As archaeologists increasingly survey and excavate at sites from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries, they more commonly encounter artifacts that the standard guides do not consider. Included in this class of “too recent” artifacts are the material remnants of the early electrification of the American household. Particularly ubiquitous electrical artifacts are the small white porcelain knobs, tubes, and cleats used in “knob and tube” wiring systems. Meticulous research by insulator collectors, notably Jack Tod and Elton Gish, is a significant boon to the archaeologist, and their work shows that these artifacts can often be dated and provenanced. This article introduces some of the social and material aspects of electrification that are particularly relevant to the archaeologist, and elaborates on electrical porcelain used in the wiring of buildings—one class of artifacts out of several related to electrification.