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Abstract
Utilizing the collection of lead glazed coarse earthenware from the 1559-1561 Tristán de Luna y Arellano settlement and associated Emanuel Point shipwrecks, this thesis develops a new methodology for analyzing utilitarian pottery, including production techniques and tool marks, physical alterations that indicate use and wear, and depositional factors that impact colors and textures. Although studies pertaining to surface alterations are not usually applied to pottery from historical contexts, such a theoretical framework establishes typical patterns of use and divides the archaeological concepts of form and function into separate entities. By defining the relationship between the intended functions of pottery as documented in the historic record and the actual uses of these utilitarian vessels as examined in the archaeological record, and understanding the disconnect between these two distinct but related categories, the conditions in which Luna and his military utilized their pottery can be better defined.
