Archeological dig artifact help

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

The University of Pittsburgh Archeology Department is doing a dig at my town’s historical society property, mid 1800’s farmstead. They wanted to dig and investigate some anomalies from their previous GPR run near the old carriage road.



My 11 year old daughter and I pitched in with some digging and some detecting in the 10’x10’ pit as the layers were removed. Lots of square nails, bits of brass, pottery and glass pieces. And this piece that appears to be wrought iron.



Anyone have a guess to what this is?

Thx!

 

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[KeyaPaha]

Hanger

 

[A2coins]

Looks like one end would go in the ground and the other end would go over something held to the ground kind of like a RR tie just a uneducated guess

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

I was going to say, meat hook, but the upper end if this item is confusing - is it broken at that end?
I'd suppose it was to be attached to something, and to hold something very aggressively, too...!
Thanks for the post - its good to see metal detectors are used in archaeology, too...!~

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

I was going to say, meat hook, but the upper end if this item is confusing - is it broken at that end?
I'd suppose it was to be attached to something, and to hold something very aggressively, too...!
Thanks for the post - its good to see metal detectors are used in archaeology, too...!~

Thx! Meat hook makes sense, The dig is adjacent to the locations of the summer kitchen and smoke house. The one end is definitely flattened thin. Potentially this flattened area was 2” longer and had a hole punched in it to mount.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Looks like one end would go in the ground and the other end would go over something held to the ground kind of like a RR tie just a uneducated guess

Thx Tommy! That’s a potential idea.

 

[DCMatt]

I'm fairly confident it's a broken trammel hook.

A trammel is an adjustable device to hang a cooking pot in the fireplace.



With the debris you found you might be on the location of a previous house or maybe a summer kitchen.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Thx. That makes sense.

 

[MadTom]

Some 17th-18th century trammel were adjustable so you could slide them in and out. May explain the flat end if it was broken off

 

[Dug]

Count yourself lucky that you have archeologists in your area that will embrace your assistance on their digs!

Quite the opposite in my area and many others where the archeologists despise our hobby and are doing their utmost to create ordinances to shut us down.

 

[MetalArchSC]

Meat hook in my opinion.
Found similar before.

Meet hooks were commonly used in a “ smoke house” for curing.

 

[MetalArchSC]

To be clear... all meat hooks are not the same. Some are shaped to hang over a cross beam. Attaching meat depends on hook end. Some meat like a ham are hung by string.

 

[CRUSADER]

I'm fairly confident it's a broken trammel hook.

A trammel is an adjustable device to hang a cooking pot in the fireplace.

View attachment 1777573

With the debris you found you might be on the location of a previous house or maybe a summer kitchen.

My first thought as well.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Kudos to you and your daughter for volunteering your assistance in the investigation!
This is a memory you guys will share years from now.

All my 17 year old daughter wants me to do is drive her to the mall.
Dave

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Kudos to you and your daughter for volunteering your assistance in the investigation!
This is a memory you guys will share years from now.

All my 17 year old daughter wants me to do is drive her to the mall.
Dave

Thx! My 14 and 17 year olds had zero interest in participating. Sleep was more important. The Archeologists were super friendly and methodical. I had permission to detect the whole property a couple weeks earlier and gave them the lay of the land as far as 9” deep goes; where their was modern fill, old brick frags, limestone chips, charcoal and in general areas where most of the older items were popping. They have a dig scheduled at an 1812 national battle site and we discussed partnering, but obviously not keeping anything.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Thx! My 14 and 17 year olds had zero interest in participating. Sleep was more important. The Archeologists were super friendly and methodical. I had permission to detect the whole property a couple weeks earlier and gave them the lay of the land as far as 9” deep goes; where their was modern fill, old brick frags, limestone chips, charcoal and in general areas where most of the older items were popping. They have a dig scheduled at an 1812 national battle site and we discussed partnering, but obviously not keeping anything.

Kudos to you for offering to assist the Arkies in their up coming dig on the battlefield site, most Arkies that I've met tend to look down their noses at us. I'm sure a large number of folks who metal detect would be happy to volunteer in the recovery of local history for a worthy cause as you and your daughter did.

You'll have to let us know if the 1812 national battle site hunt happens, now that would be a memorable hunt!
Dave