Chemical Analysis of Small Sealed Metal Containers from the Harrison Site

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "On the Centennial of his Passing: San Diego County Pioneer Nathan "Nate" Harrison and the Historical Archaeology of Legend" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Three of the more enigmatic finds from the Harrison site were small, flat, cylindrical sealed metal containers. The first was an unlabeled brass tin that appeared to contain a white cosmetic. In addition, excavators found two similarly shaped iron canisters at the site; both were intact, sealed, and rusted shut. One had remnants of a painted bottom label with writing, although over half of the script was missing. This item was a tin of “Kohler’s One Night Corn Cure,” and the script included instructions on how to apply the salve to aching feet. This salve was one of many self-medicating products uncovered in the Harrison assemblage. This paper presents the results of chemical analyses on the contents of all three metal containers. It compares the chemical signature of the contents of each and offers interpretations as to the identity and use of each.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• On the Centennial of his Passing: San Diego County Pioneer Nathan "Nate" Harrison and the Historical Archaeology of Legend

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 417