A Stamford Ware Pottery Kiln in Pontefract. Excavations at Simpson's Malt, Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
Ian Roberts, Chris Cumberpatch, Jane Young, Rob Ixer, Mike Hughes, 2013. https://doi.org/10.5284/1012479. How to cite using this DOI
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- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1012479
- How to cite using this DOI
Overview
The pottery recoved during excavations at Pontefract is visually indistinguishable from the Lincolnshire Stamford ware and petrographic and ICP analyses of the fabric were undertaken to see if there were differences in the clays that were used in the respective industries. A geological review of the potential clay sources in the Pontefract area has revealed that there are sources which could have been exploited, although there is no evidence for this in the medieval period.
Comparison of the pottery forms and decoration found at Pontefract reveal many similarities with those from the Stamford potteries, although unique to Pontefract was the liberal use of wheel stamp decoration. The results of the project clearly indicate that potters with the Stamford ware repertoire relocated to Pontefract and manufactured pottery for a time. The apparent absence of the kiln's products in the wider archaeological record, especially the material with a wheel stamp decoration, is puzzling and could indicate a very short-term operation that never achieved a wide market. The scientific dating of this event is potentially contentious as it would appear to demand a reappraisal of the chronology of the Stamford ware industry.
