Revising traditional attributions of some French tin-glazed earthenware through archeological data and geochemical compositions of the bodies

Summary

Significant amounts of French tin-glazed earthenware, also known as faience, are found during archaeological excavations of Quebec colonial sites. Those artifacts are usually identified using morpho-stylistic typologies based on subjective criteria. The development of the archaeology of French production sites allowed a better understanding of specific technical characteristics of some manufactures. According to these data and with the help of geochemical compositions of the bodies, i. e. using objective criteria, traditional attributions have been revised. Thus, by establishing reference values based on manufacturing waste from faience factories dumps, the attribution of several collection pieces was revised. For example, some tin-glazed earthenware so far attributed to La Rochelle or Le Croisic were identified as coming from Nevers. These advances are particularly important regarding the material culture studies in the former colonies of the Atlantic. Indeed, they challenge the archaeological typologies and some interpretative models related to the socio-economic organization of the institutions of New France.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014   •
• Latest Developments on French Ceramics in North America: French Production Sites and Centres

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-76,05