Tobacco smoking pipe stems made of white clay are one of the most prevalent artifacts recovered on 18th century archaeological sites, including Colonial Dorchester. This pattern may be explained by how in-expensive pipes were, making them accessible to people from different socioeconomic classes. Because they were a cheap and readily available commodity, broken or clogged pipes were more likely to be thrown out and replaced, leading to their abundance in archaeological contexts. The stems of these clay pipes are more commonly recovered than the pipe bowls.

Hume, Ivor Noel. 1969. A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America. University of Pennsylvania Press. Philadelphia, PA.