Artifacts in Focus: Transfer Print Ironstone (April 8, 2020)

This ironstone mug fragment was recovered from a stream in Middletown, New Jersey. The stream is adjacent to the historic Middletown Village, which is home to many homes dating to the early 18th century, in addition to one bicentennial house situated about a quarter mile upstream. Ironstone, which was primarily produced from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century, was often decorated with molded designs such as the paneled foliage motif seen in this piece. Foliage motifs were most popular in the 1850s and 1860s.

With a background in botany, the finder of this fragment sees a resemblance between the foliage depicted on this mug and the native plant Uvularia (or Merrybells), which can be seen in Tatum County Park! What do you think? Is it possible that this mug was used by a member of one of the nearby households in the 19th century? 

📸: Kyle Clayton

Artifacts in Focus: Transfer Print Ironstone (March 4, 2020)

Ironstone isn’t likely to rock the boat on an archaeological excavation as it is a relatively common find ranging in production from about the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. This Ironstone bowl base fragment broke in all the right places, however, revealing a charming boat scene - perhaps one that is reminiscent of the Lewis and Clark expedition. What do you think??

Ironstone, a durable refined earthenware, is often dated based on its decorative style and color, as certain motifs and colors were more heavily produced within a particular range of time. This example is transfer printed in light blue, placing its production within the approximate range of 1840 to 1867.

Its period of use, however, is largely dependent upon the archaeological context in which it was found, which might indicate that it was used much later than that. Unfortunately, this piece was displaced and its actual period of use is unknown.

You can learn more about archaeological methods of dating (no dinner required!) here: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dating-in-archaeology?fbclid=IwAR16mVoB71IIBGGZN3eaasCnApSNRAW1qhGGZuZveWO-8cgCjUKHy_eeOGw

📸: Alexis Alemy