There is another source for Colono pottery data that is neither obvious nor
easy to find but the data is quite detailed, giving information on the forms,
materials, uses, techniques and distribution of the finished product.
 
The area is the Rio Motagua valley of Guatemala, a zone with black cimarron
communities in the 16th century and black settlements (many being slaves
escaping from British territory) in the 18th.  The modern localities closest
to the ceramic producing villages are Gualan and Zacapa.
 
The sources of information are: (1) Ceramica Tradicional del Oriente de
Guatemala, Italo Morales Hidalgo, Sub-Centro Regional de Artesanias y Artes
Populars, Coleccion Tierra Adentro 1. 1980. -- for a description of plainware
ceramic manufacture, use and distribution in the 1970's (the last years
before the introduction of plastics).  (2)  1985.   "A Tumpline Economy."
  Labyrinthos Press, Culver City   California. L. H. Feldman.  This last
provides descriptions of manufacture from the 19th and early centuries.
 
     Both of these volumes concentrate on Indian derived ceramics (many of
which are plainware) but I do think it important to note, since neither
volume makes any mention of it, that the Zacapa and Gualan area ceramics may
well have had African origins.
 
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                                   Lawrence H. Feldman
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