This brass button was excavated from the Reynolds' Tavern site on Church Circle in Annapolis and is decorated with the head of a rabbit. The back of the button is imprinted with the company name and the year 1843. Artifacts that feature a date like this one are rare to find but are particulary helpful in dating sites.

This 19th-century bone toothbrush was excavated from the Reynolds Tavern site on Church Circle in Annapolis. The toothbrush has a rounded handle with a flat head and would have had four rows of bristles. Bristles were typically made of hog bristles although horse and badger hair were also used during this time period. This toothbrush has the letter "W" carved into the handle for identification purposes.

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This pipe stem was found at the Maynard-Burgess House on Duke of Gloucester Street in Historic Annapolis. The clay pipe stem is marked with the name “PETER DORNI” on one side and “IN GOUDA” on the other. The Prince pipe company produced Peter Dorni pipes between 1835 and 1898 in the city of Gouda in the Netherlands.

This portion of a tin glazed plate was found at the Governor Calvert House. This type of ceramic dates to the early to mid 18th century. Various members of the Calvert family held the title of Lord Baltimore during this time period.

Pieces to this glass dish were found during excavations at the Governor Calvert House on State Circle in Annapolis.

Small glassware vessels like these were used to serve fancy desserts such as molded jellies, creams, custards, and ices. They may have also held blossoms, comfits, and small amounts of jellies to decorate the table. Captain Charles Calvert (1688-1733/34) owned 144 of these small glass vessels.

This English redware jar was reassembled from sherds recovered during excavations at the Governor Calvert House. This vessel shows signs of charring and was most likely used by African and African American slaves to slow cook food in the fire.

These artifacts were recovered during excavations at the Governor Calvert House. These tools are made of iron and are each about a foot and a half in length. They would have been used to handle cooking implements in the hearth area of the kitchen.

Click here to view a drawing of a typical 18th century hearth were tools like these would have been used.

This artifact was found during excavations at the Governor Calvert House. The tiny wooden animal was painted white and was most likely a sheep or horse. Written records show that John Davisson sold similar toys in his downtown Annapolis shop in the 1720s. Most wooden toys are not recovered archaeologically because wood decomposes readily in the soil.

Patent medicine bottle embossed with the text, “DAVIS & MILLER/BALTIMORE/DRUGGISTS" found at the Maynard-Burgess House. Davis & Miller were one of Baltimore’s most successful wholesale druggists. Between the 1840s-1890s they had pharmacies at 3 North Howard Street and 12 Howard Street in Baltimore. This bottle further supports the idea that the Maynard and Burgess families purchased mass-produced goods inorder to circumvent racism they encountered in the local markets.

Twentieth century tin can found at the Maynard Burgess House. Tin cans are indicative of buying pre-packaged national brand foods. Throughout the 19th and into the 20th centuries the Maynard and Burgess families had to contend with racism in every facet of their lives. It was especially noticeable in the market place, where white vendors would raise the cost of fresh produce for their black customers only. In order to avoid this, the Maynard and Burgess families bought a lot of pre-packaged goods sold on a national level, which were consistently priced across the board. During this excavation large numbers of similar cans were uncovered, indicating the purchase of many types of pre-packaged foods.

Hand of Fatima charms like the one seen here, were found at the Governor Calvert House and at the Maynard-Burgess House in Annapolis, Maryland. These symbols initially came to the United States with African slaves in the 17th and 18th centuries, and are Islamic in origin. Called a Hamsa, the hand is a symbol used in amulets, charms and jewelry to provide blessing and protection from evil spirits.