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Just what can a 19th century bottle tell us?

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Abstract

Like all artifacts, 19th century bottles reveal different kinds of information. Formal characteristics, contextual patterns, and behavioral correlates to patterns of material culture, are all familiar avenues of inquiry in archaeology. An ongoing project at the University of Arizona depends on the analysis of bottles in large measure, in order to study patterns of alcohol consumption among selected ethnic and economic groups. The actual amount of alcohol consumed appears to be an individual decision. The results support treatment programs for alcohol abuse that focus on the individual and not the group.

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Staski, E. Just what can a 19th century bottle tell us?. Hist Arch 18, 38–51 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03374038

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