Pottery is one of the most common finds on settlement sites because it is so durable. Anglo-Saxons also cremated their dead and buried the remains in clay pottery urns. As a result there is a lot of evidence for the styles of pottery used.
Making clay pots.
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The clay was just the subsoil spoil from digging holes
for the fence posts. This was steeped in water, or puddled, for a few
weeks and the larger stones removed. Most of the pots we made just with
clay, but we also tried adding some sand as a temper. Some of the pots
can be seen drying in the sun.
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The pots were left overnight to dry a little before
being decorated with incised lines and stamps.
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Above - A selection of unfired pots.
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Firing the pots
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| After several weeks drying the unfired pots were placed in the hearth. | The pots were then covered with bracken to protect them. |
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| A fire was lit on top. | When the fire was well alight (after a couple of hours) it was stoked up and then turves were placed on top to exclude oxygen and keep in the heat. |
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| The next day the hearth was opened and the pots were revealed. The pink colour shows they have fired, but in a oxidising atmosphere. Anglo-Saxon pots are mainly black as they were fired in an oxygen free (reducing) atmosphere. Clearly more turf was required! | A selection of the finished pots and a pottery spindle. |
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