Archaeologists working on the site of a colonial fort in Maryland have found a dented, nearly rectangular piece of metal that they say was once part of colonial armor.
Archaeologists determined that the piece of metal was an iron tassel that hung from the cuirass to protect the wearer's thigh. It was found in historic St. Mary's City, the first capital of colonial Maryland and the site of an excavation of American colonial history.
Since 2020, archaeological teams have been excavating Fort St. Mary's, a structure built in 1634 that is believed to be the earliest colony in Maryland. The armor was covered with dirt, but X-ray images showed that steel bands and rivets adorned the armor and fastened it together.
Travis Parno, director of research and collections at the historic city of Sainte-Marie, said in an email to Gizmodo: "Considering the early context in which the tassel was found (c. 1634-early 1640s), it is likely that it was brought from Europe. ”。During this time, the city of Sainte-Marie had a limited number of blacksmithing jobs. ”
Parno added: "Given that both this tassel and the other previously found in the city of Sainte-Marie were discarded, it is likely that the tassel was taken across the Atlantic, considered unnecessary, and then discarded." ”
The tassel was found from the cellar of the first warehouse in Maryland, Structure 101. So far, about 20% of the cellars associated with the warehouse have been excavated. According to the Washington Post, the excavations also uncovered decorative metal braids, a pair of colonial-era scissors, and the outline of a large structure built shortly after the colonists arrived on the Maryland coast.
The excavation of the fort is expected to continue into the next decade, but thankfully, you won't have to wait that long to see the results: the excavation site itself will be visited through a tour of the historic city of St. Mary's, Parno said.