Links

Colchester Archaeological Report 7

Post-Roman pottery from excavations in Colchester, 1971-85 by John P Cotter, is both a typology and a synthesis of medieval and later pottery in north Essex. At 403 pages, with over 1,700 pottery illustrations plus maps, diagrams and photographs, it is the largest publication on post- Roman pottery from Essex, as well as one of the largest urban assemblages to be published from south-east England in recent years. As such, it should prove to be an invaluable reference work, not just to ceramic researchers in Essex but also in East Anglia and south-east England generally, as well as those with wider interests in imported wares or other socio-economic aspects of pottery studies.

The report deals with nearly 100,000 sherds (2 tonnes) of post-Roman pottery from the excavations in Colchester between 1971 and 1985, and also draws on some largely unpublished material in Colchester Museum.

Chapters 2 to 6 present a typology of English wares, most of which are of local origin. Accounts of local wares of the 11th to early 16th centuries form the core of the work; in particular the Middleborough kilns (c 1175-1225), and the 13th- to early 16th-century Colchester-type ware industry in the East Anglian redwares tradition which includes vessels with exuberant slip decoration. The production of roof-furniture was an important element of this industry, and the report includes two of the most complete and highly-decorated louvers published in Britain in recent years. The account of the Hedingham fine-ware industry is the most comprehensive overview published to date. The section on English post-medieval wares includes a study of the numerous tin-glazed drug jars (English and imported) from apothecary dumps, with documentary evidence linking these to named families.

The assemblage of Continental imports is arranged in geographical order in Chapters 7 to 13. Foreign imports are particularly common from the late medieval period onwards, and reflect Colchester's status as a port. The German stonewares alone constitute one of the richest and most diverse collections from south-east England.

Chapter 14 is devoted to the presentation and quantification of 22 stratified groups of pottery, arranged in chronological order. An overview of the main trends of pottery supply to Colchester through the ages is provided in the concluding chapter, and the significance of the assemblage is considered in terms of its regional, national and international contexts. There are appendices dealing with documentary evidence for local pottery production and neutron activation analysis of Colchester-type and other Essex redwares.

Publication of the report was made possible by a generous grant from English Heritage.

How to order