Comparative analysis of ceramic assemblages from 18th century Caribbean enslaved populations

Summary

Multiple ceramic samples were type identified and analyzed for the use in a regional comparative analysis of enslaved populations. The sampled ceramics were obtained from multiple contexts collected from various Caribbean locations. The comparative analyses clarify social dynamics, prosperity, and sustainability within enslaved populations. Afro-Caribbean, colonial tradewares, and exotics were compared by quantifying frequency and present/absent along with the level of diversity in the local assemblages. The contextual information for the samples included general surface collection, intramural and extramural feature recovery, sub-feature and posthole recovery, and recovery from structures of labor. The study resulted in a stark comparative difference in the prosperity and frequency of locally created and imported ceramics per assemblage. These results coupled with contextual information clarified the social dynamics within enslaved populations for each of the sampled locations. The study also expounds on local variation in slave habitation sites with "free slave villages" and enslaved labor villages. The local variation of sites in conjunction with an inter-Caribbean regional perspective also elucidates regional dynamics between similar islands with differing controlling colonial powers.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage