...fort residents had window glass?

Hi everyone,

        During the open house, I found that a lot of people were interested in how the glass, specifically window pane fragments, found at the site were brought all the way from France to Michigan. They asked about how the glass arrived unbroken and how we knew that the glass wasn’t made on site.

Before I go any further, I want to tell you a little bit about the two types of glass we find on the site, bottle glass and window glass, so you understand the difference. Bottle glass is much thicker and often comes in shades of blue and green. Some of the bottle glass fragments we have recovered can be over a half of a centimeter thick, and so dark that it looks like a solid color until you hold it up to a light. Generally, the glass fragments will have some sort of curved aspect to them, however this isn't always the case. In comparison to bottle glass, window glass is extremely thin! There are pieces in the Fort St. Joseph collection that are just over a 1 millimeter thick. It is generally a light green color, but sometimes it can be more clear. 

        At the turn of the 18th century, France was undergoing an industry wide revolution in glass making techniques and abilities. For window panes, glass makers began to create  “plate glass” which was made by pouring glass into a mold. This glass could be made easily and quickly, but was of a much lower quality than blown glass. Window glass from the 17th and 18th century often has bubbles and impurities included in the glass, making it easy for us to identify when the glass was made. 

So how did the window glass get here without breaking? Well, It’s important to consider two things. First, windows were much smaller than they are today. Windows glass was a luxury item that not everybody would be able to afford, or even want to spend their money on. Small pieces of glass are significantly easier to transport than large modern windows, and don't require as much protection as you might expect. A blanket, a box with sand acting as packing material, or a hide could be used to protect the glass from impacts or debris. Second, most of the materials at the fort were transported almost entirely by ship and boat. At the time, this method of transportation would be significantly smoother and faster than any sort of overland transportation. The strategic location of Fort St. Joseph allowed easier transportation and access to the delicate glass. 

I hope this helped shed some light on how glass was delivered to the fort. Thanks for showing up to the site and Archaeology Open House this summer, and for continuing to support the Project!

Kieran

Did someone say ceramics...?

Hello, 

During our last week of excavation, Hollie and I had some cool finds in our unit, N10 E3, a couple of which were ceramic sherds. Both of these sherds (pictured left) have a white glaze as well as some decoration, one being just blue and white while the other also includes a brown/orange squiggle. While these are certainly not the first ceramic sherds discovered at Fort St. Joseph, they still constitute an interesting find.

Other significant ceramic sherds found at the site include a white faience sherd (below left) found at N6 E2 and a white saltglazed sherd (below right) found at S2 W6. There have been a number of tiny pieces of faience found throughout the site as well.    
            

While an analysis of excavated ceramics has not yet been done, we do have information on ceramics found before excavations began, as well as data for Fort Michilimackinac. The ceramics fall into several categories, each with multiple subcategories. In both this data and the data for Fort Michilimackinac, earthenware, particularly white and blue ceramic, was most common. Stoneware, such as the saltglazed sherd that was found here, was much less common. The ceramic sherds we found in our unit seem to be blue and white French faience as well as blue and buff polychrome. 

Ceramics can provide lots of useful information about our site. They can give us an insight into many different areas, such as the presence or absence of class, social status, or other differences, trade patterns, or even what people are eating and drinking. They can also be used to date the site. Even though ceramic artifacts are not nearly as common as other artifacts like bone or seed beads, they play a very important role in furthering our understanding of what life was like at Fort St. Joseph.

Thanks for reading!

Emma

Fin. The end.

A letter to all the Fort Followers,

August 11th marked the final day of the WMU field school excavation work at Fort St. Joseph. Everyone has worked extremely hard through insane heat, long days, and the occasional downpour. We shoveled and troweled our way from 21st century Niles, Michigan to 18th century New France. We cleaned and sorted every artifact recovered from the site; each expanding our knowledge of the day-to-day activities of those once lived there. And along the way, we have made friends while hopefully gaining some insight into fort occupants. 

Over the course of the last month, we learned the importance of public archaeology and the impact that has on the Project. The public is the driving factor, and without the public, the story of Fort St. Joseph may never have been told. We strive to inform the community of the work we have done, and continue to do, to promote an understanding of the fort and its residents as well as to increase public interest. These public outreach opportunities not only help inform the local community but also help reinforce the knowledge gained by the students. It is through these interactions that Fort St. Joseph will be remembered as we strive to expand public knowledge of not only the fort, but of the processes that archaeologists use to uncover the past. 

