Authorship and Acknowledgments

The Small Finds portion of the Diagnostic Artifacts website is a work in progress, with new artifact categories and new collections being added as time permits. Specific sections may have different authors, so please see "How to Cite the Website" for up-to-date authorship information.

The sections of the website on bodkins, smoker's companions, linked buttons, and religious artifacts were written and compiled by Sara Rivers Cofield, Curator of Federal Collections at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab). The sections of the website on thimbles, bone toothbrushes, bottle seals, toys and games, jaw harps, knives, forks, and spoons were written and compiled by Patricia Samford, Director of the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory.

Conversion to web format in the first iteration of the website was completed by Sharon Raftery, former MAC Lab Administrative Assistant. Formatting on the current website was completed by Gregory Brown, Cultural Resource Information Manager and Mary Mansius, Architectural Registrar, Maryland Historical Trust. This website is also made possible by MAC Lab staff and former staff members Ed Chaney, Rebecca Morehouse, Erin Wingfield, Alex Glass, Megan Kearns, and Annette Cook who provide editorial assistance and aid in locating artifacts.

Special thanks for help with background research is extended to several current and former members of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation staff: Richard Nicoll, James Kladder, Jay Howlett, Mark Hutter, Al Saguto, Neal Hurst, Linda Baumgarten, and Janine Skerry. The willingness of these individuals to look at the artifacts and offer insight into how they might (or might not) have fit their respective areas of expertise was invaluable. The author also thanks Mary C. Beaudry, author of Findings: The Material Culture of Needlework and Sewing (Yale University Press, 2006), who first brought bodkins to the author's attention. Barbara E. Mattick graciously read and commented on the bone toothbrush essay and offered suggestions for its improvement.

Finally, we extend our appreciation to our partner institutions, The Anne Arundel County Lost Towns Project, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Ferry Farm, The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Mount Vernon Preservation, Prince George's County Archaeology Lab, and The Archaeological Society of Delaware. These organizations have all offered their collections for inclusion on the Diagnostic Artifacts website, helping us to build a larger body of data and therefore a more valuable product.