Artifacts
Buckles
The 1999 excavations at Second Fort Crawford (Prairie du Chien, WI) recovered 27 buckles. Thirteen of them are square or rectangular, with a hook-hinge bar in the middle. These buckles vary in size, but they all are made out of thick, sturdy metal. Many of them are corroded. These buckles are most likely either knapsack or harness buckles. Unfortunately, since they are plain, they are almost impossible to date. Five of the buckles were found in the Enlisted Men’s Quarters, four in the Officers’ Quarters, two under the Boardwalk outside the Enlisted Men’s Quarters. Two were found in the privy.