Some Colonial Red Earthenware Sherds Recovered in Maine

While working on my forthcoming tenth book last week, I came across a PDF of a dissertation written by Dr. Arthur R. Clausnitzer Jr. in 2018 for the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, titled, The Seventeenth-Century English Cod Fisheries of Newfoundland and New England, circa 1600-1713: An Archaeological and Historical Comparison: https://www.shoalsmarinelaboratory.org/sites/default/files/media/2022-12/seventeenth-century-english-cod-fisheries_0.pdf.

There were a number of artifacts illustrated in this paper that were interesting, although it was these red earthenware sherds that piqued my interest the most. The first two photos show domestic slip decorated red earthenware sherds that were recovered from a colonial archaeological context on Smuttynose Island in Maine. These artifacts may have originated at the industry in Charlestown, Massachusetts, however, based on the book that I am working on now, I have found that there was also a good amount of slip decorated red earthenware produced before 1750 elsewhere along coastal Massachusetts, including in Essex County and Bristol County. Slip decorated red earthenware was also produced in Portsmouth, New Hampshire before 1750: https://historicbeverly.net/product/an-influential-family-of-early-potters-the-clarks-of-new-hampshire-and-related-businesses/.

The third and fourth photos show red earthenware sherds that were recovered from Colonial Pemaquid, Maine. I suspect the slip decorated sherd originated in Charlestown, although the unglazed sherds are rather interesting, seeing that they are impressed with some type of stamp.

Some Colonial Red Earthenware Sherds Recovered in Maine

Published as Part of a  Dissertation Written by Dr. Arthur R. Clausnitzer Jr. in 2018 for the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Titled, The Seventeenth-Century English Cod Fisheries of Newfoundland and New England, circa 1600-1713: An Archaeological and Historical Comparison

See Above for More Information

Published as Part of a  Dissertation Written by Dr. Arthur R. Clausnitzer Jr. in 2018 for the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Titled, The Seventeenth-Century English Cod Fisheries of Newfoundland and New England, circa 1600-1713: An Archaeological and Historical Comparison

See Above for More Information

Published as Part of a  Dissertation Written by Dr. Arthur R. Clausnitzer Jr. in 2018 for the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Titled, The Seventeenth-Century English Cod Fisheries of Newfoundland and New England, circa 1600-1713: An Archaeological and Historical Comparison

See Above for More Information

Published as Part of a  Dissertation Written by Dr. Arthur R. Clausnitzer Jr. in 2018 for the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Titled, The Seventeenth-Century English Cod Fisheries of Newfoundland and New England, circa 1600-1713: An Archaeological and Historical Comparison

See Above for More Information

Note: These slip decorated sherds were recovered from the Old Mill Pond area of Smith's Cove in the town of Brooksville, Maine, which is a very short distance from Castine, Maine.

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Brian Mills

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