Archaeology Collection - Coarse Earthenware Vessel

A Potful of Questions

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This earthenware pot was found in Birchtown, Nova Scotia at what we think are the remains of the home of black loyalist leader Colonel Stephen Blucke. Made for kitchen use, it is similar in design and manufacture to earthenware vessels known to have been made in colonial America by people of African descent. We’ve asked several specialists to help us identify the pot. Where was it made? Was it brought to Nova Scotia at the end of the American Revolution? It’s an important pot – the only one of its kind found at this site – but so far, we’ve been unable to link it to any specific craft tradition.

Object type: 
vessel base (possible jug, jar, or pitcher)
Object #: 
AkDi-23:116
Collection name: 
Date (age/made): 
late 18th century, Loyalist period
Origin/place: 
unknown, possible Caribbean or Mediterranean
Materials: 
coarse earthenware, ceramic
Dimensions: 
7 cm diameter at the base; 14.7 cm diameter at mid vessel; 9.8 cm in height