The importance of the field school cannot be overstated. Through the field school, students learn the methods necessary to paint such pictures. We also learn that careful preservation and historical research that can help us do our part to save the past for future generations. We are now able to employ our skills  as we transition from students to professionals in the field of anthropology and archaeology. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the field school and I am overwhelmed by the support and interest that the city of Niles and the public have shown in our findings, it really makes everything worthwhile. I will look back on this experience with fondness and pride because of how my work played a small part in telling the story of Fort St. Joseph.

While the dig season may have closed, the lab season is just beginning. 

John

Fabulous Features

Hey Fort Followers,

This field season has brought countless findings, including two new features identified in me and my unit partner’s very own unit! A feature is an immovable “artifact” that indicates human activity. For example, a feature can be a wall, hearth, post, and more. Our unit was located the farthest west of the season. We chose the spot for our unit because we wanted to see if we could find evidence of a boundary of the fort. For many weeks, we were not turning up as many artifacts as the other units were. Many of us, including some instructors, began to worry that our unit would not have an occupation zone, but instead only have what we call a B Horizon. This is the dirt that would have been underneath the fort at the time of occupation without any cultural activity. At around 40 centimeters below datum, we noticed something odd. In the ground, an unusually large stone appeared, and this stone grew increasingly in diameter every time we troweled away more dirt. Officially, this collection of large stones, mortared rocks, and gravel fill is called Feature 30. 

After the fun ands excitement of finding evidence of a structure after long weeks with low artifact density, we noticed some suspicious circular dirt spots. To investigate if they could be posts, we first bisected the spot located in the northeast of the unit. With the top of the possible post at 40 centimeters below datum, we trowelled a rectangular area, bisecting half, down to 55 centimeters below datum, revealing a cone-shaped mold on the profile. Within the darker soil of the possible post, we found a few pieces of wood. All of the dirt from the possible post was removed and placed in a bag to be later floated in the lab. This float sample would allow us to recover any material light enough to float on water such as wood or seeds. Ultimately, we decided it was not an intact post, but a post mold. This would be named Feature 31.

In the image above, we can see the final plan view of our unit. In the left part of the image, we see Feature 30, a large stone surrounded by many smaller rocks. Note the large mortared stone near the center of the unit. In the upper right, we see the rectangular area that was used to identify Feature 31. In the upper middle, that was an area we used to inspect another possible post/mold, but it turned out to be a bioturbation. Feature 30 appears to be structural, especially because it has very large stones and some with mortar. Its exact function at this time is unknown, so it merits further excavation in the future. For now, it would be interesting to compare it with other features found at the fort.  

The top left photograph is from a different unit which shows evidence of a wall. The stones are all lined up and some have mortar on them. Walls usually have a distinct line shape, which is a lot different from Feature 30. Another difference is that this wall does not have many small gravel rocks surrounding it. The bottom left photograph shows a fireplace from the fort. It is distinct because the stones are placed in a circular pattern, there is ash in the center, and there is red dirt. Dirt turns red with burning because it changes the chemical structures in the dirt. Our unit shows no evidence of burning, nor do we see a certain pattern with our stones.

Analysis by comparison for Feature 30 leaves us with more questions than answers. At least we know what it’s not! Even though we may not know its function, we know it indicates human activity. These rocks and stones did not end up there by mistake. Could this be a collapsed wall, a floor, or maybe even a structural marker of the boundaries of Fort St. Joseph? More excavations in the area may give us some answers to these puzzling questions about the fabulous Features 30 and 31.

- Adyn Hallahan 

What can green glass tell us?

Hi there,

Near the end of the dig, my unit partner Kieran found a shard of glass near the southwest corner of our unit around 34 cm below datum. It was a very thick piece of glass, with a beautiful olive green color, slightly curved, and full of bubbles, resembling old bottle glass. This was the biggest piece of glass we had found, and we found the color and shape to be quite intriguing. It made me wonder: How were glass bottles made in the 18th century? Could we find the particular usage of this type of glass/bottle? 

