Welcome to the Toolkit for finds: pottery, please view this short walkthrough video which introduces the Toolkit and its resources presented by Kayt Hawkins and Emily Johnson (Archaeology South-East, UCL).
Pottery has several attributes that give it great potential to inform the study of human activity in the past.
- The material a pot is made from, known as the fabric, consists of clay and inclusions. These can be used to identify where a pot’s raw materials were obtained from, as well as indicate manufacturing techniques and the date of the pot.
- The overall shape of a pot, known as the form, the character of component parts such as rims and handles, the technique and style of decoration, and aspects of surface treatment can all indicate when and how a pot was made and used, as well as serving to define cultural affinities.
The interpretation of pottery is based on a detailed characterisation of the types present in any group, supported by rigorous quantification and consistent approaches to analysis that facilitate comparison between assemblages. This will lead to an understanding of the progress of technology, methods and patterns of distribution, modes of consumption and processes of deposition. Those conclusions will help us understand the people who occupied a site in the past, including their social, economic and cultural circumstances and the ways in which they interacted with material culture, as well as informing the chronology of the activities represented by the surviving evidence.
If the study of pottery is to reach its full potential, it is vital that we recover and analyse it to a high and consistent standard. This Toolkit covers the entire process of pottery work in archaeology, ensuring that the information gained will inform present and future studies of the past.
Background
This Toolkit converts the content of the published A Standard for Pottery Studies in Archaeology (PDF, Barclay et al 2016) into the Toolkit for Finds: Pottery. This project was funded by Historic England and undertaken by a team of consultants from Archaeology South-East with the support of the original authors and of the Prehistoric Ceramic Research Group (PCRG), the Study Group for Roman Pottery (SGRP), and the Medieval and Later Pottery Research Group (MLPRG).
The publication of A Standard for Pottery Studies in Archaeology (PDF) meant that pottery was one of the few archaeological material categories with robust good practice guidance in place. It was used in the Review of the Standard of Reporting on Archaeological Artefacts in England (PDF, Cattermole 2017) and several archaeological guidance documents and resources have been influenced by and refer to its quality and content, including The Archaeologist's Guide to Good Practice and the CIfA Toolkit for Specialist Reporting.
Its original production was testament to the long-standing commitment of the three specialist pottery groups active in the UK – PCRG, SGRP and the MLPRG – to high-quality professional practice for archaeological pottery studies. These three groups have a wide UK and international membership including, but not limited to, professional and non-professional archaeologists, potters, and those studying, working or volunteering in the wider heritage and museum sectors. Each of the groups has previously provided independent feedback to the CIfA Standard and Guidance for the collection, documentation, conservation and research of archaeological materials (PDF, CIfA 2014a).
A Standard for Pottery Studies in Archaeology (PDF) has been converted into this CIfA Toolkit to make the content available in a user-friendly online format, one that has proved successful for sharing other resources and guidance, for example, the Toolkit for Specialist Reporting. Unlike static documents, this format enables
- the inclusion of downloadable resources (eg record templates)
- signposting to other online resources
- a quicker and easier process for amendments/additions to content
This was also an opportunity to update the content with more recently available resources and guidance, particularly the Toolkit for Specialist Reporting, the Toolkit for Recording Archaeological Materials, the Toolkit for Selecting Archaeological Archives, the Toolkit for Managing Digital Data (Dig Digital) and the recently updated Standards and Universal guidance for archaeological excavation, archaeological field evaluation and archaeological monitoring and recording – see CIfA Code, regulations and standards & guidance.
The content of this Toolkit outlines the recommended approach to all aspects of pottery work as described in A Standard for Pottery Studies in Archaeology (PDF). As such, the Toolkit supports and promotes a consistent, good-practice approach to all aspects of pottery work that facilitates compliance with the CIfA Standard for the collection, documentation, conservation and research of archaeological materials (PDF, CIfA 2014a). We strongly advise that all those practising the study of pottery adhere to the guidance within this Toolkit. It is endorsed by the PCRG, MLPRG and SGRP and will help to ensure that those practising both in the UK and internationally are providing data that enables the comparative study of different assemblages according to professional standards and guidance.
