Decorative Potsherd, circa 1845

Decorative Potsherd, circa 1845 2014/34

Pottery This decorative potsherd was found at the site of one of Australia’s first pottery works. The Irrawang Pottery was founded near Raymond Terrace in 1833 by James King. King focused on producing everyday items too expensive to ship from overseas. The Pottery closed in 1851 when most of its workforce quit to join the Australian Gold Rush. Irrawang This potsherd was recovered from the site of a property established in the 1830s by James King on the Williams River. King called his property Irrawang, an Aboriginal word meaning ‘where the water runs’. It was common for colonists to adopt Aboriginal place names to describe land they wanted to purchase, as no other descriptors were available. Archaeology Thousands of artefacts, including this decorative potshard, were uncovered during the 1960s and 70s at the site of the Irrawang Pottery. The excavations began as a training exercise for students before undertaking archaeological fieldwork overseas. The exploration of this site, along with similar excavations are recognised as the beginning of historical archaeology in Australia. Anger This ceramic face is contorted in an expression of anger. Anger is triggered in the human brain by a small structure called the amygdala. The amygdala sends most data to the logical cortex, but stressful or threatening stimuli is kept in the more primitive limbic system. This system reacts defensively and causes angry and emotional responses.