Medieval Ceramics Volume 08: Bulletin of the Medieval Pottery Research Group

German Rhineland and found in the Netherlands, with particular reference to the finds from Dorestad. The subject was divided into three parts: 1. the composition of the pottery complex found at Dorestad itself; 2. the physical and chemical research into the provenance of the wheel-made wares occurring on that site; 3. the distribution pattern of these wares over the Netherlands and the role which Dorestad played in the distribution of Rhenish pottery.

This short paper is an account of a recent experiment in the manufacture of pagan Saxon pottery, in particular the fabrics found at the Baginton cemetery, Warks., and an assessment of possible materials used in producing decorative stamps on such pottery. The results suggest a number of possibilities for future research, and the author would be pleased to receive comments from other workers in the field.

The article discusses a type of bowl form characterised by rouletted decoration on the exterior which has been found in Greece and in Italy. Morgan, who first drew attention to this pottery, defined it as a type and called it Roulette Ware, dating it to the Turkish period. Stillwell Mackay studied the group further and dated it to the 13th-14th century. It seems, in fact, that Roulette Ware is not a discrete pottery type but a form of decoration which occurs on a number of vessels (glazed, slipped, painted, sgraffito). The production centre is thought to be Italian rather than Byzantine. The presence of kiln wasters and results from mineralogical analysis suggests a centre around Venice. The chronology proposed by Stillwell Mackay has been confirmed by the dating of bacini and discoveries from excavations in north-eastern Italy.

Publication review

Medieval Ceramics Annual Bibliography 1984