Artifacts Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Privy in Philadelphia

Yesterday, I wrote about an important group of domestic Colonial artifacts that were recovered by archaeologists at the site of the Museum of the American Revolution. Some of these previously undocumented artifacts were on display this past winter at the annual Ceramics and Glass Fair in New York City. The wares represented production in Philadelphia from both immigrant French and German potters, and the site that these wares were discovered was also the oldest location in Philadelphia.

About one-tenth of a mile from the site of the Museum of the American Revolution is where Chris Rowell and others recently recovered a variety of locally-made wares and imported products. These objects were carefully removed from a circa 1750s-1760s brick-lined privy at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia.

A group of imported pottery was found within this context. The objects included a number of styles of English stoneware and a possible example of pottery from the Caribbean, which may be related to artifacts recovered from a similar context at Faneuil Hall in Boston.

However, the locally-made slip-decorated red earthenware discovered in this privy is absolutely remarkable. The best example is likely a sgraffito red earthenware dish adorned with a large bird in the center. This object is thought to have been produced locally in the early-to-mid-eighteenth century, and the decoration resembles some of the sgraffito decoration found on red earthenware from North Devon, England recovered by archaeologists from Strawbery Banke within a similar Colonial context in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Red Earthenware Dishes and Plates

18th Century Slip-Decorated Sgraffito Red Earthenware Plate Attributed to Philadelphia

Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Brick-Lined Privy 

The Privy was Located at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Chris Rowell

18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Plate Attributed to Philadelphia

Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Brick-Lined Privy 

The Privy was Located at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Chris Rowell

18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Plate Attributed to Philadelphia

Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Brick-Lined Privy 

The Privy was Located at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Chris Rowell

18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Plate

Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Brick-Lined Privy 

The Privy was Located at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Chris Rowell

18th Century Slip-Decorated Red Earthenware Plate Attributed to Philadelphia

Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Brick-Lined Privy 

The Privy was Located at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Chris Rowell

Black-Glazed Red Earthenware

18th Century Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Pot Attributed to Philadelphia

Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Brick-Lined Privy 

The Privy was Located at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Chris Rowell

18th Century Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Mug Attributed to Philadelphia

Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Brick-Lined Privy 

The Privy was Located at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Chris Rowell

18th Century Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Pot Attributed to Philadelphia

Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Brick-Lined Privy 

The Privy was Located at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Chris Rowell

18th Century Black-Glazed Red Earthenware Chamber Pot Pot Attributed to Philadelphia

Recovered from a Circa 1750s-1760s Brick-Lined Privy 

The Privy was Located at 5 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: Chris Rowell

Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...