The Social Landscape of Potteries: Refined Earthenwares at Pottersville, South Carolina

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article provides an analysis of refined earthenwares uncovered in the Pottersville kiln site and associated work areas in Edgefield, SC, during excavations in 2011 and 2013. Past ceramic studies have largely focused on the significance of alkaline-glazed stoneware produced in the Edgefield Pottery District. Refined earthenwares in the Pottersville work areas represented a small percentage of the total ceramic assemblage. Yet, they prompt a variety of social, political, and economic questions. What does the presence of these European wares across work areas indicate about social landscapes and daily experiences? Given the pottery owner’s initial desire to manufacture refined earthenware, and his unionist (American protectionist) political allegiances, how do such imported goods relate to national identity issues in the decades before the Civil War? Lastly, data from makers’ marks helps to situate Pottersville within broader market networks and political currents during a period of intensifying global realignments.