An inquisition of deposition: late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century ceramics from two Wilmington, Delaware archaeological sites
Date
1988
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Federal period ceramics are used marginally in museum collections to interpret social ritual, domestic custom, and changing decorative fashion. Historical archaeologists have depended heavily on these wares to date and to determine the basic character of a site. Both archaeological and decorative arts scholarship have focused upon ceramics' relative market values, in an attempt to discover patterns of ceramic ownership affiliated with socio-economic status. Teawares and tablewares have been interpreted as markers used in status display. The examination of seven archaeological features and a survey of thirty-three estate inventories demonstrates little difference between ceramics owned by rich and poor Wilmingtonians. The spatial division of preparation and service ceramics within the household inventories permits the delineation of a model for ceramic usage and placement. The use of ceramics for display in Wilmington homes is interpreted as a display of sufficiency and hospitality, rather than of expensive, status-linked wares. (Abstract from ProQuest citation page.)