 mean ceramic date offers a quick and rough indication of the chronological position of a ceramic assemblage (South 1977). The mean ceramic date for an assemblage is estimated as the weighted average of the manufacturing date midpoints for the ceramic types found in it. The weights are the frequencies of the respective types in the assemblages. Types represented by more sherds have greater influence in the calculation. Manufacturing midpoint estimates, and the beginning and ending manufacturing dates from which they are computed, come from documentary evidence on the ceramic industry.
 n
DAACS, mean-ceramic-date types (MCD types) are ceramic ware types whose
manufacturing spans can be narrowed based on decorative technique, and
applied color. DAACS MCD types are based on the intersection of three
dimensions of variation: Ceramic ware (e.g. Creamware, Pearlware, Delft),
decorative technique (hand painted, transfer printed), and applied color.
Color is measured using the DAACS Munsell Color Range system (see MCRS
in About the Database). DAACS staff tabulated all unique combinations
of ware, decorative technique and applied color that occur in the DAACS
ceramic table. Each unique combination was assigned to a MCD type, based
on traditional documentary sources (e.g. Noel
Hume 1969, Miller
et al. 2000). A complete list of DAACS MCD types and the mode combinations
mapped to them can be found below.
n DAACS, decorative technique and applied color are coded for individual decorative elements. Different decorative elements on the same sherd may belong to different MCD types. Sherds with multiple elements are assigned to the single MCD type having the shortest manufacturing span.
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View MCD-Type List (PDF)