Historically Visible But Archaeologically Invisible? The Huguenots of Spitalfields

Throughout all periods, the historical, archaeological and anthropological study of the material culture of distinctive ethnic groups has always been a topic of much research and debate. The emigration of Europeans (through colonialism) and Africans (by slavery) during the post-medieval period, notably to America and the Caribbean, has been widely studied. As a result, little comment has been made on those immigrant communities settling into Britain and their impact on the archaeological record. However, the recent excavations, on part of the post-medieval suburb of Spitalfields in East London, have given the opportunity partly to redress the balance by allowing the study of the pottery from an area settled by the Huguenots (Protestant refugees from France and the Low Countries).