A picture of one green
glass bottle found at Cahokia

After some research, I found some information that answered my questions. In a colonial Illinois village called Cahokia, archaeologists uncovered 18th-century bottle glass fragments that were dark green and hand-blown. These were characteristics of glass bottles made by French bottle makers in the 1700s. The procedure for creating these glass bottles goes as follows:

“Sand and wood ash are melted in giant iron pots placed on a red-hot flame to form molten glass. Sand could be made from a variety of crushed rocks ranging from very expensive to very cheap. The cheaper the sand, the greener the glass. The assistant gathers a mass of molten glass on the end of a hollow blowing pipe and inflates it like a soap bubble into a mold. Molds enabled bottle makers to mass-produce bottles that held the same amount of liquid. The assistant transfers the bottle from the blower's pipe to the pontil iron. The pontil iron is used to support the bottle while the glassmaker forms the neck of the bottle. The pontil iron is also used to push the base of the bottle up into its interior, forming the 'Kick-up.' The kick-up served two purposes: to make the bottle stronger and to catch the dregs of the wine--solid matter left over from the wine-making process. The bottle is removed from the pontil-iron, leaving a pontil scar on the base of the bottle, and then left to harden as the glass cools.” Illinois State Museum, 1996.

The bottles found from the site in Cahokia were exported from France and shipped to New Orleans and Illinois, and Illinois is pretty close to southwest Michigan. They appear to be a very similar color and thickness as the glass shard from our unit, though it can be hard to tell. This makes me wonder if glass bottles were exported from Illinois to Fort St Joseph, or if they were brought to the fort via the Great Lakes.

Glass bottle fragment found in our unit. 

I am also curious about what these bottles were used for. One theory I have is for wine. The existence of wine at the Fort has been documented. In a previous FSJAP blog post made ten years ago, a student stated that “wine bottle fragments are common, and are typically olive green,” and that at the fort, “ glass for liquor containers, wine bottles, and oil, medicinal, and many other containers of varying color have been found, as well as some tableware and a lot of window glass” (Gerechka, 2013). So we do have some evidence that the people of Fort St. Joseph were wine drinkers. The wine imports not only came from France but from Britain as well, and both countries have great influence over the fort. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, “The ‘wine’ bottle was the principal product of British bottle-glass factories... The bottles were used to ship, store, mature, and serve a variety of products, primarily beverages, and were widely used not only in Britain but also in her colonies and in other countries that traded with Britain” (Jones, 1984). Britain often traded wine with France, and at Fort Saint Joseph, so there was a constant cycle of trade throughout the three different countries.

The shard of glass we found near the end of our dig season gave us additional evidence as to what the people of Fort St. Joseph may have been doing hundreds of years ago. It also paints a picture of what may have happened in our unit. Maybe people at the fort has a great taste for wine. Though we may never get an official answer, small finds like these help us dig further into the history of the fort, one step at a time.

- Alivia

Sources:

At Home: 1700: Behind the Scenes. (December 31, 1996). Illinois State Museum. https://exhibits.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/athome/1700/activity/behind/frenchbot.htm

Gerechka, A (2013). At FSJ the Glass is Half Full. Blogspot.com. https://fortstjosepharchaeology.blogspot.com/2013/07/at-fsj-glass-is-half-full.html

Jones, O. Cylindrical English Wine and Beer Bottles 1735-1850 (1984). https://sha.org/assets/documents/Cylindrical%20English%20Wine%20and%20Beer%20Bottles%20-%20English.pdf

What’s that? A bone? No, it’s just mudstone

Fort Followers,

A common occurrence here at the Fort St. Joseph field school is uncovering mudstone. Due to mudstone’s non-uniform shape, students new to the site can confuse it with artifacts, especially since it is made up of silt and clay. When finding mudstone, especially red or orange colored mudstone, it can be mistaken for a piece of dried or baked clay. Mudstone can sometimes appear to look “flaked” or “chipped” at, so a new archaeologist in training might think it could be a flint flake or even a projectile point. My classmates and I come across mudstone often and at first believed it to be other things. As a result, I thought it would be fun to research and write about what it is. 

