Pipe Fragments
English
Ceramic
This collection of pipe fragments may not look like much, but they demonstrate the relationship that Wilton’s residents had with the global trade economy. White clay pipe bowls and stems originated in England and purchased by both white and Black Virginians from local merchants. Red pipe bowls made from local clay may have been fired on site or purchased from nearby sellers. Investigations of consumption patterns in the Tidewater region reveal enslaved people as active members of the local economy, maintaining store accounts and making purchases with both cash and credit.