The Pewter Assemblage from the Site of CSS Georgia

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Current Research at the Conservation Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

CSS Georgia had been in service for nearly 20 months when Sherman’s March to the Sea prompted Confederate forces to scuttle the ironclad to prevent the ship’s capture. Given the Confederate forces had time to remove supplies from the ship, salvage efforts shortly following the American Civil War, and the Savannah River’s current and traffic, it was surprising to find a substantial number of small artifacts during the 2015 and 2017 excavation seasons—including an assortment of pewter spoons, buttons, decorative items, and equipment. Pewter has seen prolific use throughout history, having been formed into tableware and buttons, medical devices and lamps. Conservation and analysis of these artifacts may augment our understanding of life aboard CSS Georgia.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Current Research at the Conservation Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 180