An Early Twentieth Century Ceramic Assemblage from a Burned House in Northern Georgia

Summary

True time capsules are very rare in historical archaeology. Most of the sites we investigate consist of architectural remains, middens, and features. The artifacts collected from middens often span the entire occupation history of the site. Features may represent frozen moments in time, but rarely reflect the total material culture present in the household. Further, features contain artifacts that have been removed from their household context and discarded. The site discussed in this paper contains a residence that was destroyed by fire during the second decade of the twentieth century, and was not subsequently built over or more than minimally disturbed. The house was occupied when it was destroyed, and the 77 ceramic vessels recovered during the excavation represent the total ceramic assemblage that was in the house at the time of the fire. Further, the house site was excavated in a manner that made it possible to determine the layout of the structure and the function of each room within the structure. This paper discusses the ceramic assemblage and its context within the burned out household.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Investigations in Global Material Culture   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-59,12