Portuguese coarsewares in North Atlantic trade (16th-18th centuries)

This paper presents an overview of research undertaken to explore the presence of Portuguese coarseware ceramics that were traded around the North Atlantic Ocean from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. The wares are commonly found at sites in England and in former British colonies in the New World, stretching from Newfoundland to Virginia. The paper describes the main identification attributes for Portuguese coarseware from six major zones, all of which exported their wares in varying amounts in the Atlantic trade. Also discussed is the presence of those wares in New World sites, and some significant factors driving their acquisition by non-Portuguese consumers.