Figure 1: Bone toothbrush handle, with centimeter ruler for size perspective. (Photo courtesy of the NYC Archaeological Repository).
Seneca Village and the 19th Century Toothbrush
Aleah Goodman
Seneca Village was an African-American and immigrant settlement that existed in the place of what is modern day Central Park, New York. From the long lost site, many artifacts have been recovered which allow archaeologists and scholars to infer about their use in the daily lives of the villagers. In this research essay, I examine a toothbrush artifact from Seneca Village. This essay uses the history of the standard toothbrush along with information about life in Seneca Village and the Wilson family to understand the reasoning behind them owning a toothbrush in a time where it was rare to.