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1 ·---··--,------;-. '" ' . > I 1 Late Eighteenth Century Artefacts from ·• I .. · Phillipsburgh, Norfolk . ' I I I Robert V J P Varman Ph D . ' > I ABOVE: SITE OF PHILLIPSBURGH, BEING THE FLATTER AREAS IN THE MID AND FOREGROUND OF THE PHOTOGRAPH. THE FORD INDICATES THE LINE OF THE PRE-1990 ROAD. THE TALLER NOROLK . PINES TO THE RIGHT ARE ABOUT 140 YEARS OLD. I The following is presented in with minimum text to give workers enthusiasts in the field of colomal archaeology an Idea of what may be expected from .a late eighteenth century · · site. As 100% of the material was imported to the Island and probably more than 95% exported I from Britain, the artefacts have relevance to any site of British influence of the same period .. "!l ' - ., . Documentary evidence suggests that the bloom period of the Phillipsburgb township was from 1 1791 to about 179(i. Less is beard of the township after 1796, as the flax industry was wound down and the area became less important· as a govermnent farm and a place of regiment · accommodation (NSW Corps). · . ' .. --- ..... I Norfolk Island became to be depopulated in stages, particularly during the years 1804 and 1807. · . · By 1808 only 255 men, women and children remained out of a population high .of 1,115 in 1791. 1 By 1808 the bulk of the people lived on fanns or at Kingston. 1 .. An account of surface archaeological. material retrieved 1 from the Phillipsburgh township site 1984- 1997 I During the years from 1984 to 1990 several hundred artefacts were salvaged from the site, the I bull<. of being small glass cerami.c fragments with dates centring on the 1790s. The followmg IS a summary of the matenal exammed: > Introduction I The site of the Phillipsburgh township was confirmed by the discovery of surface material in 1 1984 when I was conducting an archaeological survey of the Island for the Australian Heritage Commission. · ' - I, .

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1·---··--,------;-. --:------~---~

~~-· '" ···~ • •

' . >

I •

1 Late Eighteenth Century Artefacts from ·•

• I .. · Phillipsburgh, Norfolk Isla~d . '

I· •

I I I

Robert V J P Varman Ph D . '

>

I ABOVE: SITE OF PHILLIPSBURGH, BEING THE FLATTER AREAS IN THE MID AND FOREGROUND OF THE PHOTOGRAPH. THE FORD INDICATES THE LINE OF THE PRE-1990 ROAD. THE TALLER NOROLK .

PINES TO THE RIGHT ARE ABOUT 140 YEARS OLD.

I The following is presented in illustr~tions with minimum text to give workers ~nd enthusiasts in the field of colomal archaeology an Idea of what may be expected from .a late eighteenth century · · site. As 100% of the material was imported to the Island and probably more than 95% exported I from Britain, the artefacts have relevance to any site of British influence of the same period ..

"!l ' - .,

. Documentary evidence suggests that the bloom period of the Phillipsburgb township was from

11791 to about 179(i. Less is beard of the township after 1796, as the flax industry was wound down and the area became less important· as a govermnent farm and a place of regiment · accommodation (NSW Corps). · . ' .. --- .....

I Norfolk Island became to be depopulated in stages, particularly during the years 1804 and 1807. · . · By 1808 only 255 men, women and children remained out of a population high .of 1,115 in 1791.

1 By 1808 the bulk of the people lived on fanns or at Kingston.

1 .. An account of surface archaeological. material retrieved 1 from the Phillipsburgh township site

1984- 1997 I • •

During the years from 1984 to 1990 several hundred artefacts were salvaged from the site, the

I bull<. of th~ m~terial being small glass an~ cerami.c fragments with dates centring on the 1790s. The followmg IS a summary of the matenal exammed:

> •

Introduction I • •

The site of the Phillipsburgh township was confirmed by the discovery of surface material in

11984 when I was conducting an archaeological survey of the Island for the Australian Heritage Commission. · ' -•

• •

I, . • • •

• •

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I The bulk of the material centres on a 1790s date but some of the material may be earlier because of transportation and shelf-life and some may be slightly later. The artefacts are unlikely to have

