Cooking Utensils and Accessories

A large and varied assortment of cooking utensils and kitchen accessories have been excavated, including kettles, pots, pans, skillets, frying pans, toasters, broilers, griddles, skimmers, skewers, spits, ladles, pothooks, trammels, cranes, trivets, cleavers, knives and forks, sieves, and colanders. While only a few are complete others are almost complete or at least easily recognizable.

During the early years of the colony, people in England who planned to emigrate to Jamestown were advised to bring the following “Household implements: One Iron Pot, One Kettle, One large frying-pan, One gridiron, Two skillets, One Spit, Platters, dishes, spoones of wood.” With the exception of the wooden items, all of the utensils listed have been excavated.

An iron pot and pot fragment unearthed at Jamestown—types used during the 17th century.

A wrought-iron trammel used for hanging a pot from a fireplace crane. The adjustable hook made it possible to raise or lower the pot.

Many earthenware vessels found were used for cooking purposes, including baking dishes, three-legged pots, and covered pots.

A few kitchen utensils and accessories excavated at Jamestown: a ladle, brass pan, knife blades, fork, kettle fragments, spout, colander fragments, and pot hooks.

A family enjoying a meal, about 1650. Many of the eating and drinking vessels portrayed, together with much of the tableware, are types which have been excavated. (Conjectural sketch by Sidney E. King.)