Using the Toolkit
Purpose of the Toolkit
The Toolkit aims to
- set out accepted methods for working with pottery assemblages in accordance with CIfA Standards and guidance (see CIfA 2014a) and other relevant CIfA Toolkits, especially the Toolkit for Specialist Reporting
- ensure pottery assemblages from all types of archaeological project are recovered and analysed consistently, thus producing the levels of information required to allow detailed and informed interpretations
- facilitate the monitoring of project planning, finds recovery, pottery analysis and reporting
- inform the staffing of project teams, so that recognised, competent pottery specialists are included
- assist in archive compilation and curation in relation to pottery assemblages
The Toolkit is designed to ensure pottery work undertaken complies with the CIfA Standard and guidance for the collection, documentation, conservation and research of archaeological materials (PDF, CIfA 2014a):
Collection, documentation, conservation and research of archaeological materials (hereafter finds work) will result in an ordered, stable, accessible archive using appropriate methods and practices. Finds work will result in report(s) intended for dissemination. The methods and practices employed must satisfy the stated aims of any project of which finds work comprises all or part, and comply with the Code of conduct and other relevant regulations of CIfA.
Who is the Toolkit for?
The Toolkit is intended be used
- by pottery specialists working on assemblages from any type of archaeological project, to ensure that pottery is collected, processed, recorded, analysed and reported to consistent levels
- as a specification by project managers (or anyone managing the processing and analysis of a pottery assemblage) to require finds personnel and pottery specialists to apply the Toolkit throughout an archaeological project, including the analysis and re-interpretation of pottery studied previously and now in storage, for instance in a museum collection
- to monitor the quality of pottery assessment, analysis and reporting – for example, in peer review, or development control archaeologists overseeing planning-led projects, or museum curators receiving project archives
- in combination with existing standards for processing, recording and reporting of other types of finds, or with standards for the compilation and transfer of archive materials
- as a training resource for students and new specialists
Structure of the Toolkit
All parts of an archaeological project are covered and the Toolkit sections are set out in accordance with the main project activities:
The Toolkit is supported by a glossary of terms used; useful resources including digital downloads and more detailed methodological guidance; and references and recommended reading.
Any programme of work that involves the collection and/or production of information about an archaeological site, assemblage or object in any environment, including in the field, under water, at a desk or in a laboratory. Examples of an archaeological project include: intrusive projects such as excavation, field evaluation, watching brief, surface recovery and the destructive analysis of objects; non-intrusive projects such as landscape or building survey, aerial survey, remote sensing, off-site research such as desk-based assessment and the recording of objects or object assemblages (Perrin et al 2014, 20).
One product of an archaeological project will be an archaeological archive.
The identifier given to a type of pottery that has been characterised by the substance it is made from, ie the clay and inclusions. Fabrics are usually denoted by codes, either as a unique number or as combinations of characters and numerals.
Vessels made of fired clay, complete or fragmented. Some fired clay objects, such as roof furniture (eg finials or louvres), may be studied by pottery specialists and in such instances the Toolkit may be applicable. Other ceramic objects, such as loom-weights, bricks and tiles, are excluded from the Toolkit because they require different analytical approaches and are studied by different specialists.
All the pottery collected during an archaeological project.
The person who manages the project and the project team.
An individual who is competent in, and specialises in, characterising, quantifying, analysing, interpreting and reporting on pottery assemblages. A pottery specialist will have developed expertise through the extensive study of pottery, and reporting in reputable, peer reviewed sources, with a demonstrable ability to work unsupervised. Membership of a pottery study group is a valuable way of acquiring and sharing knowledge, while competence can be demonstrated through accreditation by CIfA. Both are recommended.
The people who collectively work with the project manager throughout the course of the project, agreeing the project design and strategies for the completion of project tasks.