I a date of manufacture later than 1803, considering the state of the Island population as from 1804 and the decline of the township after about 1796. ;

• • •

I Modern materials found were retained to maintain a complete record of finds. There was no n!aterial which could be dated from between the 1820s to the'1930s: so the material collected was either very early or very late. · ·

I The art~facts fell into a number ?f function-based categ?ries: domestic, indu~trial, ~!l~tary, naval and agncultural. The documentation revealed the followmg types of former Site actiVIties: flax dressing and weaving, agriculture, military, storage and by implication, domestic. Nothing was

I found. ~hat could only be attributed to the f!ax industry, ex~ept perhaps a small s~ckle: this is not surprismg as most of the flax dressers' eqmpment was basic and make-do. Weavmg apparatus remains have not been found to date (though Peter Horrocks reported that a small wheel had been

I found in the bank and lodged with the Museum). A very similar range of material was excavated at Kingston in deposits of the same era, excepting perhaps for agricultural artefacts. .

The significance of the site is enhanced by the fact that it was a site with a limited number of I years of development and was not ~ntensively used for anything thereafter except for agriculture

I I

and grazing.

Artefact fabric categories

Ceramics

I Chinese Export Porcelain

,

I One of the most common ~ares found on the site. ~everal basic. ~pes we~e identified:

(1) Underglaze blue was the most common form w1th both very fme detailed and more careless

I hand painted designs. The fine and care~ess forms have been found to~eth~r on other sites I have exammed on Norfolk Island and Austraha. ·The glaze always has a blmsh tmge.

I I I I •

.I?ISESS_H.~.RE f:QRJvtORE EXAl'vtPLES (Page 1).

I HANDPAINTED UNDE~GLAZE BLUE PLATE EDGES. TWO MATCHING PLATE FRAGMENTS (UPPER LEFT) SHOW DISTINCT EVIDENCE OF DRILLING. THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT THE PLATE WAS

I REPAIRED. TWO HOLES WERE DRILLED AND AN IRON CLAMP, OR ~RIDGE, INSERTED TO UNITE TH£ TWO HALVES. (Scale: top left shard approx 30mm wide). .

I (2) Underglaze dull or greyish blue designs, resembling some Ming wares but not of such an age.

I

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I (3) As (2) in design colour but associated with a granulated white crazed glaze.

I (4) Overglaze multicoloured designs. The glaze is nearly always clear rather than having a blue tinge. There are several varieties from rough floral blobby designs to carefully painted scenes

I On~ example seems to incorporate a European heraldic design and may have been part of a 'madE' to order' set. ·

• I As examples found at Kingston of oriental design, many, if Iiot all examples were found to be water:soluble (great care needed when cleaning). The painted design does leave a mark even if

I the .colour has come off ~ut one needs to have a ~ight .source at a partic~lar angle to trace the design. Small tea cups Without handles are often m this style of decoratiOn.

I (5) A very fine ware, also found at Kingston, with a thin dark blue band along the edge with small golden stars painted overglaze. This ware has been associated with porcelain made · especially for the export market to the U.S.A., common during the 1790s. ·

I •

I I · . A VERYTYPICLBORDERFORPLATIERS OF THE 1780S AND 1790SWITHA

RAIN AND CLOUD EDGE AT THE BASE OF THE EDGE DESIGN. (Scale: Aust. $2 coin, 19mm wide) . •

I PRES 'HERE FQ~. MQJ~l~.BXt\MP_LI!S (Page 2).

I ~nglish Wares •

I English Creamware (Queenswa.re) . . . . . · . By far the most common form of ceramic found on the site. Distmctly cream hued. Mamly plate

I fragments but also bowl and jug fragments. Some plates are plain others ~ave scalloped rinis. · Several had a narrow band of a brown colour, overglaze, near the plate nm.

I.PR~~s HERE ('.QR E){AlvW1.ES.

English earthenwares .

I These are soft bodied but fine wares, coated with a white gl~ze. There are several distinct varieties which can be distinguished by the type of decoration:

I (l)Examples with carefully painted designs- mostly floral- in various vivid colours.

