Archaeologists Dig a Civil War-Era 'Witch Bottle' Full of Nails; Likely Used as Talisman to Ward off Evil Spirits
Researchers were shocked when they uncovered an intriguing glass bottle from a Civil War site in the U.S.A. The item was located at a region called Redoubt 9 in 2020 in Virginia during an archeological dig, stated William & Mary. The object was found close to a brick-lined encampment hearth. The initial excavation was conducted in 2016, and supervised by former WMCAR project archaeologist Chris Shephard. The dig was being conducted as part of an interstate widening project.
At first glance, researchers were unable to determine the artifact's nature or purpose. "It was this glass bottle full of nails, broken, but all there, near an old brick hearth," said Joe Jones, director of the William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research (WMCAR). "We thought it was unusual, but weren’t sure what it was." WMCAR staff member, Oliver Mueller-Heubach, and WMCAR founder, Robert Hunter, were the first to speculate that the bottle could have an occult purpose.
The bottle contained many rusted nails, stated Live Science. As per researchers, the container was five inches (13 centimeters) tall and three inches (8 cm) wide in measurements. Researchers through records had gotten to know about a rare ritual item named 'witch bottle,' stated William & Mary. The description matched the nail-filled vessel spotted at Redoubt 9, which is placed in the median of Interstate 64. The bottle functioned as a talisman, which was meant to keep away the evil spirits. Experts stated that a person who believed themselves to be afflicted by a sorceress's curse would bury the bottle under or near their hearth. The idea was, that the hearth would supply the nails with the energy they needed to break a witch's spell. To this date, archaeologists have recorded 200 witch bottles from the U.K. The artifacts seemed to be less popular in the U.S., as only a dozen of them have been spotted in the country.
Archaeologists believe the item was used by soldiers who were posted at the region after the Battle of Williamsburg in 1862. "It’s a good example of how a singular artifact can speak volumes," Jones said. "It’s really a time capsule representing the experience of Civil War troops, a window directly back into what these guys were going through occupying this fortification at this period in time." Examinations unveiled that the bottle was made by a person from Pennsylvania.
Researchers believe the ritual was possibly done by an officer from the Union troops, who was feeling threatened during his stay at a former Confederate settlement. "Perhaps the nails in the bottle were put there not by enlisted men using the bottle as an expedient container, but instead by an officer who felt especially threatened occupying hostile territory," Jones said. "Given the perceived threat of Confederate attack and general hostility of local residents, he had good reason to pull all the stops and rely on folk traditions from his community in Pennsylvania to help protect his temporary home away from home."
Such bottles typically carried the remains of the afflicted person. As per tradition, the individuals would add their nails or hair locks into the container. However, this bottle was uncovered in a broken state.