Non-Dating Uses of Medieval Pottery

This paper examines some of the many non-dating uses of medieval pottery on site. It is argued that the traditional role of medieval pottery as a dating media is its least reliable quality. The different aspects of pottery distribution on site are considered, including the dispersal of sherds from the same vessel, distribution of forms, evidence for use (including wear marks, sooting, residues and secondary holes), patterns of dumping, residual material, pots found in situ and the relevance of excavated groups of artefacts. Much of the discussion is based on the material from the extensively excavated Sandal Castle (West Yorkshire). Evidence is also produced to show that similar results can be obtained from sites where excavation has been much more limited. The conclusions reached have far reaching implications for the way in which sites are excavated and, more significantly, for the way in which the finds from them are interpreted. Perhaps most importantly, a number of techniques allow the residual element to be identified, which on many types of site is very high, suggesting that not only should we be much more critical about the validity of groups as excavated, but also about the way in which we publish the material.