Historic Ceramic Identification

This jigsaw introduction to pottery identific.

Historic ceramic identification.

Stoneware is a clay ceramic frequently used for utilitarian vessels such as crockery or sewer pipe. Ceramics identification is clear as mud. With the support of the national endowment for the humanities we are able to offer it online as a service to archaeologists museum curators material culture specialists and anyone. It is frequently recovered from historic sites in illinois dating to the 1870 s and is the earliest ceramic horizon commonly encountered in the upper sangamon valley.

Pottery is usually the most common find and potsherds are more stable than organic materials and metals. If you want to really understand the handmade pottery in your collections we recommend the following. Pottery marks identification guide index a collection of pottery marks using photos and images from our antique collection. Most types of historic ceramics that is post 1492 ceramics of european origin or inspiration are classified according to three primary attributes.

Ceramics ceramics found on archaeological sites in the west can generally be categorized into one of three basic types. Stoneware earthenware and porcelain. For easy reference and as a quick guide to the possible attribution of your latest porcelain collectible or pottery marks. Pottery identification is a valuable aid to dating of archaeological sites.

As pottery techniques and fashions have evolved so it is often possible to be very specific in terms of date and source. Based on their firing temperatures and the clays used in their manufacture ceramics are divided into three basic categories earthenwares and stonewares and porcelains. The pottery that is found on 17th and 18th century archaeological sites in maryland came from all over the world. Some marks look like a circle square bird or animal shape etc.

The florida museum of natural history s online type collections of historic period archaeological ceramics 1492 1850 is a fully searchable digital resource. Hope that some of our participants now agree that clear as mud doesn t have to be an oxymoron when it comes to historic pottery production. The answers are written in the clay. Paste surface treatment glaze and decoration.

Identify a mark by shape. Marks with letters are listed in alphabetical order.