Hi all,

I wonder if any of you can suggest a more precise dating range for two types of ceramic that we have recovered at Poplar Forest, Bedford County, Virginia at an antebellum slave cabin. Sherds of each of these types of ceramic have been found in a subfloor pit which was filled in at some point after 1858 (our latest dating artifact from the feature, which contains nearly 3,000 artifacts). I am pasting a flickr link to images below, but will describe each type briefly.

One vessel is a light blue transfer-printed (underglaze), stippled floral pattern on whiteware. It is printed with different designs on the interior and exterior. What makes it different from the other light blue transfer printed ceramics at the site is the distinctive color and the fact that the dense stippling technique used on the interior creates a blue field behind the white flowers. The exterior has blue flowers against the white background.



The second vessel is a clobbered transfer printed whiteware. The black transfer print is underglaze and the handpainting is overglaze.



If you have any suggestions for better dating ranges than post-1825, I would love to hear them! Also, if you have any ideas about patterns or makers, these are also appreciated.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/54308999@N05/



best,

Lori Lee

Archaeology Lab Director

Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

434-534-8104

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