Status and ceramics for planters and slaves on three Georgia coastal plantations

Abstract

Previous work on Georgia plantations has provided useful data about life on the large plantations on barrier islands. More recent work on small to mid-sized plantations reveals that slaves’ acquisition of ceramics may reflect more of their own decisions on what was purchased and what was used. Coarser ware frequencies indicate food preparation and storage in the slave quarters. Porcelain was often found in greater numbers in the slave quarters than in the plantation bighouse kitchen. Like earlier research, slaves at Kings Bay were found to have relatively more small bowls, but surprisingly they had relatively more plates as well. Comparison of slaves and planters using CC Index revealed that for several vessel forms the slaves had more expensive ceramics than their masters. This suggests that the slaves themselves viewed ceramics as status indicators and purchased them accordingly.