I PRESS HERE FOR EXAI'vlPL]JS •

I (2) Decorated with underglaze blue, hand-painted, Chinese scenes and border patterns or English patterns done in a pseudo-Chinese style. Some designs are quite abstract.

I Only one makers' mark was detected out of all the ceramics examined, a blue painted V but more in the shape of a flying bird. The mark is inside a lightly impressed circle.

I (3) Decorated with transfers of Chinese or E~ropean designs - tend to be fine and linear.

I

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I ( 4) Feather-edged, often with impressed edges, overglaze blue or green 'feather' strokes along

lhe .edge. PREltS Hl~RE FOR EXAMPL~ •

• Earthenware with a black matt glaze. Not common but also found at Kingston. •

l:;omb ware < t p_ossibl~ beaker shaped vessel found on a nm~ber otearly sites elsewhere with a scratched

(iestgn as 1f a comb had been pressed near the nm whlle on the wheel. The combed areas are renerally green in colour and the rest yel~ow. A small lid was also found iu this ceramic style.

Incised ware < -

lA hard greyish stoneware with perhaps a lighter slip. Incised patterns were cut and the inner fields given a blue colour. A very distinctive ware also excavated in First Settlement contexts at

IKingston. .

I I

• • 1-~ · VARIOUS INCISED AND COMBED PATIERNS. THE TOP RIGHT (WHITE)

I~ FRAGMENTS OF :mDICAL SUCTIONCUPS -THESE WERE ALSO MADE OF GLASS. (Scale: Aust. $~ com, lower left, 19mm w1de). FOR A MORE DETAILED VIEW, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

I Suction cups for medical purposes

I White bod~ed with a high white glaze. Sever~l fragmen~s seen with the typical rolled edge. Gla.ss and ceram1c examples have been found at Kmgston datmg from the 1790s to 1840s (conservative design). A few tiny fragments were excavated from the Sirius wreck at Kingston.

I Coarse terracotta

I Of uncertain origin but have been found in many colonial conte~ts in different parts of the world Some wares of a similar nature were made in Sydney but Sydney would have been one of many

I places p~oduc~ng s~ch ~ares. . . . .

(1) A mtxed hght pmktshltan hued body resembling btscmt, wtthout glaze. The surface seemed tc I have been burnished.

(2) A reddish, soft terracotta ware - various types of largish bowls, some with high or low base

I rings, others without. The most distinctive feature is the mixed pink, green and yellow glaze of abstract blob patterns.

I (3) Rarely glazed but do have some form of slip and sometimes the odd dribble design. One had

I

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I ct· . . · Me · tctne bottles

lone small rounded yellow/green base, one green rounded base with a very high kick-up and a small clear square base. All bases had pont~l marks of some sort.

-~Lips found were crudely flared. Most of the medicine bottle fragments were found at the north-

leas~ end of the site. :

W tndow glass ·

Ivery thin, from a fraction over lmm thick to 2mm thick in most cases. The glass had a greenish tinge. Not a lot of window glass was recovered which may suggest that most of tli.e houses had

lwooden shutters.

IDecanter and wine glass .

Apparently crystal, or lead, glass. A small decanter stopper with cut facets and a wine glass base

I were among the finds.

Beads.

lOne large blue bead and a thin elongated bead were found. There were not many objects found I that could be described as purely female.

PRESS_I:I.BJ~.E .. fQRI3X.AtvWI.-B$ OE TilE A.J~QVE

I Metals

I Iron

IMos~ly hoop iron and plate iron fragments but not in ariy quantity. A thick ir~n hoop was found, poss1bly from a cart or a post. Two tools were recovered; a hoe and a small s1ckle, the latter

lpossibly connected with flax processing. One flooring brad was found.

Copper and copper alloy

I Off-cut slithers were found and one thicker piece with thick cut marks reminiscent of what a bolt cutter might achieve. Several small squarish copper sheets with nail holes were noted, one with I the remains of carbonized timber on ~e back (possibly to block rat holes).

Several badly corroded coins were found, including a farthing and a half penny. Included in the lfin~s were buttons which had once been gilt gold and silver with loops for threading: one had a

very decorative pattern on it and another, evidently a naval button, had a silver gilt anchor ldesign. .

Other objects included nails, most seem ex-naval; two copper bolt-like objects with thick washers. lone had a small kings broad arrow cut in one end (now in the Museum).

P,RESSJJI~RI; !;OR EXA;M.P.LES OF THE ABQYf .

I •

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Lead

I Mainly sheet l~ad off-cuts. Only one example of lead shot was found. A very fine lead sheet was

I r~c.ov.er~d, less than 1 mm thick; it is believed that this was ap. early type of foil to wrap ships

biSCUit lll. · · •

I Organic • •

I Mainly carboniz~d wood, ofte~ found iJ?- association :Vith .artefacts whe~ newly emerged out of the. ground, posstbly the remams of a dtsturbed rubbtsh pit. One carbomzed com cob was found near the bird bone layer - similar to those found in early deposits at Kingston.

I A few shells were found, perhaps collected by children. A number of pi~ces of a large chunk of decomposing (powdering) coral was found scattered over a fair distance at the east end of the ·

I site, possibly used for some practical purpose? .

IBones . A few very badly decomposed cattle bone fragments. A surprise find was some bird bones,

I resembling the Bfr~ of Providence bone~ found by the thousand at Kingston in early 1790s contexts, (the Phtlhpsburgh bones were m the Museum but could not be found).

1 One or two bone or hom buttons were found of the type with a central hole. Saw marks on the surface reveal the process of manufacture. Buttons such as these were fastened to clothing with a

I knot larger than the hole. .

I . . Stone . The odd fragment of rubble calcarenite originating from Kingston was found but not in any

I quantity. A number of unusual Norfolk Island stones were recovered, suggesting that they had been collected from various places and eventually discarded. One small green stone does not originate from the Island; the rough squaring of it suggests that it formed a part of an item of

I jewellery. •

I Post Script .

I The material was retrieved by surface collection, 1984-1990,. on and in the vicinity of Harpers Road, particularly after heavy rains or after a long spell of dryness. The road was unsealed at the time. I was later assisted by Doug and Peter Evans and members of the Horrocks family, in · ·1 particular, Mrs Horrocks and Peter Horrocks.

The road was altered during May 1990 and well over half of the site where the finds had been

I collected was bulldozed. Soil and fill from two or three sites elsewhere on the Island were dumped on the bulldozed material and thoroughly mixed together. The mix was further bulldozed after heavy rains flooded the area, as shown in the photographs on the following page. I Harpers road was subsequently asphalted. Some objects could be provenanced to a definite specific site but it soon became apparent that vehicles travelling the road spread material from I one end of the road to the other

I

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Chinese Export Porcelain 1790s

first page

Robett V J P Varman Ph D I It might have been better to portray these objects individually but until a greater interest is shown for these early

1 wares, the following will have to do. Scale is indicated by a coin 19mm wide.

I I I

I FRAGMENTS OF FOOTED BOWLS, TERRAPIN DISHES, FRUIT BOWLS, MUGS AND CUPS. HANDPAINTED UNDERGLAZE BLUE EXCEPT FOT THE SHARD, TOP LEFT CORNER, WHICH IS

1 MULTICOLURED OVERGLAZE PAINTED. (Scale= 19mm coin, top mid) .

I.

I I I •

I HANDPAINTED UNDERGLAZE BLUE PLATE FRAGMENTS OF VARIOUS PLATE EDGE AND BORDER PATTERNS. (Scale= 19mm coin, top mid).

I I I I I I

• •

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HANDPAINTED UNDERGLAZE BLUE PLATE FRAGMENTS WITH

I ARCIDTECTURAL THEMES. (Actual size about 45mm across).

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• • • • •

Chinese Export Porcelain 1790s second page

Robert V J P Varman Ph D

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• • • '

PLATE EDGE BORDERS HAND PAINTED UNDERGLAZE BLUE, LEFT: NANKING /HONEYCOMB

I BORDER AND MORE ABSTRACT DESIGN BELOW; RIGHT: FISH ROE RIDGE, ORRIM-EDGE, PA......-TI....-nERN AN ELEMENT ADOPTED IN MOST WILLOW PATIERN DESIGNS. (Scale: the 19mm $2 Aust. coin).

