# How pipes became status symbols in 18th-century Sweden

- Source: Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories
- Published: 2026-11-11T21:20:08+00:00
- Category: Science
- Original: https://phys.org/news/2026-11-pipes-status-18th-century-sweden.html
- Canonical: https://groundlevelnews.com/story/how-pipes-became-status-symbols-in-18th-century-sweden-26e62d/

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.

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