Medieval
>
High Medieval
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second half of the 10th - first half of the 11th century CE
Dating method(-s)
morphological characteristics, radiocarbon dating
Potters' mark
No
Additional information
Handmade finished on a slow wheel, production almost exclusively dominated by globular pots (to a lesser extent: spouted pots and frying pans). Based on the morphological characteristics of the pottery, the production of the small kiln at Merelbeke can be dated to the second half of the 10th and the first half of the 11th century. Radiocarbon analysis of charcoal from the kiln itself do not contradict this, although the results are ambiguous (De Groote et al. 2007).
Wim De Clercq, Johan Deschieter and Guy De Mulder; Dienst Monumentenzorg & Cultuurpatrimonium (provincie Oost-Vlaanderen) &
Provinciaal Archeologisch Museum, site Velzeke
Reduced grey fabric with thin black surface layer; black (PPL), black (XP).
Semi-homogenous matrix, non-calcareous with no optical activity.
- ca. 50-65%
Inclusions
Quartz (++; cf: mono, poly, r-sr, medium sand; ff: mono, eq & el, sr-sa, very fine to fine sand; bimodal), sedimentary rock detritus (+-; possible quartz arenite, slightly metamorf?), chert/flint (+-; weathered, alteration), muscovite mica (+-; cf: eq & el; ff: el), biotite mica (--; r, cf), feldspars (+-; plagioclase, orthoclase, microcline: r-sr, cf), amphibole (--; r, cf), pyroxene (--; r, cf), O/Fe (+), semi-plastics/clay pellets (+; various iron-content, granulometry and boundaries, some close to grog).
The coarse fraction consists of medium sand, the fine fraction varies from fine to very fine sand. Coarse fraction grains are generally rounded to subrounded, fine fraction grains are generally subrounded to subangular. Bimodal, unclear if natural or added temper. Overall the fabric is very poorly sorted, poorly orientated and double spaced.
- ca. 20-30%
Voids
Planar voids, chanal and vughs with poor alignment, no infill. Drying cracks in and around semi-plastics/clay pellets.
- ca. 15-20%
Diagnostic features
The fabric is characterized by a semi-homogenous reduced matrix with no optical activity and moderately high porosity. Dominant quartz inclusions with frequent opaques/iron oxides and semi-plastics/clay pellets, common sedimentary rock detritus, chert/flint, muscovite mica and few feldspars, and rare amphibole, pyroxene and biotite mica. Bimodality possibly from sandy clay or sandy fraction added to the clay. Overall very poorly sorted fabric consisting of coarse inclusions in a fine matrix.
Additional information
Same fabric as A0015 and A0016, but different firing. Thin exterior layer is no real slip layer, possible treated or smoothed surface with a finer clay product or adherence of carbon by using organic materials in the firing. Observations of rounded grain in coarse fraction: yellow-orange-red-brown body colors in PPL, black in XP, no visible internal structure: identification?
De Groote K., De Clercq W., Deforce K. & Moens J. 2007. Het aardewerk uit een 10de-/ vroeg 11 de-eeuwse pottenbakkersoven te Merelbeke (Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgiƫ). Corpus Middeleeuws Aardewerk (CMA), 18, 's Hertogenbosch.
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