The House of Potters. Historical Archaeology and the Everyday Life of Potters in 18th Century Turku (Finland)

In 2012, the remains of a pottery workshop were unearthed in the eastern fringesof the historical town area of Turku. The archaeological material comprised remarkable amounts of fragments of pottery, tiled stoves and other clay artefacts from 18th century and the beginning of 19th century. The ensemble of objects gave exceptional opportunities from the angle of historical archaeology, because the history of the workshop and the potter masters was unveiled in written records. The documents revealed, that the workshop functioned from 1680’s to 1830’s over four generations, and from the 1730’s to 1760’s the head of the workshop was a woman, Maria Sarcovia (1680–1771). The article highlights, how archaeological material and historical records and the methods of both fields can be combined and interlinked to form more elucidate and accurate conclusions that neither of the materials and disciplines could reveal alone.