A mysterious artifact was recently found on the grounds of the Paul Revere House in the North End.
Boston Archaeology identified the object as a parasol runner after asking for public assistance.
"Update: object identified! This is a parasol runner," Boston Archaeology tweeted.
Boston Archaeology initially announced its discovery Tuesday (February 23) morning and received numerous responses about what it could be.
"A mystery artifact for Tuesday morning! This lead object was excavated by archaeologists on the Paul Revere House property," Boston Archaeology shared in a tweet. "It’s irregular notching between the teeth give us possible gear (clocks? locks?) or plumbing hardware vibes. Anyone know what this may be?"
Boston Archaeology shared a link explaining the usage of parasols and umbrellas in the 1800s.
"Parasols and umbrellas are an ancient accessory utilized by persons of importance in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Images from Ancient Egypt and Assyria document the use of fabric-covered sun shades held over members of royalty by servants. Not only did these devices shade these individuals, they also communicated their status and authority to observers (Ross 1994)," according to poplarforest.org.
The English word "umbrella" comes from the phrase "umbra" and Latin for share or shadow. "Parasol" is derived from the Latin for sun, "sol" and the two terms were used without distinction until the mid-1700s.
Photo: Boston Archaeology