Production and acquisition of pottery in the iron age : petrological investigations from Hampshire

Wandibba, Simiyu (1980) Production and acquisition of pottery in the iron age : petrological investigations from Hampshire. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

The thesis aims to identify, as far as possible, the probable centres of production for the iron age pottery in Hampshire and to demonstrate whether any changes are discernible in the mode of production and acquisition of pottery through time. The principal method of analysis is that of thin sectioning. This provides an objective way of characterising wares by determining the texture of the paste: the proportions of inclusions, the size and shape of grains, the relationship and proportions of different constituents, the texture and mineral components of rocks, and the structure and texture of the clay. Although it often proved difficult to determine the location of probable centres of production with precision, general conclusions have been drawn regarding the organisation of the pottery industry in iron age Hampshire. In the pre-saucepan phase the pottery seems to be produced in every village whilst the saucepan phase seems to have witnessed the emergence of specialist centres. Although there is evidence for importation of pottery both in the pre- and post-saucepan phases, it is argued that imported pottery did not play a significant role in iron age Hampshire. The thesis begins with a brief survey of iron age studies in Britain and the place of ceramic studies. The typological and petrological features of the pre-saucepan, saucepan and post-saucepan wares are then described. The petrological results indicate that in general all the pottery used by the iron age inhabitants of Hampshire was produced within the county, but there is also some limited evidence for the importation of the pottery in the pre- and post-saucepan phases. The results also demonstrate definite technological differences between the wares of the three phases. There is a tendency towards standardisation with the passage in time. The final section of the thesis is interpretive and an attempt is made to evaluate the evidence in the light of theoretical and ethnologically derived models.

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