How you can help	Bottles set into a wall, from a house in Essex.
the archaeological survey

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There is still a lot of work to be done to establish the distribution and extent of the finds discussed on this website. Although the national survey has so far revealed over 1000 finds it has not been possible to do a full and thorough investigation in every county.

So far a sample of museums in each county of the UK have been contacted and all the county sites and monuments records in England have been consulted. Postage costs have prohibited a full survey of every museum in every county, although a full survey of Worcestershire museums, builders and other sources has been undertaken. The following information may help you if you want to do some research of your own. Any information you can provide about this subject in your area (or part of the world) would be warmly welcomed. If you are considering getting involved, you may want to print out this page.

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Sources of Information

There are several ways to find out about these finds:

1: Local museums. Are you in a position to approach your local museums to see if they hold any of these finds? Doing this is the first step to gathering what information is out there.
2: Local historians and archaeologists. These people can often recall unusual finds. Well worth trying.
3: Owners and curators of old houses. Try asking people who live in, or care for old houses. A large number of finds from this source have already been recorded.
4: Builders. Builders are really the best people to ask. They are the people who almost invariably find them but unfortunately they rarely supply information to authorities or donate the objects to museums. Over half the builders spoken to so far for this survey have been able to report a find. Only a very small proportion of finds ever get recorded in a museum or archaeological unit. By asking as many builders as possible, a more accurate picture of the distribution and extent of these finds may be gained.
5: Local libraries and record offices. Books on folklore in your area might contain the odd reference or two to folk magic finds. Newspapers too (old and new) might also report the discovery of strange artefacts in local buildings. Lastly, and the chances of this are as good as winning the lottery, it is possible that someone has already donated their research on this topic to your local record office - ask the staff.
6: Appeal for information. An information request in a local newspaper or society journal is a really good way of getting information.
7: And finally...ask anyone.

Keeping Records

It's important to keep accurate records if you do decide to research. The following is a list of the most important things to record if possible:

1: Description.  What has been reported? Describe it as well as you can. If you are able to see the object then draw it or photograph it - don't forget to measure it and report on its condition.
2: Associated objects. Was there anything inside it and was anything (however insignificant it may seem) found with it? In the case of witch-bottles this is particularly important. Many have had their 'dirt' washed out by well meaning individuals simply because they do not know the significance of the contents.
3: Location. Where was it found? The address and exactly where inside the building it was found are important. Get as much detail as you can. If you are allowed access to the building, draw or photograph the find-spot.
4: Establishing the age. The age of the house is extremely important. Bear in mind that many old houses go through several changes in their life. Make a note of anything that you think might help with dating. If you can't find out, photograph it and ask someone who might know, eg, a local historian, curator or archaeologist.
5: Object status. If your informant can not show you the object/s it's important to establish what happened to them after they were found. Did they go into the skip, did someone take them away (if so, who?) are they being cared for in a museum?
6: Correspondent details. It is important to get the name of the person who gave you the information. Get their address if they don't mind and make a note of the date that you spoke to them. This is important if you want to use their information in the future.
7: Donate your research. Your reports will be valuable to your local record office and libraries (in addition to myself). Please be generous and donate your research to places that can really benefit from it.

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If you decide to do some research I'd be happy to help in any way that I can. Just contact me and then we can begin sharing information. Any information that you offer will be fully acknowledged in any written work that includes it. If you need any help in identifying existing written sources of information or possible local experts, please let me know.

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www.apotropaios.co.uk
© Brian Hoggard 2000-2009
This site has been on the web since July 3rd 2000