Don't miss the 92nd annual meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology!

The 92^nd annual meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology will be held at the Comfort Suites in Dubois, PA this weekend, April 14^th – 16^th , 2023.  As in past years, this three-day event promises to inform attendees across a wide range of interesting archaeological topics.

In conjunction with the Society’s annual meeting, the Pennsylvania Archaeological Council (PAC) will convene to discuss ways to address the looming shortage of archaeologists entering the Cultural Resource Management (CRM) profession. Expected energy and transportation infrastructure projects on the horizon will require a new generation of archaeologists, and in numbers, to meet the demand. To that end, the PAC is sponsoring a casual mixer Friday evening to introduce students considering a career in CRM to meet professional archaeologists, consulting firms, state agencies, and other industry stakeholders with an eye on the future.

Anticipated presentations at the meeting with direct connections to the State Museum of Pennsylvania’s Section of Archaeology include an update on recent AMS dating of organic artifacts from Sheep Rock Shelter (36HU0001). Long curated with the Section of Archaeology, the artifacts from Sheep Rock Shelter have been the subject of previous TWIPA posts such as: Huntingdon County is the Home of Rock shelters and Iron Furnaces from our county series; K is for Knife, featuring the incredible bone handled knife found at Sheep Rock Shelter from our archaeology through the alphabet series; and of course, Excavations at Sheep Rock Shelter (36Hu1). 

Squash seeds, Corn cobs, and husks from Sheep Rock Shelter, 36HU0001. Collections of The State Museum of Pennsylvania

Additionally, this regionally significant archaeological site will be highlighted and honored with one of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s iconic blue and yellow historical markers this fall. Renewed interest in old collections, coupled with enhanced analytical techniques that ultimately broaden our understanding of the past is the affirmation of the work of a curator of archaeological collections, and the Sheep Rock Shelter collection is an excellent example of that effort.

Speaking on the curious semi-subterranean features found on Pre-Contact village sites referred to as “keyholes”, the State Museum of Pennsylvania’s Jim Herbstritt will provide a deep dive into his decades long research into these archaeological phenomena. Construction methods, possible functions for, and cultural clues about these enigmatic features will be explored through ethnohistoric accounts, systematic excavation, and artifact analysis, as well as insight gained during experimental reconstructions.

Saturday evening’s lectures will conclude with this year’s keynote speaker, archaeologist Dr. Timothy Abel. Dr. Abel will share his findings working with AMS (accelerated mass spectrometry) dating of late Pre-Contact period (1200 – 1600 AD) Iroquoian settlements in northern New York state. New refinements in the dating technique employed can both “tighten” but also potentially upend existing chronologies, with implications that reach far beyond the targeted study area.

Student poster session from 2022 meeting

The weekend’s events are rounded out by a juried student poster session, bookroom, and a silent auction benefiting the efforts of the Society.  The Society is a group of dedicated professional and advocational archaeologists who promote the study of  Pre-Contact and historic archaeological resources in Pennsylvania and neighboring states.  It works to promote scientific research and discourages exploration which is deemed irresponsible in intent or practice. Membership is open to all who agree with these basic principles and Chapters located throughout the Commonwealth provide activities in support of the State Society.  Included with membership is the journal Pennsylvania Archaeologist and quarterly newsletter.  The Society’s annualtrip this year is the Archaeology of Civil War Battlefields and sites, June 8-11, 2023.

Many of these dedicated members of the Society choose to curate their collections to insure the preservation of the archaeological record represented in their collection. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Section of Archaeology would like to thank Mr. Michael Kotz for his generous artifact donation.  Collected all from one site in Washington County the artifacts represent the Archaic through Late Woodland time periods, and include numerous nutting stones, (36WH1160), and bifurcated points (Archaic) through triangular points (Late Woodland). This collection provides researchers with an opportunity to further examine procurement and processing patterns in this corner of southwestern Pennsylvania.

Please continue to follow us on this blog to learn more about what is happening in archaeology around the Commonwealth and check out The State Museum’s Facebook page for activities of the museum and view our on-line collections on the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission website. 

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Powder and Wigs: Hair Maintenance in 18th-century America

The Wig-Maker and Barber from Diderot’s Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers (The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project (umich.edu))

Hair and hairstyles have played an important role in the cultural identification of many societies throughout time. Some societies, such as the Amish in the United States and the Himba tribe of northern Namibia, still adhere to traditional hairstyles that have meaning to them as a group. Outside of cultures that assign meaning to traditional hairstyles, hair trends in general change over time. Some are instantly recognizable, such as the ‘Victory rolls’ of the early 1940s.

Hair beauty was an important societal norm in 18^th-century America; the trend taking its cues from the royal courts of Europe. In addition to the appearance of one’s clothing, the social status of people could be ascertained by the physical appearance of their hair. Many tools were used to create the appropriate hairstyle, including combs and brushes, wigs and hairpieces, powders, curling irons, pomades, feathers, pins, jewels, and other objects.

