Abstract
During a Sunday outing in 1992, the Deep Search Metal Detecting Club collected a small number of Revolutionary War musket balls at a county park in New Jersey. Two areas of artifact concentration were generally recorded and park officials were notified. In 1993 the Monmouth County Park System had the same areas plowed to remove vegetation and a limited Phase I archaeological survey was conducted. Additional musket balls were excavated under more controlled conditions. New Jersey is known as the “Crossroads of the Revolution,” and finds of this type are not unusual. A detailed analysis of the ordnance shows the vast majority of balls are 0.68–0.70 in. in diameter and exhibited no evidence of being fired. The size and surface characteristics indicate the musket balls were probably military and possibly British. The interpreted data indicate that this site was a resting place and only used for a very short period of time, possibly only overnight.
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References
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Sivilich, D.M. Analyzing musket balls to interpret a revolutionary war site. Hist Arch 30, 101–109 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03373592
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03373592