11th February 2013, 08:47 PM
redexile Wrote:They look like 'rusticated' pottery, usually A-S, but sometimes found in the IA. These look more IA than Saxon, as the latter is usually 'pinched' rather than just poked with a fingertip. Fabric looks more IA as well.Iron Age would make sense on one site but not the other. Ditto Anglo-Saxon but the other way round. Quite possible that we have one of each, of course - that would put a spaniard in the works and be just about typical of archaeology. Very similar fabrics though.
Quote:In the case of the one on the left, the odd shape might be due to spalling, when a roundish flake of pot blows off the outside of a vessel during firing or post-production heating.That's a dirty great spall though - and still no idea why the fingermarks would be on the inside. Plus the wall is a lens shape - both surfaces bow outwards (doesn't particularly show up in the photos). Not a logical shape for what must be a small chunk of a massive vessel wall.
Quote:In the case of the one on the right, the finger-tipping appears to be internal, and it looks like a base that has blown at the primary coil-join - quite common on flat-bottomed, coil-built pots, they're not very resistant to thermal shock.Sounds good.
Quote: The 'fingertipping' effect might have been due to the potter pressing the base onto a board to flatten it.Would certainly explain why the finger marks are orientated in the same direction.
Quote:Both a bit odd though, and always difficult to be certain from a photo. That'll be £25 pleaseAh well now. If you can find me parallels, I might consider submitting an invoice to Admin. In triplicate. With a fortnight's notice. (Don't hold yer breath!)
Thanks for the ideas.