A glass bottle filled with rusted nails may not sound like much of an archaeological find. But this Civil War artifact could represent a type of talisman that was popular for warding off evil spirits: a “witch bottle.”
Researchers found the bottle at a site known as Redoubt 9, a fortification built in 1861 by Confederate troops and later occupied by Union forces. Remains of the defensive structure lie on a highway median between exits 238 and 242 on Interstate 64, in York County, Virginia, representatives of the William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research (WMCAR) said in a statement.
The bottle, discovered near a hearth, measures roughly 5 inches (13 centimeters) tall and 3 inches (8 cm) wide, and was made in Pennsylvania. This suggests that it was placed there by a Union soldier, likely at a time when the fort was occupied by the Pennsylvania cavalry, according to the statement. Read more.
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