The sherd was a classic medieval type - fine, green-glazed white ware
with occasional  large clear quartz inclusions. As I stated it was so
unlike the post-med Saintonge types (of wheich they were awash)  the
Parks Canada ceramacists didn't even recognise it as a Saintonge fabric.
The medieval fabrics are very common in Britain unlike the post-med
white and red wares both in fabric and glaze. You don't get that apple
green glaze, for example,  on the med types..


paul

Carl Steen wrote:

>In a message dated 2/10/2005 7:55:30 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
>I saw a  sherd of medieval Saintonge ware (probably pre-1500- it wasn't
>recognisable  as Saintonge at all to the Parks Canada ceramacists) in
>Quebec City a few  years back. I suppose it had probably arrived as
>ballast or just possibly  as a very archaic hierloom. I know Roman sherds
>have turned up in the  Chesapeake as ballast. I was wondering out of mere
>curiosity if there any  further such archaic finds from north America
>apart from later  collectors.
>
>paul courtney
>Leicester
>LE2  1WJ
>
>
>
>Paul - We get ballast artifacts here in the southeastern US. I've  seen more
>stone tools than anything else. But we also find Saintonge  wares, (red
>earthenwares with bright green glazes) in archaeological contexts.  These usually
>date to around the time of the American Revolution (fourth quarter  of the 18th
>c.). We also find Rouen Faience in similar temporal  contexts... Is it
>possible that what you saw was not medieval? But if it  is, again, it wouldn't be
>that big of a surprise.
>
>Carl Steen
>
>
>