Have you ever discovered something strange – even a little bit spooky – while renovating an old home?
It might have been a pair of children’s shoes hidden under the floorboards, animal bones wrapped in cloth, strange carvings on the door frames or skirting boards, or even a bottle full of pins and fingernail clippings hidden up in the ceiling.
If the answer is yes, then the University of Notre Dame Australia needs to hear from you.
As part of her PhD project, archaeologist Lauren Tomlinson is researching the superstitious beliefs that were common among early European settlers, including the items they often hid inside their homes to keep them safe from supernatural forces.
“Shoes were often placed under the floorboards when a home was being built or throughout its occupation because people believed that an evil spirt entering a room would become trapped inside them,” Ms Tomlinson said.
“Similarly, bottles full of pins or and nail clippings were designed to catch witches. People even went as far as placing the dried remains of cats and other animals, inside their walls or chimneys, and beneath their floorboards to protect themselves from supernatural forces.
“Some of these rituals date back to medieval times and were still being practiced in the United Kingdom and other European countries at the time of Western Australia’s settlement, which resulted in their continuation here up until the early 1900s.”
Ms Tomlinson said because most renovators did not understand the significance of these artefacts, this curious and under-researched part of our history was often ending up in skip bins, rather than museums.
“I am hoping to change that by raising awareness of what to look out for so that we can have a chance to record, examine and preserve these curiosities accurately for future generations.”
Anyone who comes across something curious can contact Ms Tomlinson at 0417 990 046, or at lauren.tomlinson@nd.edu.au
Media Contact: media@nd.edu.au