"What Is It???" Wednesday: FAM Battle Stations!
Folks, we're nearly there. ONE MORE DAY till archaeology month 2012 begins. If you are in town for Friday Night Art Walk, we'll be stationed at the base of Henry's statue at the gates of Flagler College (75 King Street), poised and ready to put a poster in your hand!
In keeping with the Civil War theme, here's a favorite object I had the opportunity to see in person on a visit to the State's curation facility in Tallahassee. First to guess correctly gets a Florida Civil War Heritage Guide in the mail!
WHAT IS IT???
Last WIIW: It's a friction bar from a Confederate battery at Hammock Landing (Torreya State Park). Brian Mabelitini excavated the site as part of his thesis and found this friction bar stumped the experts. The bar is of British design (see manual figure below) and could have only gotten to the landing by blockade runners or if the Confederates made a copy of the British design. Larry Babits (professor at my alma mater ECU) helped Brian to identify the artifact which has been found at only a handful (n=5 for the scientists in the crowd). |
| British Ordnance Manual. |
It was part of a friction primer. Instead of using a roughened wire like the American primers, the British primers used a friction bar that acted like a pull-tab to detonate the charge. Also, they all date to late in the war. According to Babits, they only show up on Confederate sites that date from ca. 1864 - 1865.
Thanks to Brian for helping us! And thanks to Master of Mocha William Pier, Gary & Sheila, Debby, Xcalipoppychildx, and Mike for being the first five to take a stab! Email Robbie your mailing address, she'll be sure to send your 2012 FAM poster for playing (rmoore1@flagler.edu).
Text: Sarah Miller, FPAN staff