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Beer cans: A guide for the archaeologist

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Abstract

Beer cans are potentially useful as tools for dating later components in historical sites, and for determining the time of intrusion into prehistoric sites. Changes in major and minor design features are sufficiently documented to yield age estimates accurate to within five years of production. Even in cases of poor can preservation, general trends in shape and construction should provide an estimate accurate to within a decade. This article details both morphological and stylistic changes for the purpose of providing a basic guide to the dating of beer cans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA, 85721

    D.B.S. Maxwell

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  1. D.B.S. Maxwell
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Maxwell, D. Beer cans: A guide for the archaeologist. Hist Arch 27, 95–113 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03373561

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