According to the University of Auckland’s Geology page, mudstone is a sedimentary rock made of silt and clay. It describes mudstone as presenting itself in various colors like brown, black, red, grey, etc. We have mudstone at the Fort in all these colors, including some that look more orange than brown. From the website, World of Stones, it is described that when finding mudstone that is black or grey, it suggests that there is organic content. The organic content typically is due to natural gases and oils. If you were to find green, brown, red, or yellow mudstone, this would indicate the existence of iron oxide in the stone. 

World of Stones contains more information including that the chemical compound of mudstone is NaCl, CaO, Aluminum Oxide, Iron (III) Oxide, and much more. According to the website, mudstone can be located all around the globe. Continents that have mudstone include Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia. Mudstone is typically located near waterways, which makes sense because we are located right next to the St. Joseph River. There is also a lot of clay and silt in the river, which helps to be responsible for the creation of mudstone.

Now you may be asking yourself, “Is mudstone important?” or “Can mudstone be used for anything?”, The Geological Society helped provide me with that answer, YES! On their page, the Rock Cycle, they include mudstone being used for pottery, cement, brick roofs, and tiles. Going back to the World of Stone, they wrote that mudstone could be used as a stone veneer, pathways, stepping stones, tiles, etc.

When excavating at Fort St. Joseph, finding mudstone can be disappointing when it comes to wanting to find 18th-century artifacts. But when looking at mudstone from a different view, it is really cool. I find it really intriguing that mudstone can look completely different from each other, but be considered the same thing. It is really neat that nature makes these odd but pretty-looking rocks. 

The 2023 Fort St. Joseph field school will not be the last to uncover mudstone at the site or in the world. But I am hoping that by reading this blog, people will have a better understanding of what mudstone is and that it isn’t just a “stone”. 

Korrin 

References: 

“Mudstone Uses.” The Geological Society, www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3528.html. Accessed 14 Aug. 2023.

“Mudstone – Meaning, Uses, Facts, Properties & Color.” WorldofStones, worldofstonesusa.com/blogs/all/mudstone#:~:text=Chemical%20Properties,Silicon%20Dioxide%2C%20and%20so%20on. Accessed 14 Aug. 2023.

“Mudstone.” Geology - Rocks and Minerals, rocksminerals.flexiblelearning.auckland.ac.nz/rocks/mudstone.html#:~:text=Mudstone%20is%20an%20extremely%20fine,clay%20and%20silt%2Dsized%20particles. Accessed 14 Aug. 2023. 

An unforgettable weekend!

Hey there guys,

        Last weekend we celebrated twenty five years of archeology at the site and held the annual FSJAP open house! It was a great time for everyone involved despite the weather not cooperating. One of my favorite booths was the one about zooarchaeology. Terry, the resident zooarchaeologist, brought out a ton of bones from throughout the years and some that my fellow students helped identify. One of the coolest bones at the booth was the bald eagle bones. The bone was so rare at the fort that Terry had to go out of town to confirm the species. Talk about an amazing find! 

The open house offered a lot of activities for people to do and it took a lot of people to run it smoothly. Long time volunteers like Mary Ellen, Gary and Gordon, previous field students like Kylie and Chloe, and even volunteers from organizations like the DAR and Support the Fort. Without the people and organizations who came over and shared a few days with us at the site the operations and events would have been too much to handle. I would like to thank everyone that volunteered at the open house and encourage others to volunteer next year because it’s a great time. 

This year the archeological project celebrated its twenty-fifth year as an ongoing archeological project. Twenty-five years of finding small pieces of bone. Twenty-five years of mistaking mudstone for previously mentioned bone. Twenty-five years of connecting history to the present. And most importantly twenty-five years of working with the community. In my time as a student here at Fort St. Joseph, I have had the pleasure of interacting with the local community a few times and the open house was a great time to meet more members. Even though it only lasted two days, I got to talk and joke around with countless people from the area. From living history reenactors to people who had never heard about the fort before, everyone was extremely kind. I led a few historic walking tours and many of the people who had attended my sessions knew a plethora about the local history and would tell fun anecdotes about playing around the commemorative rock and surrounding woods. I just loved seeing how recovering the past can bring people together through the open house. Seeing just how much everyone was genuinely interested in the site and how it made them think critically made me realize how important archeology can be. All in all, the open house this year was nothing short of amazing. I would like to thank everyone who came out, volunteered, and spread the word. This incredible event and milestone would not happen without your support. 

- Ian