Scottish Medieval Pottery: A Review

The aim of this paper is to present a review of the current state of knowledge of medieval pottery in Scotland, and to highlight the problems facing those who wish to undertake detailed research into this material. These include the lack of known kiln sites; the bias towards urban or high status sites on the east coast, to the detriment of rural sites inland or sites on the west coast of Scotland; the shortage of published material; the inconsistent methods of reporting, and the lack of funds with which to carry out analytical research. These problems are illustrated by a review of two local wares: East Coast White Gritty ware, and East Coast Red ware; mention is also made of imported wares from England and the Continent. The concluding section offers some recommendations for areas of future research.