I I I I I .I

I

CURVED-ENDED TERRAPIN(?) DISH. TREE AND TEMPLE DESIGN.

I SOME DESIGNS ARE VERY ABSTRACT, OTHERS 'CARELESS'. THE PHILLIPSBURGH SITE AND Sfl'ES OF A SIMILAR DATE IN THE AUSTRALASIAN REGION INDICATE I TIIAT BOTH FINE AND 'DE!}ENERATE' DESIGNS ARE FOUND SIDE BY SIDE.

I I I ~I

'

SMALL BOWL, LEFf,WITH A VERY FINE SCULPTURAL

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I ---- ,__.,___ --- -- - _ _,_ --~..--- -- ' - ------ --- ....,.. _ __,. _____ ,...,.... -- ---- --

IHANDLE (NOT SEEN); AND, RIGHT, A MUG OR BEAKER-LIKE VESSEL WITH A COMPLEX EDGE

PATTER OF BARS, A NANKING STRIP AND THE CLASSIC RAIN AND CLOUD PETTERN.

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English Ceramic Wares 1790s · Page 1

Robert V J P Varman Ph D

..

. · . · ·· CREAMWARE, OR QUEENSWARE, HAS A DISTINCT YELLOWISH- .

I CREAMY HUE TO IT (PHOTO DOES NOT INDICATE THIS). THE BODY OF THE PLATE IS MEDIUM FIN£ NOT LIKE THE THICKER PLATES OF LATER YEARS. SOMETIMES SCALLOP-EDGED OR WITH GREATER ORNAMENT. (Scale: Aust $2 coin, 19mm).

I I I ·1 . EDGED WARES. LEFT AND UP:PER LEFT; BROWN BANDS

OVERGLAZE, OFI'EN ON QUEENSWARE. TOP, TOP RIGHT; VERY FINE WA VEY WARE WITH FINE FEATHER-EDING OF A DARK GOLD-BROWN COLOUR, BELOW WHICH A SERIES OF ASTERISKS OF

I THE SAME COLOUR MID AND BELOW-LEFT; CLASSIC BLUE FEATHER-EDGED WARES ON MOULDED EDGED PLATES OF A CHARACIERISTICALLY WHITE GLAZED BODY- THE EARLY EXAMPLES ARE FINE BODIED AND HAVE 'SHARP' EDGES, THOUGH SOME ARE MORE ROUNDED AND THE DETAIL

I LESS FINE. .

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. English Ceramic Wares 1790s Page2

Robeti V J P Varman Ph D

HANDPAINTED FLORAL MOTIFS ON A MUG, OR BEAKER SUCH MULTICOLOURED WARES WERE MORE COMMON AT KINGSTON IN DEPOSITS OF . I APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AGE.

THREE SHARDS. THE TOP EXAMPLE IS A FRAGMENT OF A PLAIN WHITE PLATE WITH A MAKER'S MARK, A BIRD? INSIDE AN IMPRESSED CIRCLE. BOTTOM LEFT; AN

I EARLY EXAMPLE OF LINE-ENGRAVED BLUE TRANSFER WARE IMMITATING A CIDNESE DESIGN, PERHAPS PROTO-WILLOW PA'ITERNPLATE. BOTTOM RIGHT; ANOTHEREX:AMPLE OF EARLY BcUE

I •

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TRANSFER WARE ON A CURVED VESSEL.

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1790s English, English Colonial and European· Earthemwares and Terracotta

Robert V J P Varman Ph D . .

