Two of the more exciting artifacts we found this summer were sherds of a small child’s plate with the alphabet embossed on the plate rim. The two fragments fit together perfectly, and represent about a fifth or sixth of the entire plate. The well of the plate (the central, deeper part) is mostly gone, but on the very edge of the sherds is a bit of the transfer-printed design which would have been the focal point of the plate when whole. Since we only have the very edge of the design, it was not recognizable on its own. Luckily, I happened on to a book for collectors of ABC plates that showed examples of many of the central transfer-printed designs produced, and to my surprise, found the pattern that would have been on the plate found at the Gage House. The pattern is called “Girl at Piano” and shows a little girl in front of a piano, with the following text beneath the picture: “The pretty little child on tiptoe stands/ to reach the piano with her hands.” The fragments we found show just the end of the piano. The book says that this design was produced by the British pottery firm of Elsmore and Son, which was in operation between 1872 and 1887. While our fragments don’t have a maker’s mark on them, it is possible that they too were produced by this particular pottery company – but it is not definite as multiple pottery firms often used the same designs on their pieces. If our plate does date to this particular time period, though, it suggests that it might have been owned by one of the Gage’s grandchildren, as their own children would have been too old to be given one as a gift by 1872. According to what I’ve read, these plates were often given to small children as gifts and were used to help them learn the alphabet and to read. Further research can help us gauge with better certainty whether Elsmore & Son likely produced our plate, and also tell us what grandchildren were present at the Gage House during this time period.

Overall, this plate is just one example of the evidence of kids and their playtime at the Gage House. We’ve also found small items such as two small metal horses, a small porcelain doll head, marbles, and fragments from a miniature porcelain teaset. Finding these bits of childhood from the past serve as reminders that children living in and visiting the Gage House used this property and left their mark just as the adults of the household did.

You can see the fragments of the ABC plate online here and a picture of the whole plate here.

Music of the Day: Work Song from Les Misérables
Diggers Log: July 12, 2007
It has been four days since we have been assigned to this desolate landscape. We are quickly running out of food, water, and stamina. As we look out across the barren moonscape of mottled clay and large rocks we begin to wonder what it was we did to anger Kim in those first days to be assigned to this unit, but then we remember that we chose this unit as it felt lucky. However, it seems our luck has run out. How quaint those optimistic days of yore seem to us now as we scrape our way through compacted layers of clay which continues to taunt us with the occasional rusted nail or small sherd of ceramic in the supposedly sterile soil.
Beads of sweat trickle down our brows as the sun beats upon our bent backs and our hands are slowly stiffening into the dreaded trowel claw, the bane of all archaeologists. Despite repeated attempts at escape, our taskmaster shows little mercy, pointing out a mouth harp, drawer pull, and large rib bone which we found in upper levels. She hopes for more discoveries as we dig deeper into the abyss. But for us, these are distant memories of our past glories.
In recent days there have been distant mumblings among the higher ranks of a possible relocation in our near future, but this has yet to come to fruition. For now we must content ourselves with gazing longingly at our more fortunate peers with significant, non-coal related finds, and better sun to shade ratios. Only the gods of archaeology can predict our future. Today we continue to be hopeful that lady luck shall smile upon us and our next entry will bring more fortuitous tidings.
To Be Continued: Will Laura and Susan survive to trowel another day? Will they melt beneath the sun’s burning rays or will they finally make their escape into the shade?

Brought to you by: Laura Soules and Susan Penacho
PS: we blame the sun for any hallucinations or any descent into melodrama.