Madeleine J. Donachie

Household Ceramics at Port Royal, Jamaica, 1655-1692 (British Archaeological Reports British Series) Madeleine J. Donachie

In 1692 an earthquake destroyed and submerged half of the Jamaican city of Port Royal, a thriving and prosperous commercial centre in the late 17th century. From 1981 to 1990 the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the Texas A & M University in conjunction with the Jamaican National Heritage Trust conducted an underwater excavation of the city's remains. This volume publishes some of the ceramic data from the site, namely Building 4/5 which Donachie identifies as a possible inn or restaurant. The different types of ceramics present, from coarsewares to porcelain, their quantities and function, are discussed with a view to reconstructing the social activities taking place in the building as well as allowing inferences on the standard of living and customs of the city as a whole. Comparative material from two contemporary non-Jamaican sites are discussed and the assemblage is placed within the context of British and local pottery production during this period.