Seals wore applied hy dioppini; .1 '<.itii(i- of ulass on 

 liic hot surface of a newly blown bottle, then pressing 

 into this deposit of glass a brass stamp bearing a 

 design, initials, date, etc. Three similar seals from 

 hioken bottles also were found. The same arrange- 

 ment of initials, but with no date or device of any 

 kind, occurs on seven different seals (fig. 79, ills, 3fi 

 .ind :57). 



The diameter of the base of the sealed beverage 

 l)ottle is 5'.j inches, the widest diameter occurring on 

 any l)ottle fragments from Marlborough, exccptinij; 

 the early specimen mentioned above. Bases in 

 gradually decreasing dimensions vary from this size 

 10 2\ inches. Six bases run from 5 inches to 5K 

 inches; 1 1 are over 4)^ inches and up to 5 inches; 4 are 

 over 4 inches and up to 4U inches; 3 are over 3'. 

 inches and up to 4 inches; none, except the smallest 

 of 2*4 inches, found in a mid- 19th-century deposit, is 

 less than 3''4 inches. 



Beverage-bottle bases 



Provenifntr 

 Refuse pit D 



Structure F, firing iinmOui 

 Structure F, firing chamber 

 Structure F, firint; chamber 

 .Structure F, firing chamber 

 Structure F, firing chamber 

 Structure F, firini? chamber 

 S.\\'. corner, Structure B 

 Wall D, trench 



Structure E, N. side, Room X 

 Debris area, N.E. corner. Structure 

 E 



Structure F, N.E. comer of pave- 

 ment 



Structurr 1 \ r . ..r.>r, ,.r pave- 

 ment 



Structure L, .N. ol lucplatx, Room 

 X 



Structure E, N. of fireplace. Room 

 X 



North of Structure E, lowest level 

 North of Structure E, lowest level 

 Wall F., gateway 

 Trench along Wall F, 

 Junction of Walls .\ I and .\ II 

 junction of Willis .\ I and .\ II 

 Trash pit no. 2 

 Trash pit no. 2 



bottle diameters diminished from 

 the I750's and ITfiO's to aljout 4 



f^ 



' t r^tzA^ 





N, 





Illustration 38. — fpi^r ''"f'- c>lindrical bc\-erai<c 

 botde. about 1 760. One-fourth. (USNM 59.1998. t 



Illustration 39. — L'pper right. c>'lindrical br\rrai{c 

 botde, late 18th or early I9th rrniiiiA Our. four ili 

 (LSNM 59.1976, 59.2007.) 



inches in the I770's and I780's and t. 



the 1 790's and early 1800's, the peak of t!.» 



at Marlborough occurs between 1750 and 1770, the 

 period of greatest opulence in the Mercer h 



OcrTAGONAL BEVER \(:E BOTTIX.S.^.X ran., 



variation fix)ni the routid br\eragr lx>ttlc b a < 

 shaped, octagonal, molded t>'pe with long ■ 

 perhaps so shaped in order to permit packing in ( 

 Cider is said to have l>een put up in such Ixjttlcs 

 it is al.-so possible that br.indies and 

 delivered in them. A quart-size bottle u: : 

 Colonial Williainsburtr bears the seal "I. Grcei 

 WmsBgh. 1 ' 



the C M. !. 

 Institution, also ha- with t\v 



an 



pi the W. 



alog. 



.\ lestored Uiiilc ul tliu lurm li 



(London. I'«»<>. no T». p 'X, pi. '>'* 



149 



