“Plaster tobacco pipes”, “red clay” ones and chibuks in Lisbon

tobacco consumption in a European capital, 17th until mid-18th century

Abstract

Lisbon is a peculiar disciplinary case for Historical Archaeology, since is the only European empire capital destroyed in a singular event, the 1755 Big Earthquake on the 1^st November. This transformed the city in a wide archaeological site, where numerous excavations are carried out on a daily basis, providing valuable and significant data for «Tobacco Culture» study, clay tobacco pipes being a part of it.

Based mainly on public information, both published and displayed, the authors provide an actualized synthesis on clay tobacco pipes presence in Lisbon´s archaeological contexts, trying to update data and to provide readings on the evolution of smoking habits, relating it to respective social environments, and to enlighten on providing sources used by the town between the 17^th century and middle 18^th century, being mention worthy a l7th century local fabric of distinctive features regarding contemporary European imports.