Understanding Variation in Utilitarian Ceramic Assemblages of the Chesapeake: The Impacts of Local Production

Summary

Utilitarian ceramics made of earthenware and stoneware were important tools in the early American domestic sphere. Milk pans, storage jugs, baking dishes, and other specialized forms made a variety of domestic industries possible. However, the abundance and characteristics of these wares were not consistent through time or across households. In turning analytical focus to this under-investigated class of artifacts, a better understanding of the relationship between domestic and economic life in the historic Chesapeake is possible. Using data available through the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery (DAACS), this paper focuses on quantitative analysis of utilitarian ceramics used in the historic Chesapeake.  In particular, the role of local ceramic production, in contrast to importation, is discussed as a factor shaping the character of this domestic equipment. The presence of local potters and their ability to shape or respond to local demands resulted in distinctive ceramic assemblages.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Any Colour You Like: International Perspectives in Ceramic Analysis   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 566