The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $254,602 Project Grant under the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (CFDA 47.075) program to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia. The goal of this 3-year research project is to understand how marginalized communities navigated changing social and economic landscapes through the production, exchange, and use of everyday ceramic objects such as pottery vessels, known as "colonoware." The project will use innovative comparative techniques to analyze large archaeological datasets and collaborate with descendant communities to document how these ceramic practices reflected identity, social position, and relationships among producers and users. The findings are expected to advance public and scholarly understanding of the historical contexts and local adaptations that shaped the lives of enslaved and free individuals in colonial societies. Subawards are planned as part of this grant.
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