Elemental Analysis of Historic Edgefield Pottery

Edgefield waster made by Thomas Chandler — This vessel was recovered from a kiln site. Artifacts like this are known as “wasters,” representing vessels that failed during the production/firing process.

Last week, Lindsay Bloch from the CTL was in South Carolina, analyzing 19th-century alkaline-glazed stonewares from the Edgefield District. She used handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) to learn more about the elemental composition of the clays and glazes. Discover more about this project and see some beautiful pots at the upcoming exhibit, “Swag and Tassel: The Innovative Stoneware of Thomas Chandler,” opening in August at the McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina.