BEER, RIBS AND BATHING BEAUTIES:

Lessons Learned From Historic Artifactsi By Annette J. Thompson (AJ) and Jeffrey L. Baker

Knight & Leavitt Associates, Inc. While working for the Overton Power project, located approximately 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Knight & Leavitt Associates, Inc identified 25 historic sites were recorded, with over 85 trash concentrations present on these sites (Figure 1). A bulk of these concentrations can be dated within a year or two of their creation. Of the 25 sites, 21 are trash dumps and the remaining four sites include a historic gas station, two road construction camps, and a campsite (see Baker et al. 2012 for an in-depth discussion of the sites). All of the sites contain trash concentrations, scatters, or both. The largest trash dump identified during the Overton Power project was a site that is visible on an aerial photograph which we will call the “Weiser Wash Dump” (Site 26CK9509) (Figure 2). A total of 24 discreet concentrations were identified at the Weiser Wash Dump. All of these concentrations are located on a terrace above Weiser Wash, with several of the concentrations also extending over the edge of the terrace and into the wash. The road construction sites also have several concentrations or scatters associated with features. One of these construction camps has 14 discrete trash dumps and the other has 16 discreet trash dumps. The gas station had four trash concentrations and the remaining sites have between one and three concentrations each.

Figure 1. Map of the Overton Power Project Area Depicting the Historic Dumps.

Figure 2. Aerial Photograph of the Weiser Wash Dump.

PREVIOUSLY KNOWN DATING METHODS It has long been known that bottles manufactured by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company bottle base are embossed with a date code on the bottom (Toulouse 1971: 403). The date codes consist of either a one or two digit date code along with the maker’s mark, factory location, and at times other information, including the mold number (Figure 3). For bottles with a two digit date code (e.g. 52) the code corresponds with the 20th century year of manufacture (1952 in this case). If the date code consists of a single digit (e.g. 2), then the actual decade is not known for sure. In this latter case, the bottle could have been manufactured in 1932, 1942 or 1952. For further information see Toulouse (1971), Whitten (2011) and Lockhart (2004).

Figure 3. Photograph of Two Bottles Manufactured by Owens-Illinois. The red arrow is pointing at the date

codes on the bottles. In addition, it has long been know that liquor bottles manufactured between 1934 and 1963 are embossed “FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR RE-USE OF THIS BOTTLE” (e.g. Goodman 1998). More recently, Lockhart (2010) has noted the existence of date codes on all domestic liquor bottles manufactured between 1934 and 1963, regardless of the manufacturer. Codes on the bottle bases or heels include codes for the manufacturer, the distiller/rectifier/ importer, and the date codes are also required. The date codes are located to the right of the manufacturer code (Figure 4). These codes were required by Federal Law. For bottles manufactured by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, the Federal code for manufacturers is located in the spot normally used by Owens-Illinois to designate the factory where the bottle was manufactured. To our knowledge, there is no factory code present on Owens-Illinois liquor bottles manufactured between 1934 and 1963.

Figure 4. Photograph of an Owens-Illinois Liquor Bottle. Note the differences between this base

and the bases depicted above. The arrow is pointing at the date code.

DATING AND PATTERNS RECOGNIZED WHILE RECORDING HISTORIC SITES The presence of Owens-Illinois bottles as well as liquor bottles in the various trash concentrations allowed archaeologists from Knight & Leavitt Associates, Inc. to date dumping episodes reasonably tightly. Because of this, we were able to identify a number of different patterns in artifacts. As we were recording the various dumps, we began to notice numbers on amber bottles that corresponded with date codes on Owens-Illinois bottles and date codes on liquor bottles. We ultimately realized that beer bottles contain date codes, with most of the date codes located to the right of the manufacturer’s mark (Figures 5-8). The date codes are, for the most part, two digit codes (52 for 1952, 48 for 1948, etc.). The exceptions to this are a few Owens-Illinois bottles, and all bottles manufactured by the Glass Container Corporation. These bottles only have single digit date codes (2, which could be 1942, 1952 or 1962). Most of the amber bottles that do not contain dates codes were probably root beer bottles. In a few cases, early in the survey, we suspect that the date code was not written down by the archaeologist recording the bottle. On the shoulder, all beer bottles were embossed “NO DEPOSIT NO RETURN NOT TO BE REFILLED” while the base of many beer bottles was embossed “1-WAY.” Amber glass bottles lacking the “NO DEPOST NO RETURN NOT TO BE REFILLED” statement on the shoulder are presumed to be something other than beer bottles (often root beer). Bottles without the “NO DEPOSIT” embossing often lack the date codes on the bottom of the bottles.

Figure 5. Photograph of an Obear-Nestor Beer Bottle and Maywood Glass Company Beer Bottle. The arrows

are pointing at the date code.

Figure 6. Photograph of a Ball Beer Bottle and Brockway Beer Bottle. The arrows are pointing at the date

code.

Figure 7. Photograph of Two Thatcher Manufacturing Glass Company Beer Bottles. The bottles

manufactured by Thatcher exhibited the greatest variability in the location of the maker’s mark and the date code. Notice in the photograph to the right, the date code is at the “top” of the base, while the bottle to the right, the code is to the right. In other bottles, the maker’s mark is at the top and the date code to the right

Figure 8. Photograph a Glass Container Corporation Beer Bottle. Note the single digit date code.

Wine bottles, unlike beer and liquor bottles do not contain date codes (with the exception of a few bottle manufacturers such as Owens-Illinois). Wine bottles are embossed “REFILLING PROHIBITED.” Because the embossing on beer and wine bottles was consistent across both bottle manufacturers and brand names, we suspect that the nature of the embossing (NO DEPOSIT NO RETURN NOT TO BE REFILLED and date codes for beer bottles; REFILLING PROHIBITED on wine bottles) was required by Federal laws (Table 1). We are not aware of when these laws were rescinded. Did the laws requiring the embossing end in 1963, at the same time that the date codes and “FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS…” statement was removed from liquor bottles, or did the laws for wine, beer and liquor bottles end at different times. For beer, the final post-prohibition laws were not repealed until the 1980s. Is that when the date codes were finally removed? Based upon postings on e-bay and other on-line auction sites, the “NO DEPOSIT NO RETURN” phrase was removed in the mid- to late-1960s.

Table 1 Differences Between Hard Liquor, Beer and Wine Bottles

Type of Bottle

Wording on body Date codes

Hard liquor FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR RE-USE OF THIS BOTTLE On heel or base Beer NO DEPOSIT NO RETURN NOT TO BE REFILLED (occasionally 1-WAY

on the base) On base

Wine REFILLING PROHIBITED Up to manufacturer

OWENS-ILLINOIS OBSERVATIONS Lockhart (2004) has suggested that all Owens-Illinois plants were switched over to a two digit date code embossing by 1947. This would indicate that ALL bottles with the “I” in an “O” mark, which post-dates 1954, would have a two digit date code. We identified several Owens-Illinois bottles with the “I” in an “O” mark with single digit date codes, many with a “1” date code which would argue for a 1961 date. SEVEN-UP BOTTLES Most 7-Up bottles we observed were manufactured by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, with the associated date code on the base. But, not all 7-Up bottles were manufactured by Owens-Illinois, and these bottles may lack date codes. In addition, as most archaeologists know, we rarely find complete bottles. Design changes in logos can be of diagnostic use in these situations. One major change in the design of 7-Up bottles was the silhouette of a woman in a bathing suit (the titular bathing beauty) (Figure 9). Prior to 1952, all 7-Up bottles we observed contained the silhouette of the woman. After 1952, the silhouette was not longer present on the bottles.

Figure 9. Photograph of a 7-Up bottle with the Silhouette of a Woman in a Bathing Suit.

CLOROX BOTTLE OBSERVATION Researchers have typically dated Clorox bottles using a guide posted on the Clorox website. In the guide the only example of a Clorox Logo on the base is dated 1929-1930 (Clorox 2011). We, along with many others, assumed that 1929-1930 was the only time that Clorox placed their diamond logo on the base. Over the years and in this project we would run into this logo at historic sites that clearly did not date to around the 1929 time period making us suspicious that Clorox appeared on bottle bases well after 1929. During this project, we finally identified a Clorox bottle that had this logo and an Owens-Illinois maker’s mark (Figure 10). The bottle clearly had the “I” in an “O” mark making the bottle date post 1954, indicating that the Clorox basemark first appeared in 1929-1930 and continued to be used well after 1930.

