When people think of Civil War artifacts , they may picturecannonballsor 19th - century rifles . An item recently dug up from the ruins of a garrison in Virginia is n’t a weapon system , but it was probably viewed by Union soldier as a source of protective covering . The artifact — a trash jug filled with rusted nail — is believed to be a enchantress bottle , or a amulet used to guard off evil spirits , Live Sciencereports .
archaeologist reveal the so - called witch bottle during a shot form by the Virginia Department of Transportation at Redoubt 9 , a Civil War - geological era web site that sits in the median between exits 238 and 242 on Interstate 64 . The fortification was constructed by Confederate soldier in 1861 and take over by Union flock later in the warfare . The glass nursing bottle was made in Pennsylvania , which signal it was likely left there by a Union soldier from the Pennsylvania horse cavalry that in all probability occupy the situation .
It ’s easy to err the bottle for meth . archeologist recover it near the fort ’s hearth and initially feign it had been used by soldier to store nails for repairs . But to someone conversant with one-time English superstitions , the artifact tells a much more interesting narration .
In sixteenth and 17th C England , it was common for people to utilise witch bottles to protect themselves from curses placed on them by thewitchesthat were feared to be everywhere at the time . The " unredeemed " would sate a ice or ceramic container with bent flag or nails and even total urine and human whisker in some cases . They would then bury the bottle near the mansion ’s hearth , the idea being that the heat would make it to shatter , thus breaking the hag spell .
This type of praxis was much less common in Civil War - era America , but the artifact testify that the superstitious notion enter to the nation by British immigrants had survived into the 19th century . It also illustrates the fear soldiers must have mat up at the height of thewarand the lengths they accept to ease those worries .
“ There were a lot of casualties and fearfulness during this full stop , " Joe Jones , the music director of the William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research , which works closely with the Virginia Department of Transportation on archeologic work , tell in astatement . " The Union troops were an occupying force in enemy territory throughout most of the warfare , so there were plenty of bad spirits and push to ward off . ”
According to the WMCAR , this enchantress bottle is one of few than a dozen that have been key in the United States .
[ h / tLive Science ]
