North Devon Skillet

This skillet may be the earliest example of North Devon gravel-tempered coarseware found in North America. Recovered from the colony’s first well, this skillet was used to prepare meals at Jamestown between 1607 and 1610. North Devon gravel-tempered coarseware is typically found on North American archaeological sites dating from the 1630s until the mid-18th century.

Potters working in North Devon added gravel to the clay of utilitarian vessels that needed to withstand high heat, such as this skillet. The exterior and base of this skillet show blackened areas of charring, evidence that it was used above a fire.

The Rediscovery archaeological collection includes only five skillets, and this is the only one made in North Devon, England. Other skillets found in James Fort also were made in England; one is from Essex, and the others are from the border region between Hampshire and Surrey.

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