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Research Article

Porcelain waste and porcelain production in Worcester: the landscape evidence from fieldwalking

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Pages 268-290 | Received 21 Jun 2022, Accepted 28 Mar 2023, Published online: 04 Oct 2023
 

Summary

Field survey can provide a longitudinal sample of ceramic production from the porcelain factories which operated in the city of Worcester from 1751 to 2009. Until the twentieth century domestic and industrial waste from the city was used as manure/hard core on fields throughout the county. We have found kiln waste and biscuit wasters from the earliest phases of production to wares made in the late 19th/twentieth century, along with contemporaneous domestic discard. This assemblage provides a series of snapshots of porcelain and semi-porcelain production allowing us to identify trends in types of fabrics, forms, manufacturing and consumption.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to acknowledge the following people and organizations for their support in this project. Funding and site access came through the University Worcester, School of Science and the Environment, Department of Archaeology and Geography. Field data was collected by the students of the Introduction to Archaeology, finds analysis was conducted with the support of Samantha Elwell, Jordan Morris, as well as students of the Science and Archaeology module. Thanks to Rob Hedges of Worcestershire Archives and Archaeology Service, Malcolm Nixon, Harry Frost and Sophie Heath, director of the Museum of Royal Worcester, for additional support.

SUMMARY IN FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN AND SPANISH

FRENCH

REBUTS DE PORCELAINE ET PRODUCTION DE PORCELAINE À WORCESTER : LE TÉMOIGNAGE PAYSAGER DE LA PROSPECTION PÉDESTRE

RÉSUMÉ : La prospection au sol a fourni un échantillon longitudinal de la production de céramique des manufactures de porcelaine qui ont fonctionné dans la ville de Worcester de 1751 à 2009. Jusqu’au XX e siècle, les déchets domestiques et industriels de la ville étaient utilisés comme fumier ou comme remblais dans les champs du comté. Des rebuts de cuisson et des déchets de biscuits datant des premières phases de la production jusqu’aux produits fabriqués à la fin du XIX e -XX e siècle ont été découverts, ainsi que des déchets domestiques contemporains. Cet assemblage livre une série d’instantanés de la production de porcelaine et de semi-porcelaine qui permettent d’identifier les tendances en matière de pâtes, de formes, de fabrication et de consommation.

GERMAN

PORZELLANABFÄLLE UND PORZELLANPRODUKTION IN WORCESTER: DER LANDSCHAFTSBEWEIS DURCH FELDBEGEHUNG

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Die Feldstudie liefert uns ein Muster im Längsschnitt der Zeitachse, welches Aufschluss gibt über die Keramikproduktion durch Porzellanfabriken, die in der Stadt Worcester von 1751 bis 2009 betrieben wurde. Bis zum 20. Jahrhundert wurden Haushalts- und Industrieabfälle genutzt als Dünger und Schotterunterfütterung auf den Feldern und umliegenden Ländereien. Wir haben Abfälle aus Brennöfen und Biskuitabfälle aus den frühen Phasen der Produktion bis hin zu Waren aus dem späten 19./20. Jahrhundert gefunden, zusammen mit zeitgenössischem Hausmüll. Diese Sammlung bietet eine Reihe von Momentaufnahmen der Porzellan- und Halbporzellanproduktion, die uns ermöglichen, Entwicklungen bezüglich Material, Form, Herstellung und Konsumverhalten zu identifizieren.

ITALIAN

SCARTI DI PRODUZIONE E MANIFATTURA DI PORCELLANA A WORCESTER: TESTIMONIANZE NEL PAESAGGIO DALLA RICOGNIZIONE ARCHEOLOGICA

RIASSUNTO: La ricerca di superficie può fornire una testimonianza diacronica della produzione di porcellana nelle fabbriche attive nella cittadina di Worcester dal 1751 al 2009. Fino al XX secolo, gli scarti domestici e quelli di produzione provenienti dalla città furono impiegati come concime/riempimento nei campi di tutta la regione. Sono stati trovati scarti di fornace di prodotti finiti e di biscotti riconducibili alle prime fasi di produzione, così come prodotti realizzati nel tardo XIX e nel XX secolo, unitamente a scarti domestici coevi. Questo nucleo fornisce una serie di spaccati sulla produzione di porcellana e semi-porcellana, permettendoci di identificare le tendenze relativamente ai tipi di impasto, alle forme, al processo produttivo e all’impiego degli oggetti finiti.