.l'.,.,..\.:._, A VERY CHARACI'ERISTIC WARE FROM ALL OVER NORFOLK ISLAND ON SITES KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN INHABITED DURING THE 1790S AND SLIGHTLY LATER. ALSO

I FOUND AT THE EARLY TOWNSHIP SITE AT PARRAMATTA PARK (1790 PLUS. NEAR SYDNEY) AND THE SITE OF FIRST GOVERNMENT HOUSE (1788 PLUS). GREEN, YELLOW AND A PINKY TAN SEEM TO BE THE MAIN COLOURS. ABSTRACf DESIGNS. THE BODY IS TERRACOTIA OF VARIOUS GRADE

I OF QUALITY. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH SPECULATION AS TO THE ORIGIN OF THIS WARE- SYDNEY BRITAIN, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH AMERICA, INDIA. THERE IS GREAT VARIETY IN THE TYPES OF BASES AND EDGES. PROBLEMS WITH OBTAINING SUITABLE GLAZES SEEM TO RULE OUT SYDNEY

I AS A PLACE OF ORIGIN THOUGH SIMILAR WARES MAY HAVE BEEN MADE THERE AT A LATER DATE (Scale: Aust $2 coin, upper left, 19mm). ·

I I I

I . SHARDS OF SEVERAL LARGE STORAGE JARS, AS FOUND ON SOME EARLY SHIPWRECKS. RIM AND BASE FRAGMENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN FOUND AT KINGSTON. SOME ARE

I GLAZED ON THE INSIDE. THE OUTSIDE MAY HAVE BEEN LIGHTLY BURNISHED AND SOME SHOW SIGNS OF SOME DRIBBLES OF WHITE GLAZE AS DECORATION? THE LARGE FRAGMENT HERE RETAINS SIGNS OF HAVING _BEEN WHITEWASHED AT A LATER DATE (COVERS THE Wf:IITE DRIBBLES). (Scale: Aust $2 com, lower mid left, 19mm).

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I . RIM OR NEAR-RIM FAGMENTS OF GLAZED AND UNGLAZED SHARDS FOUND ON SITE. (Scale: Aust $2 coin, 19mm).

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Kaolin Pipes and Miscellaneous 1790s

Robert V J P Varman Ph D

I . . . SMOKINGPIPESOFKAOLINCLAY,NOTCOMMONONEARLY SITES AT

NORFOLK ISLAND. RAISED MARKINGS, DIFFICULT TO DECIPHER, ARE FOUND ON THE SPURS UNDER THE BOWLS. TWO BOWLS HAD A 'D' ON THE SIDES. BOWLS MOSTLY LARGE AND PLAIN;

I ONE HAD THE FIGURE OF A HEAD, ANOTHER WAS OCT ANGULAR IN SHAPE (THE LA1TER NOT OF PURE KAOLIN). (Scale: Aust $2 coin, 19mm) .

I I

• •

. LEFT HALF; FRAGMENTS OF A THICK WHITE (SLIGHTLY CRAZED) GLAZED CHINESE PORCELAIN WITH THE DULLER 'MING' BLUE HANDPAINTED PATTERN. MID-TOP; A ONE I HOLED BONE BUTTON, COMMON ON EARLY SITES BUT HA VB BEEN FOUND ON CONVICT SITES

DATING AS LATE AS THE 1840S. TOP RIGHT; TWO PIPE STEMS OF KAOLIN. (Scale: as above).

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.I I Wine or Spirit Glass 1790s

Robett V J P Varman PhD I I I

I

I· vARIOUS TOPS OF BOTTLES FOUND ON SITE, MOSTLy OF DARK OLIVE GLASS, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS 'BLACK GLASS'. THE LIPS ARE OF ROUGHLY TOOLED WRAPS OF GLASS, EXCEPT I ONE WHICH IS CURLED OVER. THREE EXAMPLES ONLY HA VB ONE WRAP .

• •

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-~ 1HE BASES ARE BROAD AND 1HE KICK-UP OF THE BASE ROUNDED IN CONTRAST TO THE SAME TYPE OF BOTTLE OF LATER YEARS. BO'ITLE

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FRAGMENTS WERE 1HE MOST COMMON OF ARTEFACTS FOUND AT PHILLIPSBURGH.

