A student from Lincoln University will be utilising a range of scientific analysis including x-rays, XRF, and UV lighting to unlock the mystery of a bottle found in Cleethorpes.
The bottle, thought to be at least over 100 years old, was discovered upside down in the ground during conservation works as part of the National Lottery Heritage funded Townscape Heritage (TH) project for Cleethorpes.
Now, with the consent of the owner, it will be studied by an Undergraduate student at the University of Lincoln as part of the Conservation of Cultural History course. Zara Yeates, 32, is in her third and final year of the BA course and fell in love with history and conservation during a visit to the Mary Rose when she was nine.
Over the course of three months, she’ll be using various techniques and technologies to uncover the bottle’s story; from how old it is, to what liquid it contains – there is plenty to find out.
She said: “We typically work on items for around three months and use a variety of analytical techniques to carry out various tests. For example, I’ll be looking to x-ray the bottle to help determine what’s inside it.
“We know there is some sort of sediment inside, but we’re not sure what it is. We’re hoping an x-ray could narrow down what the sediment or liquid is before we move on to X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF).
“XRF is a non-destructive analytical technique that uses x-rays to determine the elemental composition of the object being studied. With this, we can see what elements the glass contains, and use this information to hopefully narrow down where it was made and when.
“Additionally, we can put the bottle under UV light to see if it is fluorescent (giving off a visible bright light). Glass manufacturers often included various minerals during the manufacturing process to give their glass certain qualities or colours; for example, uranium oxide was frequently used as a glass colourant from between the late 1800s to mid-twentieth century. Overall, the results obtained through the analytical techniques can also be used to further our understanding of the object.”
By comparing these findings to what certain countries were using throughout history, Zara can also begin to determine the geographical origins of the bottle.
However, should further research be required, Zara could look to insert a small syringe into the bottle in an attempt to extract some of the liquid. After all tests have been carried out, Zara will look to consolidate the cork.
This will ensure it doesn’t dry out and will keep the contents fresh, whatever it may be. If successful, it would also mean the bottle can be put on display without fear of the liquid deteriorating and going sour.
Carol Heidschuster, project manager for the Townscape Heritage works, added: “We’ll be following the analysis of this find over the coming months to find out more about the age and contents, and hopefully the reason for why it was buried.
“We don’t know whether it contains something like urine (it was common for sailors at that time to leave urine in a bottle and bury it at home as a superstition for a safe home coming ), or something like rum! It is known that sailors were given a tot of rum to ward off scurvy. Either way, it will be an extraordinary tale at the end to add to the history and heritage of the property.”
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