Historical Archaeology in Wachovia: Excavating Eighteenth Century Bethabara and Moravian Pottery

Originally distributed with a different title as a very limited edition of twelve in 1975, Historical Archaeology in Wachovia presents a unique record of the 1753 Moravian town of Bethabara, near Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Stanley South, who led the site's excavation in 1966, fully describes such discoveries as fortifications from the French and Indian War and twenty ruins of various shops and dwellings in the town. He also illustrates methods of ruin excavation and stabilization, including the replacement of palisade posts in the original fort ditch as part of the site's development as Historic Bethabara Park. Some of the most interesting of South's finds concern the confluence of two traditions of pottery and stoneware production. One of these is represented by forty pottery wheel-thrown types and forms made by the master German potter Gottfried Aust between 1755 and 1771, excavated from the ruin of his shop and kiln waster dump. Additional work at both Bethabara and Salem recovered the waster dumps of Aust's journeyman potter Rudolph Christ, who had also studied with the Staffordshire potter William Ellis. Christ's wares, which demonstrate both German and English influences, are discussed in detail. Extensively documented and heavily illustrated with over 320 photographs, drawings, and maps, this volume -- a classic example of the process of historical archaeology as demonstrated by one of its foremost practitioners in America -- is a valuable resource for avocational archaeologists, particularly those living in the Southeast, as well as historical archaeologists, historians, ceramicists, ceramics collectors, students of colonial culture, and museologists. Preliminaries......Page 1 Contents......Page 14 1. Introduction......Page 22 2 . Beginning i n the Wilderness......Page 26 3 . Preliminary Archaeology......Page 30 4 . The Single Brothers House—1755......Page 38 5 . The Gemein Haus (Meeting House) (B1)—1756 and a Family H o u s e ( B 1 1 )-1 7 5 8......Page 48 6 . Gottfried Aust’s Pottery Shop—1756......Page 58 7 . The Bethabara Fort (B50) 1756–1763 and the Bell Tower......Page 64 8 . The Kitchen (B8)—1755, Bakery (B3, 9, 46, 47)—1756, and Dining Hall......Page 86 9. The Taverns (B6,35)—1756 and 1775......Page 90 10 . The Vorsteher's (Business Manager's) House (B7)—1758......Page 98 11. The Doctor's Laboratory (B19)—1759......Page 104 12. The Congregation Store (B18)—1759......Page 112 13. The Smith's House (B25 and B42)—1762......Page 118 14 . The Gunsmith Shop and Smithy (B20)—1759......Page 124 15. The Millwright's House (B26)—1762......Page 138 16. The Bethabara Wells (B4OA–C)—1763......Page 144 17. The Apothecary Shop (B27)—1763 .......Page 154 18. The Tailor Shop......Page 160 19. The Hans Wagner Cabin (B57)—1752......Page 166 20. Stabilizing the Ruins......Page 172 21. Historic Site Development......Page 180 22. Processing the Artifacts......Page 196 23 . The Master Potter Gottfried Aust......Page 206 24 . Archaeology at Gottfried Aust's Pottery Shop at Bethabara......Page 212 25 . Pottery Types Made by Gottfried Aust at Bethabara.......Page 232 26 . Pottery Forms Made by Gottfried Aust at Bethabara.......Page 238 27 . The Master Potter Rudolph Christ......Page 288 28 . Archaeology: The 1966 Excavation of the Christ-Krause Kiln Waster Dump in Bethabara......Page 300 29 . A “Fayance” Sherd Is Discovered in Salem......Page 340 30 . The Search for “Fayance” and the “Fine Pottery” of Christ on Lot 49 in Old Salem......Page 346 31 . Postscript: South Carolina Creamware ( 1975)......Page 386 Appendix......Page 392 References......Page 420 List of Figures......Page 424 List of Oversize Maps and Drawings......Page 446 List of Tables......Page 452 Index......Page 454