Abstract
Archaeological classification of ceramics is an outgrowth of the study of material from 17th and 18th century sites and as such they reflect the classification system in use during those centuries. By the 19th century the range of wares available was greatly reduced due to the success of the English ceramic industry which displaced many fine ware types such as white salt glazed stoneware and tin-glazed earthenware. The major type available in the 19th century was English white earthenware which included creamware, pearlware, white ware, and the stone chinas. By the 19th century classification of these wares by potters, merchants, and people who used them was by how they were decorated (i.e., painted, edged, dipped, printed etc.) rather than the ware types as defined by archaeologists. Using a classification based on decoration will achieve two things: an ability to integrate archaeological data with historical data and establishment of a more consistent classification system than is now possible using ware types.
The second part of this paper generates a set of index values from price lists, bills of lading, and account books which can be used to study the expenditures made on cups, plates, and bowls from archaeological assemblages from the first half of the 19th century. Expenditure patterns from five sites are discussed.
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Miller, G.L. Classification and economic scaling of 19th century ceramics. Hist Arch 14, 1–40 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03373454
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03373454