Ceramic and glass ointment jars from archaeological research in Gdańsk

Abstract

The paper presents ceramic and glass containers for medicaments dated from the second half of the 16th to the 18th century, excavated in selected areas of Gdańsk. The authors have attempted to clarify the chronology of these products and their interpretation in the context of historical and iconographic sources. The presented results are preliminary, due to the fact that research on the subject matter is not advanced, and the small size of the analyzed collection are of contributory nature. As the fi nal conclusions aspects of everyday life associated with the production and use of ointments and their packaging and distribution in Gdansk in the postmedieval period were emphasized on the basis of interdisciplinary studies. 

The paper presents ceramic and glass containers for medicaments dated from the second half of the 16th to the 18th century, excavated in selected areas of Gdańsk. The authors have attempted to clarify the chronology of these products and their interpretation in the context of historical and iconographic sources. The presented results are preliminary, due to the fact that research on the subject matter is not advanced, and the small size of the analyzed collection are of contributory nature. As the fi nal conclusions aspects of everyday life associated with the production and use of ointments and their packaging and distribution in Gdansk in the postmedieval period were emphasized on the basis of interdisciplinary studies.