Services
what do we serve?
Terra Cotta Incognita works interdisciplinary and internationally and cooperates with professionals and volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, both in science and arts. For the study of late medieval and early modern maritime trade ceramics we maintain a broad national and international network of ceramics specialists. We publish both popular books on archaeology and well-designed scientific reports. Also the processing of old archaeological research by modern digital standards is in good hands with us. Furthermore we explore various teaching activities and lectures.
terra cotta incognita publications
terra cotta incognita coordinates, co-writes, designs, edits, makes press-ready and publishes popular books on archaeology (left) and well-designed scientific reports on unique sites by archaeological specialists (right: terra cotta incognita specials)
archaeological narrative still life photography
based on non-organic ánd organic finds from closed archaeological contexts and contemporary historical paintings
archaeological reports and catalogues
on (post-)medieval ceramics for third parties (archaeological companies, municipalities, museums) | catalogues in deventer system typology
object photography and drawings
technical drawings and photographs, scaled, free-standing, ready-to-use for archaeological publications and catalogues (most material categories)
ceramic production waste analyses
researches archaeologically retrieved ceramic production waste (late and post-medieval)
archaeometric analyses on ceramics
we perform optical, mineralogical and chemical analyses on ceramics (thin sections, stereoscopic analyses, pXRF, ICP-MS, ICP-OES) to learn more about composition, production techniques and provenance and can advice you about other techniques and its possibilities for your research
from 'old research' to modern publication
digitalization, analysis and interpretation of 'old' analogue archaeological research using modern digital techniques, data-analyses and graphic design to process it to modern publication standards
AutoCAD | Access | Excel | Photoshop | Illustrator | InDesign
illustrated historical reconstructions
based on the current archaeological and historical data we coordinate the making of historical illustrations in close consultation with the regional or municipal archaeologists and the illustrator
Deventer System, color schemes & typochronologies
- for the identification of ceramics from archaeological excavations we use the Deventer System typology for medieval and modern ceramics and glass
- the colour scheme for the sixty paste groups within the Deventer System has been developed and is managed by Nina Jaspers (Terra Cotta Incognita); this colour scheme is standardly used for graphics and charts for all Deventer System publications in the Netherlands
- we develop regional typochronologies for medieval and early modern ceramics from archaeological excvations, using the Deventer System typology
teaching activities & lectures
we give workshops, lectures, classes, thesis supervision for educational institutions, universities, museums and historical-archaeological associations on:
- (post-)medieval ceramics (ca. 1100-1850 AD)
- production and production waste of tin glazed ceramics in the Netherlands: from Antwerp to Delftware (16th-18th century)
- international maritime trade ceramics: Italian, Spanish, Mexican Portuguese, French and Dutch majolica and faience (16th-17th century)
- interdisciplinary cooperation archaeometry and archaeology: historical ceramic production techniques and provenance analyses
- working with the ‘Deventer System’ typology for medieval and modern ceramics and glass from archaeological excavations in the Netherlands
University of Amsterdam | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam | Leiden University | Saxion Hogeschool Deventer | Cultural Heritage Agency Amersfoort | Rijksmuseum Amsterdam | Dutch University Institute for Art History in Florence | Museum Prinsenhof Delft | Historical Archaeological Associations
