I Can Handle It

Summary

Lard buckets are a ubiquitous artifact on 20th century sites in the west.  However they generally provide little information to help date a site.  The author has observed certain differences in the construction of lard buckets.  Specifically the method by which the bale handle is attached to the body of the can by the addition of a bale ear on or near the upper edge of the body of the can.  Field observations at datable sites noted what appeared to be an evolution in the way the bale ear is attached to the can body.  Patent records research confirms developmental changes from the late 19th century through the 1950s.  This paper explains the progressive changes through the first half of the 20th century and how to identify them.  The fundamental changes in bale ear attachment can provide additional temporal markers with which to date western sites. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• It’s All in the Details: Examples of How Focused Study Can Help Tell a Story   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 272