Urban Archaeology Specimen no.1
SPECIMEN excavated on the 400 block of Irving Street NW, Washington DC on 30may2007. Size and design consistent with standard "postcards" of the time. 
Recto: Pictograph suggesting the use of meat/food item as a habitable structure or place of commerce, with words "HAPPY HAMBURGER" across the top/roof surface. Ball-point pen marking near the lower center. Evidence of shoe tread by patterns of dirt on card surface, suggesting item had been walked upon.
Verso: Further ball-point pen markings, emulating a standard postcard format, but illegible. Lighter blue coloring inside "stamp" box area (suggesting an attempt to counterfeit postage?). Semi-triangular shape also drawn near the left-center of card space. Item builder identified at bottom left corner, as "Pleasant Company."
To inspect details, click both photos for higher resolution view. More artifacts will be posted here as they are discovered, with hypotheses and evidence to identify origins and purpose.
3 comments:
Hypothesis, origin, and purpose: "Look, honey! While we wait for the nice lady to bring us our food, you can draw on this postcard! Oh, that's Spiderman? With a hockey stick? Very nice.
Actually, it's a mole peaking around a corner. Or perhaps Piglet?
Oh, d-d-d-d-d-d-dear!
Excellent work, comrades! We'll nail down this curious piece yet. Alas, I cannot pay for your services, so you must consider yourselves extremely overworked interns. You'll be "paid" in the sheer joy of discovery.
Maybe there's an idea here for a separate blog: an urban archaeology photoblog, group-moderated by an advisory board of psychos! I love it...
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