Another Lead Seal!

Front of the seal

    

    We have just entered our fourth week of field school and I think it's time to share with you some more information on some of the artifacts that we have found. Last week, my pit partner Brandy and I had found a lead seal in our unit and to all of our surprise we had found another one in a location very close to the first. We have both felt extremely lucky to find these incredible pieces of history in our pit and we are very excited to see what else we can dig up to show everyone at our Open House this weekend!

Back of the seal

    During the occupancy of Fort St. Joseph, overseas shipping was a major aspect of their lives. The French occupants shipped their furs across the ocean to France and would receive deliveries of glass, metal works, textiles and more. Starting in the 18th century, French manufacturers used lead seals as a way to mark their property and quality of the product. If the company was well respected, it was used to signify to potential customers that the product being sold is of high quality (Davis 2014). Even though the clothing is unlikely to have survived if it somehow entered the archaeological record, we can be assured how high, mid, or low quality the occupants' clothing was from the information on these seals.

    This seal is pretty damaged, but we can still make out several important notes. First, some of the markings indicate that the cloth would have been shipped from France. However, this seal is different from the previous one found this year as it doesn't appear to have had an insignia. However, many other French seals have been identified with limited inscriptions. The wording that we can make out on one side is 34 * AV on the top and 3 / 4 on the bottom, likely suggesting a certain length of cloth. The other side is more damaged from its use or removal from the cloth, only showing what could potentially be the letters "AZ." While it is still early to tell, this may suggest that the lead seal was associated with the city Mazamet in southern France.

Illustration of the type of trade ship 
would have carried such products

   Later this week, former WMU student Catherine Davis, an expert on lead seals, is coming down for the annual open house. She should be able to give us some more information on this lead seal. We will keep you updated! 

- Tyler

Sources: 

Davis, C. (2014) Lead Seals from Colonial Fort St. Joseph (20BE23). Honors Thesis, Western Michigan University]. Scholar Works (pg. 1-2) 

https://scholarworks.wmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3417&context=honors_these Stone, Lyle. Fort Michilimackinac 1715-1781 An Archeological Perspective on the Revolutionary Frontier. East Lansing, Museum of Michigan State University, 1974. Print