The comb is one of the oldest hair maintenance tools in the archaeological record. Hair combs have been used for thousands of years and have been recovered from ancient Egyptian and Scythian tombs and Chinese palaces. In Pennsylvania, combs are recovered from Pre-contact American Indian sites and historic sites alike. 

American Indian hair combs were generally carved from elk or deer antler.  Carved effigy figures depicted on the combs include birds, humans, and animals, possibly related to their clan or oral traditions associated with the figure. This bird effigy comb was from Lancaster County dates to the early Pre-Contact period; unfortunately, only a portion of the comb was recovered. The State Museum of Pennsylvania’s Archaeology Gallery exhibits include a variety of decorative hair combs.

Bird effigy hair comb, Lancaster County (From the collections of the PHMC, The State Museum of Pennsylvania)

During the 18^th century, combs served different purposes. Some combs were used for general hair maintenance, some for cleaning the hair and removing pests, and some for decorative reasons. Everyday utilitarian combs would typically have been made from wood or bone, but decorative combs could be made from almost any material, including tortoiseshell, ivory, gold or other metals, or animal horn or tusks.

Bone lice comb recovered from Ephrata Cloister (From the collections of the PHMC, The State Museum of Pennsylvania)

Brass wire decorative hair comb (missing its tines) from the French Azilum (36BR0134) site                    (From the collections of the PHMC, The State Museum of Pennsylvania)

Decorative hair combs in the collection of the author: tortoiseshell (top left), unknown material, possibly horn (top right), and cow horn (bottom) 

Hairbrushes may have evolved or developed from hair combs or paint brushes but were likely first used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Wall paintings in Egyptian tombs portray images of people with well-groomed hair and wigs. The first modern hairbrush company was founded by William Kent in 1777 in Britain and continues to produce hand-stitched brushes today.

The hairbrushes below were recovered from excavations in downtown Philadelphia. The large, wooden brush, possibly made from chestnut wood, is very plain. Although it may have been painted or decorated at one time, the decoration is long gone. The second brush is very finely made, carved from ivory with a delicate scalloped shell design on the end. It’s small size and fine craftmanship indicate this brush may have been a present for a child. All bristles, which would have been stiff hairs from an animal such as a boar, are missing from both brushes. 

Wooden (top) and ivory (bottom) hairbrushes from excavations in Philadelphia (From the collections of the PHMC, The State Museum of Pennsylvania)

During this period, hair was not washed as often as today. People used powders, made from corn and wheat flour, to degrease their hair or massaged oils into the scalp to freshen it. Other ‘shampoos’ used before this time included clays, plant products, animal fats, eggs, ashes, alcohol, vinegar, soap, and many other different natural mixtures. The first modern shampoos only came onto the market in the early 20th century.

Powdered wigs became fashionable in the mid-17^th century in the royal court of France and the trend later spread to the rest of Europe and America. Wigs or the natural hair were powdered with the above-mentioned powders.

In Colonial America, wigs were generally worn by wealthy men. Wig-making was time consuming and expensive, so only elite members of society would have worn wigs - think Thomas Jefferson and many of the founding fathers. Additionally, maintenance was required to keep the wig clean, styled, curled, and powdered, so one would either need to visit a professional hairdresser periodically or would need to have servants capable of completing this task.

Visit the Colonial Williamsburg website Historic Trade:Wigmaker (colonialwilliamsburg.org) to view the steps to the making of a wig and for other information on wigs and wig-making in the 18^th century.

Another important hair accessory in the 18^th century was the wig curler. Wig curlers, sometimes called roulettes or bilboquet, were dumbbell-shaped clay objects used to set curls in the hair of a wig. Depending upon the size and tightness of the curl needed, wig curlers came in multiple sizes. These wig curlers, recovered archaeologically from a site in Philadelphia, will produce large and small sized curls.

Kaolin clay wig curlers from Philadelphia (From the collections of the PHMC, The State Museum of Pennsylvania)

Tools of the Wigmaker and hairdresser, showing wig curlers, from Diderot’s Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers (The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project (umich.edu))

There are many other interesting facets to hair care in the 18^th century and throughout history. Hair styles, maintenance and styling products, and societal norms for both men and women have gone through as many changes as clothing styles. The websites listed below are only a few of the many highlighting aspects of hair style and trends throughout history.

 

We hope you have enjoyed this blog and will continue to visit us as we highlight the collections of The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Section of Archaeology. We invite you to view additional pieces from our collections.

 

Citations and Additional Reading:

 Boiling, Baking, and Curling 18th-Century Wigs · George Washington's Mount Vernon

 Historic Trade:Wigmaker (colonialwilliamsburg.org)

 TheHistory Of Plastic Hairbrushes | Beckley Boutique

 The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project (umich.edu)

 http://demodecouture.com/hairstyles-cosmetics-18th-century/

 https://thehistoryofthehairsworld.com/hair_18th_century.html

 

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .