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This period is defined in particular by the arrival of Christianity. Middle Saxon Period (early/mid 7th – mid 9th century AD)
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By the 7th century for the most part stamping is the only decoration.In the 6th century linear designs and stamping, later this becomes stamping and bosses.Late 5th century bosses have straight or curvilinear designs.5th century pottery has linear designs – straight or curvilinear lines.Decoration on funerary vessels is very variable. Decorated vessels tend to be found on cremation sites. In cemetery sites people are buried with grave goods.Distributed to all major sites it is also even quite common on rural sites. This is partly because of its longevity and partly due to the importance of olive oil. Probably the most widely distributed amphora type in Britain.Form: globular, small spike, rounded or angular rim.Fabric: yellow/off-white sandy, quartz, limestone, mica.Manufactured in southern Spain (Baetica) between Cordoba and Seville.When found in burial contexts, they show the importance of alcohol to LIA and Roman burial practice.They tell us about trade and the nature of long distance links, but also because they are closely linked to particular imported commodities.Their presence in late Iron Age high-status graves gives chronological control over a range of late Iron Age/early Roman material culture. Amphorae are important chronologically.Hadham Oxidised ware (200 AD – late 4th century AD).Oxford red colour coated-ware (240 AD – early 5th century AD).Nene Valley colour coated-ware (200 AD – late 4th century AD).New Forest colour-coated ware (260 – 370 AD).Colchester colour-coated ware (120 AD – late 3rd century AD).Decoration on neck parallel vertical incisions.Rims may be decorated with oblique or trans parallel incisions or impressions.Decoration on some bowls, more later in the period.Predominately ‘S’ profile bowls with rolled rims and carinated shoulders.Green wood thrown on to the fire towards the end of firing will produce a smoky, high-carbon, environment, also resulting in black and grey pottery.Įarly Neolithic Pottery (c.
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sand, shell, rock fragments), but also deliberately added (e.g. Inclusions – often incorporated naturally into the clay (e.g.Clay – mostly derived from sedimentary deposits brought by rivers, glaciers, wind etc.This Jigsaw introduction to pottery identification is intended to get you started with basic guidelines and chronology. As pottery techniques and fashions have evolved so it is often possible to be very specific in terms of date and source. Pottery is usually the most common find and potsherds are more stable than organic materials and metals. Pottery identification is a valuable aid to dating of archaeological sites.
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