Welcome to the Historic Ceramics Portal
A consolidated research toolkit for diagnostic historical ceramics recovered from archaeological excavations across Aotearoa New Zealand. Browse patterns, sites, manufacturers, and makers' marks, or use the search engine for targeted queries.
1,644
Sherds
583
Patterns
1,279
Images
33
Sites
48
Manufacturers
92
Marks
Browse the Database
Search Engine
Multi-mode search by pattern name, keywords, manufacturer, maker's mark, or sherd attributes.
Pattern Registry
Browse the full visual index of ceramic patterns with thumbnail gallery and technique filter.
Archaeological Sites
Browse NZ sites in the database and see which patterns were recovered from each one.
Potteries
Manufacturer browser with date ranges, descriptions, and associated makers' marks.
Makers' Marks
A–Z index of all makers' marks with manufacturer links and date ranges.
Vessel Forms
Browse vessel forms and see which patterns are found on each type.
Dating Report
Aggregated chronological evidence from patterns, marks, and manufacturers for any site.
Reverse Dating
Compare site patterns against other dated sites to derive an empirical date range.