Approaches to reporting

This section provides more detailed methodological guidance for reporting on pottery.

A report on any pottery assemblage should aim to describe it, quantify it and interpret the results of analysis. The contents of the three types of pottery reports are set out in the Reporting section of the Toolkit, but some aspects are given further explanation here.

Describing the assemblage

Present all the attributes on which the assemblage was sorted, with the range of wares, fabrics, vessel forms and decorative styles.

Describe the assemblage in a catalogue, accompanied by illustrations (drawings and/or photographs). The catalogue should be representative of the whole assemblage, covering characteristic traits, and giving the range of forms and types present. Arrange it to complement the text and any phasing/stratigraphic grouping. The extent of the catalogue will depend on the rarity and importance of the material described.

Most catalogues are arranged around

• ware and/or fabric types
• form types
• key feature/context groups

The catalogue should present key attributes (contextual unit, type, form, fabric, decoration, surface treatment, sample reference – eg, lipid residue, object or pottery record number) in a standardised format with any abbreviations/codes explained in full in a key. Where an illustrated sherd has been used for petrographic or scientific analysis, the sample reference should be given in the catalogue.

If the sherd or an attribute has been photographed, the appropriate illustrative plate should be cross-referenced.

All the terms used in descriptions of fabrics, forms, decoration and other attributes should be used consistently, and if necessary, explained in glossaries or concordances.

Describe fabrics with reference to other known examples or type series, using the accepted nomenclature. Give full descriptions of previously unpublished fabric and form types following accepted principles (eg PCRG 2010; Darling 1994; Slowikowski et al. 2001). Where a new type series is defined, it may be appropriate to give a correlation with previously used typologies. Present fabric descriptions in standardised form following period group guidance (see PCRG 2010). Where petrological analysis has taken place, integrate and cross-reference the results and state the sample reference. Petrological descriptions should follow standard practice (PCRG 2010; Peacock 1977).

Describe vessel forms and the form of component parts, decoration or surface treatment using accepted terminology and systems of classification (eg MPRG 1988).

Describe, quantify and discuss additional attributes, such as surface treatment, evidence of use, signs of modification and methods of manufacture, in the context of other attributes. If considered appropriate, specific examples should be illustrated.

Integrate the results of scientific analysis for use with other lines of evidence for the same phenomena, eg when using lipid analysis to identify food residues.

Describe the condition of the material, leading to examination of the evidence relating to fragmentation, redeposition, and waste management and site formation processes. Give a statement covering the overall stratigraphic integrity of the assemblage and its reliability to date features, in particular where material is thought to be residual, intrusive and/or where cross-joins have been recorded between features.

Quantification

Describe methods of quantification in an introductory section on methodology. State and reference the methods and rationale used for measuring and estimating vessel size, diameter, wall-thickness and volume.

Clearly state the total number (excluding fresh breaks) and weight of sherds and average sherd weight in the report, along with the number of recognised vessels and the method used to calculate vessel counts.

Use tables to present a proportional breakdown of the assemblage by key attributes and by site sub-division, phase and stratigraphic groupings. Presenting data in a standardised tabulated format enables direct comparison to be made between assemblages.

Discussion

The discussion should address those questions outlined in the assessment and stated in the introduction to the report.

Common themes for discussion include

• the technology of pottery making and the organisation of industries
• the range of sources for pottery
• modes of local, regional, national or international exchange or trade
• modes of acquisition
• the chronology of pottery use and disposal
• patterns of pottery distribution across the site
• ways of utilisation and consumption
• comparisons with other assemblages
• site formation processes and taphonomy
• the character of certain stratigraphic or structural components (eg site phases, areas of the site or individual features)
• the character of the site or what it represents (eg a dwelling, industrial zone, etc)

The discussion should place the assemblage in its wider local and regional context.

Illustrations

Illustrations should be produced at an appropriate scale and to an acceptable standard (see Green 1987; Hurman and Steiner 1997; Collett 2012).

Acknowledgements

The location of scientific specimens, pottery type series, records and the archive (paper and digital) should be clearly stated in the publication. The illustrator and photographer should be credited along with the names of individuals and organisations involved in scientific research.