Asian Stonewares in the Early Modern Period: global processes and local consequences

Abstract

In this paper, we outline a program of elemental characterization (NAA, ICP) for a large sample of stoneware jars and jar fragments from Asian and European (Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and English) wreck assemblages recovered from the China Sea as well as from along the long-distance trade routes of the period. The majority of these assemblages range in date from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century. We also includes a substantial sample of stoneware jars from a National Museum of the Philippines and the University of Michigan collections from Philippine burials as well as other terrestrial locales. Results indicated seventeen discrete production sources ranging from southern China to Burma. In combination with typological information and chronological organization, these groups can provide a valuable proxy for assessing changes in regional production strategies through the transition to the modern era. This comprehensive database makes it possible to compare results of ongoing analyses of archaeological stoneware samples from new archaeological excavations. While relatively large this study must be considered as a preliminary attempt to develop a new perspective on the social, economic, and political dynamics of this time and region. The analytical dataset supporting this paper is accessible online for download (Grave 2013).