Artifact A5418/238.004. A thin aluminum container lid marked ‘LIFT TAB’.
Recently, while working with a collection from a 1984 Coshocton County rock shelter excavation, I came upon two relatively modern, distinct artifacts amidst fragments of broken and melted glass bottles. When I first saw them, they looked like decorations of some sort. They were spiral-like and made of thin aluminum. However, on the top were the words ‘LIFT TAB’. Based on this information, they’re most likely 20th century can lids, but the style of pull-tab opening was new to me, so I started doing some research.
I tried internet image searches, without luck. I went to sites that specialize in pull tabs but, again, nothing matched. I consulted with fellow curators, archaeologists, friends and family…still, no idea what type of container they were from.
Archaeology is a collaborative discipline. There are specialists in all types of things, zooarchaeology, paleobotany, geological sciences, marbles and more. I’m hoping that someone out there has seen this style of lid before. If you have, I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks for your help!
Linda Pansing, Curator of Archaeology
