Ceramics on the Western Frontier: The Archaeological Assemblage from Fort Massac, 1794—1814

This article describes the massive ceramic sample from the American component of Fort Massac (1794–1814) on the Ohio River in southern Illinois. Excavated by Paul Maynard and the Works Progress Administration between 1939 and 1940, the artifact assemblage from the late eighteenth-century and War of 1812–era component includes a minimum of 453 ceramic vessels, consisting primarily of creamware, pearlware, and redware products. This provides a well-bracketed view of the nature of such goods on the western frontier immediately before and during the War of 1812.