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British Merchandise on the Cape Horn Route: Nineteenth-century Earthenware in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina)

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Abstract

This paper refers to nineteenth-century refined earthenwares recovered between 2016 and 2018 from Playa Donata 3, an archaeological site on the Atlantic coast of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. They were found in direct or indirect association with a series of wooden crates, which were located in the intertidal zone of the beach. The assemblage is attributed to an English origin, but it cannot yet be associated with the ship which transported it. Several phases of rescue archaeological fieldwork were undertaken in order to recover the crates and the artefacts. The different types of ceramics that make up this assemblage from the southernmost tip of South America are the backdrop for a discussion of the overseas trade of the period.

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Notes

  1. The first department store opened in Buenos Aires in 1872 with the name “Salones Argentinos” and then moved and changed its name to “A la Ciudad de Londres” (“To the City of London”, in English). The owners were the Brun brothers, two Englishmen.

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Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the various institutions and individuals who financed and supported the project, especially the Secretariat of Culture and the Provincial Heritage and Museums Agency of Tierra del Fuego, as well as the authorities and staff of the Museo del Fin del Mundo in Ushuaia; to all the project members, particularly Martin Vazquez, Atilio Zangrando, Hernan de Angelis and Mariam Pousa for their involvement in various field and laboratory stages; to Manuel F. Arroyo, Raul Ranzzani, Rubén Pira and Agustin Szczepañski, who reported the presence of archaeological remains at risk; and to the numerous specialists who have generously shared their knowledge and provided valuable bibliographic and other research resources, especially Teresita Majewski, Frank Davenport and Alasdair Brooks. Correspondence with many other colleagues has also been very helpful and, as expressed at the time, we truly appreciate their positive and informative responses. Anonymous reviewers have provided additional insightful comments which are highly appreciated. We take, however, full responsibility for the content of this paper.

Funding

This study was funded by the Provincial Agency of Heritage and Museums, Secretary of Culture, Tierra del Fuego (Argentina), and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET).

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  1. National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Dolores Elkin & Julieta Frere

  2. National Institute of Anthropology and Latin American Thought (INAPL), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Dolores Elkin & Julieta Frere

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  1. Dolores Elkin
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Correspondence to Dolores Elkin.

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Elkin, D., Frere, J. British Merchandise on the Cape Horn Route: Nineteenth-century Earthenware in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). J Mari Arch 17, 71–92 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-021-09317-w

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