Thursday, November 12, 2026
Science

How pipes became status symbols in 18th-century Sweden

In the 18th century, a clay tobacco pipe could reveal more than you might think. Its length, quality and condition, as well as the way it was used, could signal social status. In a new doctoral thesis, Lund University archaeologist Robert Bergman Carter shows how smokeways at the time served as clea...

How pipes became status symbols in 18th-century Sweden
Image: Phys.org
In the 18th century, a clay tobacco pipe could reveal more than you might think. Its length, quality and condition, as well as the way it was used, could signal social status. In a new doctoral thesis, Lund University archaeologist Robert Bergman Carter shows how smokeways at the time served as clear markers of status.

Originally published at Phys.org

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