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Gin Bottles 1790s

Robert V J P Varman PhD

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I BASES OF GIN BOTTLES SHOWING SHEERED PUNTIL MARKS. THE BASE EDGES ARE MUCH SHARPER THAN THOSE OF LATER TIMES. SOME OF THE BASES HA VB HATCH MARKS INDICATING SOME SORT OF BASE MOULD, THE'PUNfiL SCARS OVERLAY THESE MARKS. THERE IS STILL NO FOOL-PROOF METHOD OF DETERMINING WHETHER THE BOTTLES ORIGINATE FROM THE I NETHERLANDS OR BRITAIN. THE NAPOEEONIC INVASION OF THE NETHERLANDS FROM ABOUT 1796 DESTROYED THE EXPORT TRADE OF GIN. A STUDY OF GIN BOTTLES DISCARDED ELSEWHERE

1 DURING THE INVASION PERIOD MAY PROVIDE CLUES IN THE FUTURE. (Scale: Aust $2 coin, 19mm).

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Medical and Miscellaneous Glass 1790s Robert V J P Varman Ph D

I . MID AND BOITOM RIGHT SIDE: MEDICAL GLASS BOTILES WITH ROUGH PUNTIL SCARS (CLEAR, OLIVE AND LIGHT GREEN GLASS). TOP RIGHT: THE BASE OF

I A STEMMED GOBLET OR VASE. LOWER MID LEFT: TWO HALVES OF A CUT CRYSTAL DECANTER · STOPPER MID TOP: A LARGE SPIRAL THREADED BLUE BEAD, BELOW WHICH A THIN LIGHT MILKY

I _BLUE BEAD. ONE PIECE OF 1HIN GLASS LOOKS AS 1HOUGH IT WAS PART OF A GLASS TUBE.

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Copper and Copper Alloy Objects 1790s . . .

Robert V J P Varman Ph D

I COPPER SHEET OFF-CUTS, SOME PERHAPS SALVAGED FROM THE 1790 WRECK OF THE 'SIRIUS'. SOME PIECES WITH NAIL HOLES MAY HA VB BEEN USED TO

I STOP GAPS IN FLOORS AND WALLS TO KEEP RATS OUT. ONE SQUARED PIECE WAS FOUND BENT OVER- A PART OF A NAME WAS FOUND ON THE INSIDE, SUGGESTING CONCEILMENT (POSSIBLY A piSCARDED NAME TAG FROM A LUGGAGE BOX). COPPER/BRASS NAILS AND BOLTS WERE ALSO I FOUND. (Scale: Aust $2 coin, 19mm).

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I THE UNDERSIDES OF COPPER/COPPER ALLOY UNIFORM BU'ITONS. QUITE A NUMBER WERE GILDED WITH OUT A DESIGN. TWO BU'ITONS WERE FOUND TO HA VB ANCHOR MOTIFS, ONE SILVER PLATED EXAMPLE HAD A VERY INTRICATE PATIERNWHICH I COULD ONLY BE APPRECIATED UNDER ENLARGEMENT. SEVERAL HALFPENNIES AND FARTHINGS

. WERE FOUND (MOSTLY HIGHLY CORRODED). (Scale: Aust $2 coin, 19mm).

I I I I A HOE POSSffiLY RELATING TO THE GOVERNMENT FARM AS ESTABLISHED

AROUND 1790. TO THE RIGHT OF THE HOE A SMALL SICKLE RELATING TO THE GOVERNMENT FARM OR THE FLAX MANUFACTORY. (Scale: Aust $2 coin, 19mm).

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CHINESE EXPORT PORCELAIN

1780s-ca1807 • • •

Robert V J P Varinan Ph D

>l

The following examples are from the First Settlement township ot' Sydney (later Kings Town and Kingston) Norfolk I Island, unless otherwise stated. These are all from First Settlement contexts (1788-1814). The date above is to 'ca 1807' because the settlement was on a radical population decline between 1804-1807 and it is unlikely that the

. remaining population would need to import new ceramics. Chinese Export porcelain was no longer imported to any

I great degree after about 1800 because of the loss of the monopoly of the East India Company, though old stock was being sold for a few years after that. However, the U.S.A. continued to import the ware in large amounts .

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The details of context for each shard is not given here. The approximate size of the shards can be gathered from the 'group' photographs on this page. The coin seen is approximately 19.5mm across. .

