Ironstone Sherd Exterior

3D Model

This 19th century ceramic sherd was discovered at an archaeological site somewhere in the American West during pedestrian survey in 2013. The sherd is about 150 years old and made from a type of refined white earthenware known as ironstone. It features a footring, suggesting that the sherd was formerly a plate, and it has two notable fractures which occurred at two separate times. There is also a discolored gray glaze, indicating melting of the glaze caused by some sort of fire.

This model was created by the Lab’s newest interns, Sulaiman, Alexander, Aaliyah. The interns had their curiosity piqued by the sherd’s age and its ability to withstand heat damage in the form of cracks and melted glaze. The sherd was remarkably well preserved despite its age and the multiple fractures it had sustained after its discard. To make this model, the interns used Scaniverse software to scan the exterior of the sherd separately to generate a 3D model.