Material in this case is part of a “cache” or group of objects deliberately placed beneath the basement floor of Reynolds Tavern by African or African American slaves some time in the second half of the 18th century (between 1747 when the building was built and 1811 when it was purchased by Farmers National Bank of Maryland). The artifacts represent the physical remains of African American spiritual practices, which combine African spirit traditions with elements of Christianity and Islam. Materials were placed and used to mark spaces where spirits could be caught and used for various purposes, such as healing, safeguarding, and bewitching. The cache in this case was found beneath two bricks in the northwest corner of the Reynolds basement. The cache contained two, possibly three, glass vessels; one was found whole and containing a red powder that could be either powdered brick or manganese (a common material that mercury is derived from and could easily be obtained from the hat making business that William Reynolds owned). The materials also contained a root mass, a pink quartz crystal, red sea coral, red slate, straight pins, and many round objects of a variety of materials-metal, glass, and stone. Also, a wide range of animal bone was uncovered as well as eggshells, blue crab claws, oyster shells, and plant remains such as peach seeds. Each of these different items would be used for a different purpose in the cache; for example, reflexive materials such as crystals would be used to catch spirits.
