A large and varied assortment of cooking utensils and kitchen
accessories have been excavated, including kettles, pots, pans,
skillets, frying pans, toasters, broilers, griddles, skimmers, skewers,
spits, ladles, pothooks, trammels, cranes, trivets, cleavers, knives and
forks, sieves, and colanders. While only a few are complete others are
almost complete or at least easily recognizable.
During the early years of the colony, people in England who planned to
emigrate to Jamestown were advised to bring the following "Household
implements: One Iron Pot, One Kettle, One large frying-pan, One
gridiron, Two skillets, One Spit, Platters, dishes, spoones of wood."
With the exception of the wooden items, all of the utensils listed have
been excavated.
[Illustration: A WROUGHT-IRON TRAMMEL USED FOR HANGING A POT FROM A
FIREPLACE CRANE. THE ADJUSTABLE HOOK MADE IT POSSIBLE TO RAISE OR LOWER
THE POT.]
[Illustration: AN IRON POT AND POT FRAGMENT UNEARTHED AT
JAMESTOWN--TYPES USED DURING THE 17TH CENTURY.]
[Illustration: MANY EARTHENWARE VESSELS FOUND WERE USED FOR COOKING
PURPOSES, INCLUDING BAKING DISHES, THREE-LEGGED POTS, AND COVERED POTS.]
[Illustration: A FEW KITCHEN UTENSILS AND ACCESSORIES EXCAVATED AT
JAMESTOWN: A LADLE, BRASS PAN, KNIFE BLADES, FORK, KETTLE FRAGMENTS,
SPOUT, COLANDER FRAGMENTS, AND POT HOOKS.]
[Illustration: A FAMILY ENJOYING A MEAL, ABOUT 1650. MANY OF THE EATING
AND DRINKING VESSELS PORTRAYED, TOGETHER WITH MUCH OF THE TABLEWARE, ARE
TYPES WHICH HAVE BEEN EXCAVATED. (Conjectural sketch by Sidney E.
King.)]