Pottery is a technique that uses clay to from objects of use to man.  The technique involves shaping them into the required form for the task they are to be used and then heating in a kiln to remove the water and changes them into a permanent object with increased hardening and longevity.

In archaeology the most frequently found artefact is called the potsherd.  A potsherd is a piece of broken pottery and can often be identified and dated.   It is encountered in archaeology as pottery is very durable and fragments can still exist long after artefacts of less durable material have vanished The potsherds may give datable information and shed light on when activity was occurring at the site.  The quality may also help formulate theories on the prosperity of sites and what was occurring.

Roman sites produce more artefacts, notably pottery, than in almost any other historical period. The range of pottery is an indicator of the activities of the site i.e. farmstead settlements or a more sophisticated residential villa and the types of trade and products produced.

Nature of the pottery

Form – jar, bowl, dish, cup, goblet, beaker.

Fabric/Temper – grog, shell, flint etc.

Condition.

Style – grey ware, black burnished, colour coated etc.

Decoration – rouletting. Barbotine, moulded figures.

Origin – Nene Valley, Gaulish Samian etc.

Function – cooking, storage, transport, tableware.

Class – coarse ware, fine ware, amphora, mortaria, Samian (terra sigillata).

The following pages give a guide to some of the common wares found in Cambridgeshire and was compiled by Derek Booth: March 2011