My family tree is an interesting place to be.  I come from long lines of dreamers, adventurers, explorers, and downright fascinating people.  Intrepid explorers and brazen settlers, and I’m not alone.  Go back five generations ( so your great-great-great Grandma, somewhere in the early to mid 1800s) and you have 32 separate lines to contend with.  Most Americans with European ancestry can find at least one, if not many, family lines that lived through some of the defining moments of our Nation’s history.  From Westward Expansion to the Civil War to The Revolutionary War, many of us can find amazing people  throughout our family trees, with fantastic stories to tell if we choose to delve that deeply.

I was actually able to find some amazing links to archaeology within my own family tree.  My maternal Great Grandmother, Valerie DeMontet was Swiss.  Her paternal grandmother was Anna Sophia Burckhardt, from a well-known Swiss Family who were respected in both academic and religious circles.  Among the doctors of philosophy and priests that seem abundant in the Burckhardt family tree, I found Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.  This is the very same Johann Burckhardt who rediscovered Petra in 1812 while disguised as a Muslim!  And that wasn’t the only connection to archaeology that I found.  My Great Grandmother Valerie also has some fascinating connections on her mother’s side as well, as her Grandfather was Percy Fawcett.

Col. Percy H. Fawcett was an adventurer and explorer just after the turn of the 20^th century.   This was during a point in history that is fairly shameful for archaeologists – the mad dash for antiquities, funded in no small part by Universities and Museums, propelled many unorthodox adventurers into the limelight.  Col. Percy H Fawcett was no exception.  A member of the Royal Geographic Society, just as his father before him, Colonel Fawcett mapped large portions of the Amazon Jungle as he searched for a lost city of gold.  His fantastic progress, along with his matter of fact demeanor and tenacious determination was sensational stuff; media attention led to fame, but not fortune.  His last communication from the jungle was in May of 1925, after which he disappeared into the Amazon, along with his son Jack, and his son’s friend Raleigh.  They were never seen again.  Well over a hundred people have died over the years, trying to find out exactly what happened to Percy Fawcett.  If you’d like more information his story is well documented, most recently in the book Lost City Of Z by David Grann, and also in a PBS Documentary title Lost in the Amazon.

                                         http://video.pbs.org/video/1889269948/                                            You can link to the movie here – it’s a pretty neat story!

The coolest old bottle I have is a Jim Beam Whiskey Bottle.  I bought it at a yard sale.  Now I’m not much of a drinker, and I didn’t know what it was at the time, but it was gorgeous.  I had no idea that that Jim Beam had such an amazing history regarding its decanters; although they have been in business since 1795, in 1952 they started crafting a wide variety of specialty bottle for their whiskey.  There are literally thousands of variations, with a wide range of styles. There are fine gold-gilded crystal decanters, automobiles, animals, sports equipment, it seems that the company went out of its way to provide bottle in every shape and form known to mankind.  The result is a truly astounding body of corporate expression.

my bottle looks just like this, only red

Despite the extreme variety, temporal succession can actually be observed in the record by looking at the progression of similarly styled bottles.  Due to the high level of variation, an analysis of collectors edition, or annual releases,  like in these examples of crystal glass bottles ranging from 1964 to 1973 is the most effective means of observing any sort of meaningful change. (photos courtesy of the Jim Beam Club)

Some other really great examples of Jim Beam bottlery can also be found in the pictorial index from the Jim Beam Club, they have some great examples of other series as well!

http://www.jimbeamclub.com/pictorials/jimbeam/index.html

Dandy flask has vertical/parallel sides, and the short base pedestal which is almost as wide as the body. The stopper finish and body shape indicate that it might contain liquor, such as whiskey or bitters. This type of bottle was primarily produced from 1890 to 1920 according to its straight finish. Because after 1920, the external screw threads finish is the dominant style. Similar bottle had been appeared on the catalog of Illinois Glass Company in 1906, which also indicates the possible production.

The shape of this kind of bottles originates in the need for traveling. Because of the relative small and flat shape, it is easy to carry or place in one’s pocket. Most flasks has a capacity of about 16oz. or less. Although flasks have wide variety of shapes, they have similar “portable” size, and laterally compressed on two sides.

Due to the characteristic of flask bottles, travelers might be the major customers, and they might usually consume it outside when they are traveling. However, it is also possible to consume it at home, even uncommon. The portable characteristic also indicates its practical function and the possibility of reuse.

http://www.sha.org/bottle/liquor.htm#Dandy Flasks

One bottle in my assemblage stood out in particular to me. It was a a brown bottle about 8 inches tall, ovoid with two flat sides, and had the word Ozomulsion prominently embossed onto it. “What in the world is Ozomulsion?” said a heavy eyed me as I wrapped up categorizing my bottles. Well little did I know, this little brown bottle once contained a miracle cure more powerful than snake venom! Ozomulsion was a patent medication which claimed to cure a host of ailments. The following picture is an advertizement from a turn of the 20th century New York newspaper The Argosy.

The be-all end-all miracle cure!

After finding out Ozomulsion was cod oil, I couldn’t help but think about the current fad to eat fish oil tablets, which seem to have some scientific backing. Perhaps there really is something to this Ozomulsion stuff after all. Come to think of it, I could use a cure for coughs, colds, grip (whatever that is), bronchitis, zombies, pneumonia, and everything else this mean world has to throw at me. Think that free sample bottle is still available?

Here’s the information from SHA blog, take a look! Main theme is “Peripheries and Boundaries.”

SHA 2015 Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology