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A New Ceramic Price Index for the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

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Abstract

An ongoing challenge in historical archaeology is the search for rigorous methods of exploring socioeconomic inequality. One frequently used method is ceramic price scaling, introduced by George Miller in 1980. While Miller’s ceramic price index has proven effective in a range of contexts, it does not extend into the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Consequently, the discipline lacks a widely applicable ceramic price index for this later period. We address this problem by presenting a new ceramic price index for the period 1880–1929. The new index is based on approximately 11,000 vessel advertisements in 23 mail-order catalogs. The index provides relative price values for 4 ceramic vessel ware types, 3 decoration types, more than 30 vessel forms, and multiple timescales, including 1-, 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-year time spans between 1880 and 1929. The large sample of price data, diversity of vessel ware types and forms, and range of temporal scales should enable application of the index to late-19th- and early-20th-century ceramic assemblages from a wide variety of archaeological contexts in the United States.

Resumen

Un desafío constante en la arqueología histórica es la búsqueda de métodos rigurosos para explorar la desigualdad socioeconómica. Un método que se usa con frecuencia es la escala de precios de la cerámica, introducida por George Miller en 1980. Si bien el índice de precios de la cerámica de Miller ha demostrado su eficacia en una variedad de contextos, no se extiende hasta finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX. En consecuencia, la disciplina carece de un índice de precios de la cerámica ampliamente aplicable para este último período. Abordamos este problema presentando un nuevo índice de precios de la cerámica para el período 1880–1929. El nuevo índice se basa en aproximadamente 11 mil anuncios de embarcaciones en 23 catálogos de pedidos por correo. El índice proporciona valores de precios relativos para 4 tipos de vasijas de cerámica, 3 tipos de decoración, más de 30 formas de vasijas y escalas de tiempo múltiples, incluidos períodos de tiempo de 1, 10, 20, 30, 40 y 50 años entre 1880 y 1929. La amplia muestra de datos de precios, la diversidad de tipos y formas de vasijas y el rango de escalas temporales deberían permitir la aplicación del índice a conjuntos cerámicos de finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX de una amplia variedad de contextos arqueológicos en los Estados Unidos.

Résumé

Un défi constant en matière d'archéologie historique est la quête de méthodes rigoureuses d'exploration de l'inégalité socio-économique. Une méthode fréquemment utilisée est l'échelle de prix des céramiques, introduite par George Miller en 1980. Si l'indice de prix des céramiques de Miller a montré son efficacité dans un ensemble de contextes, il ne s'applique pas à la fin du 19ème siècle et au début du 20ème siècle. Par conséquent, la discipline ne dispose pas d'un indice de prix des céramiques largement applicable pour cette période plus tardive. Nous traitons ce problème par la présentation d'un nouvel indice de prix des céramiques pour la période 1880–1929. Le nouvel indice se fonde sur environ 11 000 publicités de récipients dans 23 catalogues de vente par correspondance. L'indice fournit des valeurs de prix relatives pour 4 types de récipients en céramique, 3 types de décoration, plus de 30 formes de récipients, et des échelles de temps multiples, y compris des durées de 1, 10, 20, 30, 40 et 50 an(s) entre 1880 et 1929. Le vaste échantillon de données sur les prix, la diversité des types et formes de récipients et l'éventail des échelles de temps devraient permettre l'application de l'indice aux assemblages céramiques de la fin du 19ème siècle au début du 20ème siècle à partir d'une grande variété de contextes archéologiques aux États-Unis.

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Notes

  1. This is the size of the Ceramic Price Database after we excluded extremely high price outliers. We searched for and identified such outliers by examining the distribution of price values for each vessel WDF class for each decade in the study period. We identified a handful of high price values, and after checking them against the catalogs to rule out data entry errors on our part, we excluded these cases from the Ceramic Price Database, as they likely result from catalog typesetting errors or represent highly atypical prices.

  2. Researchers should also find “all” forms index values useful as general indicators of the cost of one ware and/or decoration type relative to another. For example, Pezzarossi (2014:159) and Chenowith and Janowitz (2016) state that porcelain vessels were generally more costly than non-porcelain vessels. Mrozowski (2000:292) asserts that transfer-printed vessels were typically more expensive than undecorated vessels. The CCP “all” forms index values can serve as a firm basis for making such assertions about late 19th- and early 20th-century ceramics in the U.S.

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Acknowledgments:

We thank George Miller, Sue Henry Renaud, and an anonymous reviewer for their invaluable comments and suggestions, which improved this study beyond measure. Meta Janowitz displayed great patience, gave careful feedback, and provided the editorial guidance that enabled us to ultimately complete this paper. We are indebted to Heather Trigg for reading several drafts, providing thoughtful advice on revisions, and generally keeping us sane while we struggled with the manuscript. Marci Venter, Neal Lopinot, Bill Meadows, and Angela Hornsby-Gutting provided valuable guidance and feedback on Jennifer Rideout’s master’s thesis, which led to this article. We also thank Abby Templer Rodrigues and Grace Smith for assistance in editing portions of the manuscript. The Center for Archaeological Research at Missouri State University provided access to the historical ceramic assemblages from Springfield, Missouri. Matthew Ortmann helped collect archival data. Missouri State University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Humanities and Public Affairs, and Graduate College generously provided funds essential to completion of this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Missouri State University, 901 South National Avenue, Springfield, MO, 65897, U.S.A.

    Elizabeth A. Sobel

  2. Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc., 4525 Este Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45232, U.S.A.

    Jennifer A. Rideout

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  1. Elizabeth A. Sobel
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Correspondence to Elizabeth A. Sobel.

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Sobel, E.A., Rideout, J.A. A New Ceramic Price Index for the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries. Hist Arch 57, 639–702 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-023-00395-2

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