Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2013, Page 24

AGUSTA EDWALD AND KAREN MILEK
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Earlier Laterph.
ph. Midden
Midden
Stoneware
■Porcelain
■ Whiteware
■Pearlware
Creamware
■ Coarse earthenware
Fig 8 Percentages of ware by phase at Hornbrekka (sherd count).
generally sit at a set dining table until the
first decades of the 20th century. Instead it
is likely that individual vessels
differentiated with a variety of pattems
and decorative motifs were given to their
owners with their portion of food. The
absence of a dining table may,
furthermore, increase the frequency of
breakages, as a ceramic vessel balanced
on the lap is less stable than one on a table.
Significantly, the unfamiliarity with
ceramic materials around the middle of
the 19th century, and how to clean and
store them, may have further increased the
ffequency of breakages as ceramic vessels
require more frequent and delicate
washing methods than more durable
wooden vessels. In his seminal work on
Icelandic folk traditions, Jónas Jónasson
has, notably, suggested that the late
adoption of ceramics was party because
people thought that ceramic vessels broke
too easily (Jónasson [1934] 2010, 51).
Although ceramics have remained the
main artefact category that archaeologists
have used to access changing ideologies
concerning improvement and the
domestic sphere, a wealth of other
artefacts and practices can help further
illustrate such changes. Tarlow (2007) has
aptly illustrated the role of other types of
artefacts in improvement ideology, such
as window glass and bleached textiles,
both of which mark an increased desire for
cleanliness and brightness. Whiteness is
strongly associated with cleanliness and
hygiene and the desire for brighter houses
and whiter fabrics is a clear indication of
an improvement ideology alongside the
preference for white ceramics.
Window glass was present in deposits
from all phases of the building as well as
in both phases of the midden (Table 3). It
was more abundant in the later deposits,
4
Before window glass became common windows were made of amniotic sacs from animals, which had tendencies to burst
and were only semi-translucent.
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