SPANISH

PRODUCCIÓN Y DESECHOS DE PORCELANA EN WORCESTER: DATOS DE PROSPECCIÓN EN EL PAISAJE

RESUMEN: La prospección arqueológica puede producir una muestra longitudinal de la producción de cerámica de las fábricas de porcelana que operaron en la ciudad de Worcester desde 1751 hasta 2009, ya que los desechos domésticos e industriales de la ciudad se utilizaron hasta el siglo XX como estiércol en los campos de la zona. Durante las prospecciones hemos encontrado restos de hornos y desechos de las primeras fases de producción hasta finales del siglo XIX y XX, junto con desechos domésticos contemporáneos. El conjunto nos ofrece datos sobre la producción de porcelana y semiporcelana que nos permiten identificar tendencias en los tipos de pastas, formas, fabricación y consumo de la época.

Notes

1 Palmer, Nevell & Sissons Citation2012, 7.

2 Belford Citation2011, 211; Barker & Majewski Citation2006; Miller 1980, Citation1991 in Barker & Majewski Citation2006, 207.

3 Johnson 1996, 87-90 in Belford Citation2011, 217.

4 Belford Citation2011, 217.

5 Gell Citation1992, in Robb Citation2015, 169.

6 Palmer, Nevell & Sissons Citation2012, 12; Barker Citation2003, 3; J. Sandon Citation1981.

7 Owen Citation1998.

8 Edwards Citation2020.

9 e.g. Ramsay, et al 2013 for Limehouse; Jay Citation2018 for Worcester.

10 Palmer, Nevell & Sissons Citation2012, 9.

11 Loney & Hoaen Citation2021, Citation2022.

12 Jones Citation2018; Loney & Hoaen Citation2022.

13 e.g. Barker Citation1995, the Biferno Valley.

14 e.g. Barker Citation1995, Ammerman and Feldman Citation1978, Riordan Citation1988; Dunnell Citation1992.

15 Brooks et al. Citation2009.

16 King Citation2004 summarizes the resistance to ploughzone survey by historical archaeologists in the 1970s and 80s, after prehistoric archaeologists had embraced the technique.

17 Cunningham Citation2011.

19 E.g Patrick & Ratkai Citation2009; Pearce Citation2008.

20 E.g. The Birth of Industrial Glasgow, Nevell 2016; The Limehouse Porcelain Manufactory, Tyler & Stephenson 2000.

21 E.g. Rathje & Murphy Citation2001.

22 e.g. Barker Citation1995, the Biferno Valley.

23 Loney & Hoaen Citation2021.

24 Bourn et al. Citation2008; Thomas Citation2016.

25 Loney & Hoaen Citation2021.

26 See Loney & Hoaen Citation2021, Citation2022 for a full methods and results discussion.

27 Hughes & Leech Citation2014.

28 Environment Agency 2011.

29 Edwards Citation2020, 4.

30 Edwards Citation2020, 5.

31 Edwards Citation2020, 5.

32 cf. Savage & Newman Citation1985, 227.

33 Edwards Citation2020; 6; Owen Citation1998, 63.

34 Savage & Newman Citation1985, 27; Edwards Citation2020, 6.

35 Hurlbutt 1925.

36 Barrett Citation1966.

37 Pearce Citation2008.

38 Savage & Newman Citation1985, 227.

39 Sandon Citation1980, 1; Jones Citation2018, 97; Binns Citation1877.

40 Jones Citation2018, 97; Sandon Citation1980.

41 Cushion & Cushion 1992, 201, 247.

42 Jones Citation2018, 98-99.

43 J. Sandon Citation1981; H. Sandon Citation1980.

44 Sandon Citation1980, 31.

45 Deborah Fox and James Dinn, Worcestershire Museums, pers. comm.

47 e.g. Anderson Citation2003; van Laun & Cook 2008 a-d; Wallis & Colls Citation2006; Bradley Citation2013; Mundin Citation2019; Sánchez Citation2019.

48 e.g., Vince & Stean 2007, 2008.

49 Vince & Steane, in Milbank & Mundin 2004, 12.

50 Milbank & Mundin 2004, 8.

51 Cherrington Citation2002; WAAS forthcoming.

52 Pearce Citation2008

53 Pearce et al. Citation2013

54 Tyler et al. Citation2000.

55 Forbes & Haggarty Citation2007.

57 Pearce Citation2008 has reported on several cases of misidentifications in London assemblages.

58 Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab Citation2021; Majewski & O’Brien Citation1987.

59 Hurlbutt 1925, 63-64; Owen Citation2003, 85; Cushion & Cushion 1992, 85.

60 e.g. Savage and Newman 1974: 311.

62 Edwards Citation2020, 7.

63 Edwards Citation2020, 7; see Jay Citation2018; Owen Citation1998, Citation2003.

64 e.g. Cushion & Cushion 1992.

65 c.f. Eccles & Rackham 1922, in Edwards Citation2020, 50.

66 Sandon Citation1980.

67 Owen Citation2003, 84, see also Edwards Citation2020, 28.

68 Jay Citation2018, 9.

69 Owen Citation2003, 86.

70 Edwards Citation2020, 7.

71 Godden Citation1992, 366.

72 Godden Citation1992, 367.

73 e.g. Owen Citation2003, 85.

74 e.g. Pearce 2007; Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab Citation2021; Godden Citation2004, 139.

75 Edwards Citation2020, 7; Godden Citation2004, 139.

76 Godden Citation1992, 368.

77 Godden Citation2004, 145, see also Sandon & Sandon Citation1989.

78 Stringer 1949 in Godden Citation2004, 145.

79 Godden Citation2004, 146.

80 Edwards Citation2020, 139; Savage & Newman Citation1985, 51.

81 Edwards Citation2020, 138.

82 Edwards Citation2020, 139; Jones Citation2018, 64, Table IX.

83 Edwards Citation2020, 139.

84 Godden Citation1982, 75.

85 Sandon Citation1980, 61.

86 Miller (Citation1991) argues that the divisions between cream ware, pearlware and whitewares are not very reliable as time or technological indicators, and that the whole category should be grouped together as ‘CC’ or Cream Coloured Wares. Current ceramic reports, however, do ue this distinction, including the JeffPat guidance. Consequently, we will use the system as we set out, referring to Cream, Pearl and Whitewares. See also Magid Citation2010, C-20.

87 Cushion & Cushion 1992, 246.

88 Collections of the Museum of Royal Worcester, Severn Street, Worcester.

89 Cushion & Cushion 1992, 247.

90 Nixon pers comm.

91 Edwards Citation2020, 62.

92 Neale Citation2005.

93 Barker Citation1997.

94 Vince & Steane Citation2007, 1-2.

95 c.f. Brown, Jennings & Mepham Citation1998.

96 Cushion & Cushion 1992.

97 Owen 200.3

98 Ramsay & Ramsay Citation2008, 249.

99 Owen Citation2003; Jay Citation2018; Godden Citation1992; Ramsay & Ramsay Citation2008.

100 Edwards Citation2020, 6; Barrett Citation1966, 36.

101 Godden Citation2004, 146.

102 Godden Citation2004, 145; Sandon & Sandon Citation1989.

103 Barrett Citation1966, 37-38.

104 Edwards Citation2020, 4.

105 e.g. Edwards Citation2020, 4.

106 e.g. Latour Citation1993; Pinch & Bjiker 1987, 17.

107 Barrett Citation1966, 37.

108 Godden Citation1982, 148-149.

109 Godden Citation1992, 245-247.

110 Environment Agency 2011.

111 Hughes & Leech Citation2014; Bryant Citation2011.

112 Sandon Citation1980, 18.

113 Sandon Citation1980, 15.

114 Harry Frost pers. comm.

115 Edwards Citation2020.

116 Pearce et al. Citation2013, 287.

117 Pearce et al. Citation2013, 302.

118 Pearce et al. Citation2013, 287.

119 e.g. Sanchez 2019, Wessex 2014.

120 J. Sandon Citation1981; H. Sandon Citation1980.

121 Tyler & Stephenson 2000.

122 e.g. Bingham 2022; Cunningham Citation2011.

123 c.f. Wooler Citation2015 for the excavation of a back-to-back in Sheffield, Whitehead & Conlin Casella Citation2012 for a working-class house.

124 Crewe et al. Citation2013, for a Manor House in Sheffield, Malim Citation2001 for the Fulbourne Manor House, Cambridgeshire.

125 Pearce Citation2008; Pearce et al. Citation2013.

126 Rakai 2009.

127 c.f. White, Paynter, & Brown 2022, e.g., Coleman-Smith & Pearson Citation1988 the Donyatt potteries, Robinson Citation2005 the Caughley Saggar Works, Nevell 2016, 76-104 the Caledonia Pottery, Glasgow.

128 e.g. Barker Citation2003, 1, however, see Yearsley Moor Young Citation2013, the Tamar Valley community project, Cunningham Citation2011, the Fulbourn Manor Estate survey Malim Citation2001, the Bingham Archaeology Project BHTA 2022.

129 e.g. Burslem & Hanley; Kelly 1969 in Barker Citation2003, 2.

130 Cunningham Citation2011; the Fulbourn Manor Estate survey Malim Citation2001.

131 Robb Citation2015, 171.

132 c.f. Gell Citation1992, Citation1998.

133 Cochran & Beaudry Citation2006; c.f. the Alderley Sandhills Project, Conlin Casella 2005, 11; the Archaeology of Machinic Consumerism, Roller 2018.

134 Whitehead & Conlin Casella Citation2012; Henry’s Mill, Davies Citation2006; Urban social cohesion, Symonds 2010.

135 the Annapolis Project, Leone 1993, Citation1995; Warner, Citation1998.

136 Robb Citation2015, 169.

137 Digimap Citation2022.