Common 20th Century Artifacts – A Guide to Dating – Bottles, Beer

Historical archaeologists and others trying to date historical sites by means of the artifacts found on them are increasingly interested in common items manufactured during the lifetimes of people still living. This dating guide is intended to provide a simple source for the most common artifacts found in archaeological or historic contexts.

Cathy Spude compiled the following dating information for use by the public and professionals.

• Aluminum Foil
• Bottles, General
• Bottles, Beer
• Cans, General
• Cans, Beer
• Cigarettes
• Closures, Bottle
• Plastics and Synthetics
• Other Artifacts
• References Cited

Bottles, Beer

1895-1910: Applied crown finish (Kroll 1976: 7).

1935: Introduction of stubby bottles as a response to the space-saving advertisements of can manufacturers (Cady 1976: 15; Kroll 1976: 7).

1939: “NO DEPOSIT, NO RETURN, NOT TO BE REFILLED” (Kroll 1976: 7).

1950: Only 2.6% of all packed beer was disposable (Kroll 1976: 7).