Colonial Ceramics in Maryland

European colonists brought numerous pottery varieties with them when they settled in the Chesapeake Region. This section of the web page describes some of the more common diagnostic, or time-sensitive, types that were imported into colonial Maryland between its founding in 1634 and the American Revolution. The definitions provide you with a general description of each ceramic type and then offer reference sources that can be read for more in-depth information. In the future, we hope to add less common pottery types, as well as varieties that have not been as fully described in the archaeological literature.

All of the wares described here are found in Maryland during the period of their manufacture. While there may be some regional differences in quantity from one ware to another, these differences are not major, so there is no need for distribution maps like those provided for the Prehistoric wares. On the photo pages we have attempted to illustrate the range of varieties and decorations for each type, but have not included every possible variation.

The pottery that is found on 17th and 18th century archaeological sites in Maryland came from all over the world. Based on their firing temperatures and the clays used in their manufacture, ceramics are divided into three basic categories – Earthenwares, Stonewares, and Porcelains. Differing methods of decorating and glazing further define specific ware types.

Earthenware is fired at the lowest temperatures, ranging from 900 o to 1050 o C. This pottery is porous and requires glazing on at least one surface to hold liquids. The glaze generally contains lead oxide. Tin oxide is sometimes added to create an opaque glaze. However, not all earthenware is glazed, as is seen today on red clay flowerpots. Earthenwares fired at a low temperature have a soft, porous paste, generally ranging from buff to yellow to pink to red to gray in color. These coarse earthenwares are some of the most plentiful ceramics found on colonial archaeological sites, and their distinctive glazes, body types, and decorations help to date the site’s occupation.

Refinements to pottery manufacture in the 18th century produced thin white and red-bodied wares that are referred to as refined earthenwares. These ceramics, especially the white-bodied ones, came to dominate the pottery market worldwide, as a result of improved techniques for mass production and the expansion of the British Empire. The creamwares, pearlwares, and whitewares of the 18th and 19th centuries are the direct ancestors of the dinner china that we use today.

Stoneware pottery is fired at temperatures between 1200 o to 1300 o C., resulting in a ware that is non-porous (vitrified) and stone-like. Paste color generally ranges from white to gray to tan. While stonewares are impervious to liquids and do not need to be glazed, they often are. Salt-glazing is the most prevalent method used. During the firing, salt is introduced into the kiln. The sodium reacts with silicates in the clays, creating a shiny, pitted surface. This "orange peel" texture is an identifying characteristic of salt-glazed stonewares.

Porcelains are produced from specialized white clays, which can withstand firing temperatures over 1300 o C. This pottery is usually very finely made, and can be transluscent when held up to a light. The Chinese were the first to create porcelains, and kept the technique for making this delicate pottery secret for hundreds of years. Imports of Chinese porcelains became available to the Western world through the trade networks of the Portuguese and Dutch in the 16th and 17th centuries. European and English potters imitated the popular blue and white Chinese wares when manufacturing their tin-glazed earthenwares and white-bodied earthenwares and stonewares. By the 18th century, hard paste and soft paste porcelains were made in Europe and England. Chinese porcelain is glazed using a feldspathic material (petuntse), while European porcelains generally are lead-glazed. Polychrome decorated porcelains require several trips through the kiln at lower temperatures to affix certain colored enamels or glazes.

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Copyright © 2003 by Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab Updated: 02/28/08