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Chinese Export Porcelain 1

Chinese Export Porcelain 2

I The coin is approximately 19.5mm across.

I BIBLIOGRAPHY

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I Godden, G A. Oriental Export Market Porcelain and its Influence on European Wares. Granada

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IPublishing, 1979. .

~Schiffer, H, P & N. 'Chinese Export Porcelain: Standard Patterns 1780 to 1880'. Schiffer

Publishing Limited, Pennsylvania. 1975. ·

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:' <0 ·_ :~-~ ' --

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CHINESE EXPORT PORCELAIN 1 I

~GSTON,NORFOLKISLAND

1780s-ca1807 Robert V J P Vannan Ph D

Bowl fragment. sccCEP.gif.

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Fragment of a flat perforated disk, possibly part of a steamer. This shard was found on the site of a 1790s grant now located on the 'Tree Farm' (property of Colleen McCullough). A rain and cloud border as seer I also in the example bellow. sccCEP~.gif. .

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. · Platter rim fragment. The star pattern strip of the border is of the same type as the one

found on the George Washington platter (illustrated in Schiffer, 1975, plate 94). sccCEP2.gif.

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Plate fragment. The piled rocks motif is a common design element. sccCEP3.gif . •

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Plate fragment. A typical temple motif from the main field of a plate. sccCEP4.gif .

Plate or platter fragment. Another very common design element of the time (see the Phillipsburgh examples). sccCEP7.gif.

sccCEP9 .gif.

sccCEP8.gif.

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Shallow bowl fragment- a border prototype for the later transfer printed Willow Pattern.

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• CHINESE EXPORT PORCELAIN 2

KINGSTON, NORFOLK ISLAND

1780s-cal807 Robert V J P Varman Ph D

Plate or bowl rim. sccCEPIO.gif.

I Plate fragment Similar plate rims (this one not complete) found at the Phillipsburgh sit~.> Cascade. sccCEP12.html. ·

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; Plate fragment. sccCEPll.gif.

I Bowl fragment. The blue band and golden stars originated in wares specially ordered for the USA and typical of the 1790s, according to some. Later applied to other wares, it would seem, as I have

1 excavated similar on several early Australian sites as well. Also recovered from the Phillipsburgh site. sccCEP13.giJ.

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~~-------------------------------------------------------------------------·

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... ~· . :'-';_,. '>:; ,. -- .· ' " .... . . ~ -- . . ·.

.', . ·• .-· . . ~ .. ~~ . . .

. .~ . ~ ., . ' '

f'.r I . . ., ... ~··

) ~ ~ . ' ' .. , . . ·~ -. ' ...... ..

H. ' . ' . .

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I . Painted overglaze, nearly always on white surfaced porcelain (blue painted wares usually . have a bluish or greenish-blue surface). The painted figures are often water soluable, so care must. be taken when

· cleaning such excavated wares. Where paint has been lost, there is often a shadow or scar of the former design left on

I the surface. sccCEP 14.html. ·

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ENGLISH WARES

KINGSTON,NORFOLKISLAND

1780s-ca1807 •

Robert V J P Vannan Ph D

' I photographed very few of these from the Pier Area at Kingston. For a more comprehensive sample, see the illustrations from Phillipsburgh. .

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Bowl fragment. sccCEPNl.gif.

Tea cup fragment. sccCEPN2.gif.

Tea cup fragment. sccCEPN3.gif.

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I · Handle fragment from a tea cup. This type of handle is not uncommon on other sites of the same age. sccCEPN4.gif.

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Tea cup base fragment. sccCEPN5.gif.

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Note. The coin is approximately 19.5mm across. .

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I Unmarked. Three views of a cream ware bowl found in the hallway fouqdtions of the 1792 Government House, Kingston, on Norfolk Island. The bowl was probably discarded (under floor) during the construction of the house in

11792. Some of the pieces were evidently closer to burning timbers than others when the house was fired in 1814 - · note the bum marks. The bowl may not be cream ware, the body and surface are roughish - manufactured on a wheel. scc1792ogh.gif.

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Detail of the base of the above described bowl. scc1792oghd.gif.

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