past. A great way to date a site as well. Thanks again for adding to this great new sub forum

 

[Rege-PA]

Here is some info taken from Indian Cultures and European Trade Goods by George Irving Quimby.
In the early seventeenth century the pipe bowls were bulbous, later they were barrel shaped and about 1690 to 1750 the bowls became elongated and thinner with gently curving to almost straight side walls. In this time span the angle between the bowl and stem became less and less obtuse.
If you are familiar with bore diameters I will not list the diameters unless some one would like them. I am a one finger typer! Again very interested in anything from the Historic period

 

[Patriot Relics]

Nice looking collection of pipe stems and bowls Bill, eyeballed a few along the shoreline over the last 2 years...1 nice trade pipe.



Any idea on the age of this marked one?

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Nice looking collection of pipe stems and bowls Bill, eyeballed a few along the shoreline over the last 2 years...1 nice trade pipe.

View attachment 1346431View attachment 1346432

Any idea on the age of this marked one?

View attachment 1346433

I can't tell what size bore hole that pipe has in the bottom pic, but it looks fairly large. If you can measure its diameter using drill bits that will help narrow down the age. Also, that maker's mark could belong to Thomas Owen who was a Bristol pipemaker between 1698 and 1739. If the bore hole ends up being either 5/64" or 6/64" then it might confirm that Owen actually made it.

 

[Ahab8]

Nice looking collection of pipe stems and bowls Bill, eyeballed a few along the shoreline over the last 2 years...1 nice trade pipe.

View attachment 1346431View attachment 1346432

Any idea on the age of this marked one?

View attachment 1346433

Some great stems and that last bowl is killer buddy. These are the types of finds that are more important to me the deeper I get into this hobby. I want those early items that represent everyday life. You can picture a settler sitting on his porch smoking after a long hard day in the field. I love that the last person to make use of some of this stuff was 300+ years ago. I am excited to start digging out some pits this fall. Many of them will be mid-late 17th century. Very special finds indeed. I'm so glad my eyes were opened to some of these not detectable treasures by people like Bill D. Then shown how to find them by people like my boy Brad (OutdoorAdv). They are incredible treasures and just as important as the metallic finds. Thanks for the post buddy

 

[Scrappy]

Some great stems and that last bowl is killer buddy. These are the types of finds that are more important to me the deeper I get into this hobby. I want those early items that represent everyday life. You can picture a settler sitting on his porch smoking after a long hard day in the field. I love that the last person to make use of some of this stuff was 300+ years ago. I am excited to start digging out some pits this fall. Many of them will be mid-late 17th century. Very special finds indeed. I'm so glad my eyes were opened to some of these not detectable treasures by people like Bill D. Then shown how to find them by people like my boy Brad (OutdoorAdv). They are incredible treasures and just as important as the metallic finds. Thanks for the post buddy

As you already know Abe, I'll be sifting a very promising trash pit at the end of next week. I've never had much success in the past, but Bill has inspired me, and Brad has taught me (the theory behind) the basics. I have a killer vacation planned but I must say the part I'm looking forward to the most is tearing into that pit. Back to the topic, I hope to find a few pipe pieces. I've always wanted to...

 

[OutdoorAdv]

As you already know Abe, I'll be sifting a very promising trash pit at the end of next week. I've never had much success in the past, but Bill has inspired me, and Brad has taught me (the theory behind) the basics. I have a killer vacation planned but I must say the part I'm looking forward to the most is tearing into that pit. Back to the topic, I hope to find a few pipe pieces. I've always wanted to...

I can't wait to see what you turn up. Based on the photos I'm sure there are pipe pieces in there and hopefully a bowl or two. That pit will be a ton of fun man... Be there at sunrise, sift a section and be home before the family wakes up. Repeat daily .

 

[Ahab8]

As you already know Abe, I'll be sifting a very promising trash pit at the end of next week. I've never had much success in the past, but Bill has inspired me, and Brad has taught me (the theory behind) the basics. I have a killer vacation planned but I must say the part I'm looking forward to the most is tearing into that pit. Back to the topic, I hope to find a few pipe pieces. I've always wanted to...

Excited to see what treasures you save from the trash pit. Brad gave me a little taste of the pit digging and I must say I can see where it could be very addictive. I plan on digging up some of the very early pits here in Maine. Maybe my first spectacle buckle is hiding in a 17th century trash pit.
I wish you all the Irish luck I can give you pal. Don't piss off the lady lol

 

[Isaac]

I found one pipe bowl out of 500+ stems... with my mentor Brad.

 

[Patriot Relics]

I can't tell what size bore hole that pipe has in the bottom pic, but it looks fairly large. If you can measure its diameter using drill bits that will help narrow down the age. Also, that maker's mark could belong to Thomas Owen who was a Bristol pipemaker between 1698 and 1739. If the bore hole ends up being either 5/64" or 6/64" then it might confirm that Owen actually made it.

Spot on Bill 6/64 looks like a good fit, just incredible I might have a name to go with the relic.

 

[sawmill man]

A heck of alot of smoking went on at those sites.

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

A heck of alot of smoking went on at those sites.

You got that right. As a good example, here are some pipe stems and bowls I recovered from just a single trash pit - over 800 of them!