We have been a bit quiet lately on the blog, this has been due to an office move, after over twenty years in the same building! I now sit in our new open plan hub office looking out onto an amazing medieval tithe barn, which is getting a new thatch. Boxes need unpacking and I am still trying to open doors by pushing them instead of pulling them, but happy to be able to log on and update you on another object in our collection 🙂 Oh and there is cake and chocolates and big mugs of tea.
When excavating at Corfe Castle we found many objects and rubbish, left behind by visitors throughout the 20th century. Lollypop sticks, crisp packets, coins, empty tubes of mustard, stink bombs and messages in bottles! But the one I am featuring this month is a plastic bag with an interesting image on it.
Bra bag probably used as a sandwich bag excavated at Corfe Castle
We think the bra bag had been used as a sandwich bag, it’s interesting to think that many years ago plastic bags were a rare commodity, greaseproof paper was the norm when packing a picnic. We ponder how long plastic bags will survive in our land fill sites today, this has lasted a long time already and is an early form of plastic, which opens another debate….
We don’t have an exact date for this object, but one of our older lady volunteers suggested early 1950s. Unless you know more……?
Archaeology National Trust SW 
Is the numbered and lettered code a clue to the date and purpose of the bag do you think? Has it some sort of ritual or chronological significance?
Thank you for that Martin, I’m off poorly at the moment but you’ve just made me laugh out loud, the number & letter in the oval at the top of the bag is the bra size! Not sure about the other letter & numbers though, could refer to the style of bra I suppose. Hope I haven’t embarrassed you Jackie
Oh, I see… so 36C would be a more rounded number. Just a guess. I hope you’re feeling better soon and back to the delights of Tisbury.