Beeswax block

Content Description

Large block of beeswax found on the Nehalem Bay in Oregon. 15 1/2" long with varying widths (10 1/2" average). 2" thick. Carved with an "N" an inch deep and a diamond-shaped figure underneath. Beeswax has been abundantly found on the beaches in northwestern Oregon around Nehalem Bay and the city of Manzanita. Through carbon-14 dating, the beeswax was discovered to be from the late 1600s. While it is still unknown where exactly the beeswax, and other artifacts, come from exactly, it is likely that the items come from a ship that wrecked in the early 1700s. Many of the ideas of whose ship it was revolve around European settlers, especially the Spanish galleons, but another idea involves the Native Americans trading the beeswax to other groups. This particular piece of beeswax was first discovered in 1813 by Alexander Henry on the Nehalem Bay.

Acquisition Type

Gift

Restrictions Apply

No