Human remains were disinterred (dug up) repeatedly at Burr's Hill throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century in the course of mining sand and gravel for various construction projects.
Accidental finds continued to be made from time to time, stimulating a lively local controversy over the question of their origin. The prevailing view was that the individuals buried at Burr's Hill were Warren's aboriginal inhabitants , Wampanoag Indians, but there were dissenters in the town, who argued that, because of the many European-made objects found in the graves, the remains must be those of black slaves. The dispute was finally resolved when, in the spring of 1913, gravel mining operations again intruded into the burial ground and Charles Read Carr, a local resident and librarian of the George Hail Free Library in Warren, undertook the first and only systematic archaeological excavations ever conducted at the site. The remnants of straight black hair adhering to some of the skeletons, as well as the presence of wampum and stone tools among the grave goods, convinced Carr that Burr's Hill was in fact a Wampanoag cemetery."
A single completely intact example of what has been described as a domestic form of red earthenware was excavated by Carr at the site of Burr's Hill in Rhode Island. The archaeology report describes this object: "This is a reddish-brown lead glazed mug exhibiting a common seventeenth century vessel shape. While it is likely that this piece was made by a New England potter, it is (almost) impossible to make such an attribution with complete certainty.
A domestic midden (dump) excavated in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, dating to the period 1640-1700, contained a substantial amount of lead glazed red earthenware with glaze and paste almost identical to the Burr's Hill mug. The source of this material is presently unknown, but it is possible that a potter was at work at the Portsmouth-Newport, Rhode Island area by the middle of the seventeenth century. But the possibility that the Burr's Hill mug is an import from the Massachusetts Bay Colony cannot be ruled out, either. Whether English or domestic, the mug's shape indicates that it was (likely) made during the 1630-1680 period."
Based on what has been proven in recent years about the eighteenth century Charlestown, Massachusetts potter's industry (active ca. 1635-1775), it would not surprise me if this mug was from Massachusetts since Charlestown red earthenware was shipped in quantity throughout New England in the 1700s. It is certainly possible that this mug may have originated in Charlestown, where the Drinker and Kettle (or Kettel) potteries were active during the period that was cited; although, this mug could have also been made elsewhere in Massachusetts, such as a potter's business that may have been located in southeastern Massachusetts.
Note: I have previously written a few articles about the availability of red earthenware in Rhode Island, which was a state that was not really known for its red earthenware production. Instead, it was a state that was heavily dominated by products made in southeastern Massachusetts in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
It has also recently been determined that all of the known artifacts recovered at Burr's Hill will be reburied since they were removed from a Native American burial ground. But I do not currently know if it has been decided when this will take place, yet.
17th Century Red Earthenware Mug Recovered in Warren, RI
17th Century Red Earthenware Mug Recovered at Burr's Hill in Warren, RI
This Mug was Recovered from a Wampanoag Burial Site
The Mug is Decorated with a Reddish-Brown Lead Glaze
The Mug is Thought to be a Domestic New England Product, Possibly Made in Massachusetts
Circa 1640-1680
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: 'Burr's Hill: A 17th Century Wampanoag Burial Ground in Warren, RI'
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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