The Hamwih Pottery: The Local and Imported Wares from 30 Years' Excavations at Middle Saxon Southampton and Their European Context

Description

With a contribution by J. F. Cherry. The pottery from the excavations over the last thirty years at Hamwih, Middle Saxon Southampton, is a remarkable collection. It is possibly the largest group of native wares of this period, as well as a unique assemblage of extremely varied imported pottery. This monograph on the pottery, based on the author's doctoral thesis, has two principal aims. First, a classification of the wares is attempted, so that their origins are broadly documented. Secondly, a review of the pottery of the 8th and 9th centuries in northern Europe is presented, since the Hamwih wares greatly illuminate the history of the potters and pottery of this period. Further to these fundamental elements of this report there is a chapter concerned with the quantified ceramic data from a number of recent Southampton Archaeological Research Committee (SARC) excavations; there is also a chapter reviewing the dating of the Middle Saxon settlement in the light of a recent seriation analysis. Illustrations (p. vi) Tables (p. vii) Introduction and acknowledgements (pp. 1-5) A classification of the local wares (pp. 5-14) A classification of the imported wares (pp. 14-33) An analysis of the imported wares from SARC sites and a catalogue of imports from the British Isles (pp. 33-44) On dating Hamwih (pp. 44-52) Middle Saxon pottery: a review (pp. 52-61) Carolingian pottery: a review (pp. 61-89) Pottery, trade and economics in the 8th and 9th centuries (pp. 89-94) Sommaire; Zusammenfassung (pp. 94-95) Appendix 1: Obsevations on some clamp and bonfire kiln firings (p. 95) Appendix 2: Some dated groups (pp. 95-97) Appendix 3: Seed and textile impressions on some Hamwih sherds (pp. 97-98) List of thin sections (pp. 98-100) Bibliography (pp. 100-105) Index (pp. 105-108)