[H] __[L]22.0cm __[W] __[Th] __[Diam](Base) 8.2cm (Neck) 3.8cm
Quart size bottle in a "wine" style. It consists of moulded, dark olive coloured glass that is partially translucent around the top and becomes more opaque near the base. The bottle has a circular cross-section, but the shoulders and base are slightly wider than the main body. The base has a tiered, concave punt that is cone-shaped at its peak. The bottle neck is jaggedly broken partway through, but it appears as though it was cylindrical in shape. There is light brown residue across the inside surface and shoulders of the bottle, and there are several small scratches, air bubbles, and cracks in the glass.
Over time, wine has been stored in a variety of containers, from clay amphorae, wineskins, and wooden barrels, to the relatively recent practice of using standardized glass bottles. Early wine bottles were a rounder, almost spherical shape, before they evolved into a taller, slimmer form that was easier for transport and horizontal storage.
During the early nineteenth century, and for several decades leading up to the fire of 1840, a tavern existed on the north side of Market Square and parts of the site were excavated during this dig. Near the southwest corner of this tavern, a 2.3x2.6-meter limestone privy was discovered with a large collection of artifacts that had been sealed in since its destruction in 1840. Likely related to the adjacent tavern, there was an abundance of glass artifacts and bottles found in the privy, including the above wine bottle.
