Ceramics
Ceramics, quite obviously, have been made for thousands of years. The ones we most often find in British Columbia came from England. At the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century, certain wares were popular and relatively inexpensive. Mocha Ware, early transfer-printed wares, ironstone, Rockingham, Rhenish blue on grey, etc. You should know what decorations from this period look like.
Mocha Ware
Mocha ware was first produced in Staffordshire towards the end of the 18th century and was made until well into the 20th century. It generally has a cream or buff paste (clay) with certain bold and specific patterns that were applied. If you find anything that looks remotely like any of the pieces below, you should collect it just as you would a pre-historic artifact. Probably the most identifiable pattern on mocha ware is the dendridic (treelike) pattern as in the second image. It was created by using an oxide-ladened tobacco "tea" and dripping it onto a slip-covered ware (urine was often involved in the process).