Figure 10. Photograph of a Clorox Bottle Base with the Post-1954 Maker’s Mark of the Owens-Illinois

Glass Company. RIBS: SANITARY SEAM CAN OBSERVATIONS Most modern cans are ribbed on their sides while most historic cans are smooth-sided. The date of this transition was unknown to us prior to the start of the Overton Power Project. Based upon work on the Overton Power Project (and our observations from previous projects) large, tall juice cans (ca. 1 gallon capacity), all have ribs on their side once they start appearing in the 1930s. However, other types of sanitary cans, are smooth-sided at the same site. On the Overton Power Project, we noticed a few one gallon sanitary cans with ribs present at sites dating to the mid-1950s. The latest trash concentrations we observed in our project area were all located at the Weiser Wash Dump. At this site, concentrations dating to about 1960 contain both ribbed and smooth sided cans. The ribbed cans are all over 4 inches in height, while shorter cans are all smooth sided.

Based upon these observations, it seems likely that ribbing on larger, non-juice sanitary cans (~1-gallon sized) likely began sometime around the early or middle 1950s. Then, around the late 1950s or early 1960s the practice of placing ribs on the sides of sanitary seam cans began to occur on smaller, shorter cans (Figure 11). It also appears that height, rather than diameter, was the determining factor on when ribs appeared on the sides of cans. Further study and observation might produce more specific details regarding the introduction of ribbing on specific sized sanitary seam cans.

Figure 11. Photograph of Cans From the Weiser Wash Site. Notice the ribbing and the size of the cans,

with the smallest can just under 4 in tall. OTHER NOTES ON CANS With the exception of one quart oil cans, archaeologists generally assume that sanitary cans opened with a church key contained some type of beverage. But, we found several examples of steel cans that were opened with church keys that contained automotive fluids (Figure 12). We need to be careful in assuming the contents of a container based upon the way the container was opened. SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS

1. Post-prohibition beer bottles have date codes that are likely present due to Federal regulations. 2. Wine bottles do not have date codes. 3. Beer, wine, and liquor bottles all have specific language embossed on them to indicate that the

bottles cannot be reused. 4. Owen-Illinois plants did not switch completely to two digit date codes by 1947. We found

evidence of single digit date codes as late as 1961. 5. Prior to 1952, 7-Up bottles contain a silhouette of a woman in a bathing suit. After 1952, this

silhouette is no longer present.

6. Clorox bottles with the Clorox diamond trademark on the base are not restricted to 1929-1930. It appears that was the date that this base logo embossing began.

7. Ribbing begins to appear on non-juice cans from the early to mid 1950s when one gallon cans sometimes contain ribbing. Around 1960 ribbing begins to appear on smaller cans, with the height of the can being the deciding variable of when the ribbing actually occurred.

8. Not all church key opened cans contained beverages. Some contained automobile fluids.

Figure 12. Photograph of an Automotive Lubricant Can That Was Opened With a Church Key.

REFERENCES CITED Baker, Jeffrey L., Annette J. Thompson and John A. Ellis 2012 A Class III Cultural Resource Survey of the Proposed Overton Power Nine-Year Plan. BLM

Cultural Resource Report 5-2676. K&LA Report 09-0434. Knight & Leavitt Associates, Inc., Las Vegas.

Clorox Company 2011 Bottle Guide. Electronic Document Accessed April 24, 2012.

http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/heritage/bottle-guide/cork-top-bottles/ Lockhart, Bill 2004 The Dating Game: Owens-Illinois Glass Co. Bottles and Extras Summer 2004: 24-27. Electronic

Document, http:www.sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/OwensIll_Blockhart.pdf, Accessed on October 6, 2011.

2010 The Dating Game – In Pursuit of the Elusive Diamond G. Bottles and Extras 21(2): 56-60. Electronic Document, http://www.sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/DiamondG.pdf. Accessed on October 6, 2011

Toulouse, Julian Harrison 1971 Bottle Makers and Their Marks. The Blackburn Press, Caldwell, New Jersey. Whitten, David 2011 Glass Factory Mark on Bottles. Electronic Document, http://myinsulators.com/glass-

factories/bottlemarks.html. Accessed on October 6, 2011. i This paper was originally presented as a poster at the 2012 Nevada Archaeological Association Meetings in Eureka, NV. This version includes some information that we were unable to include in the original poster.