Medieval Ceramics Volume 37-38: Journal of the Medieval Pottery Research Group

The main objective of this study is to analyze the ceramics, both imported and local, which were recovered from the Late Antique and early medieval phases of activity revealed by several excavations carried out in Sao Martinho Dume, Portugal. After characterising the ceramics collected during this archaeological work, the assemblage is compared with contemporary material from the city of Braga.

Archaeological excavations in Santarem have uncovered many domestic structures as well as dozens of storage pits, dated to the 12th-15th centuries and filled with domestic rubbish, including ceramics. Most of this material is clearly of local production and is similar to many other finds within the city and its region. This pottery was used for many different activities relating to the preparation, storage and consumption of food and drink. An examination of the morphological and decorative characteristics of this pottery indicates an Islamic tradition for the 13th-century wares, while the 14th- and 15th-century products appear to reflect a Christian identity. It is argued that this transition relates to wider cultural, social and economic changes in medieval Santarem.

Unpublished documents held in the National Archives of Portugal (ANTT) and the Lisbon City Archive (AML), derived from the monasteries of Chelas and Santos-o-Novo, are examined. These documents provide important information about Lisbon potters in the 14th and 15th centuries and offer a new perspective on the craft developed by Christian and Moorish potters working in the greater Lisbon area. The work was undertaken as part of the “Medieval Tiles in Portugal - a study of provenance” (PTDC/CPC-EAT/4719/2012) project.

This paper examines Hispano-Moresque glazed tiles (15th-16th century) from the collections of Palacio Nacional de Sintra and Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha, in Portugal. A representative number of tiles from the two collections was analysed by p-PIXE (particle induced X-ray emission), SEM-EDS (scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis) and p-Raman spectrometry, in order to characterise each collection both chemically and morphologically. This study is included on a wider project concerning the characterisation of Portuguese and Spanish medieval tiles and their provenance.

Archaeological excavations carried out over the last 20-25 years in Pisa have allowed us to understand the medieval and post-medieval urban development of the city, and the resulting discovery of large quantities of pottery provides the opportunity to understand the domestic pottery used in high-status and artisanal households. This paper examines both the changes in ceramic use and the differences between assemblages from these household types during the high and late Middle Ages to determine the extent to which pottery was a luxury in medieval Pisa.

This paper explores the role of bearded face jugs in constructing identities in later medieval England, specifically in relation to urbanism, commercialism and masculinity. The main focus is on the face jugs produced by the ceramic industry at Grimston, Norfolk. An examination of the regional distribution of these vessels provides insights into the role of face jugs in constructing identities across a wide geographical and social spectrum. Nodal points in the trade and consumption of these vessels are identified at commercially important waterside settlements at King’s Lynn and Norwich. It is argued that face jugs were active in constructing bonds of common interest and identity amongst the mercantile and artisan populations of these settlements. It is further suggested that the symbolic properties of these vessels, which drew upon the virile associations of beards, links these vessels to the construction of new forms of masculinity developing in 13th-century towns and ports.

Publication review

List of Officers and Council of the Medieval Pottery Research Group 2016 and 2017

Editorial of Medieval Ceramics 2016-2017