North America's Oldest Bowling Ball

This lawn bowling ball, the oldest in North America, dates from between 1660 and 1715/16.

The bowling ball recovered from Katherine Nanny Naylor's privy is more appropriately called a lawn bowle. It is made of lathe-turned oak and is wheel shaped (as opposed to spherical). It is decorated on each of the flatter sides with a pair of incised concentric circles. The discovery of this artifact was one of the major finds of the project.