Casgliadau Arlein
Amgueddfa Cymru
Chwilio Uwch
Medieval pottery jug
Following the end of the First World War, a Memorial Hall was built in Newport, Pembrokeshire to commemorate residents that had fought in the conflict. During construction, the remains of two pottery kilns were uncovered and Sir Mortimer Wheeler, then Keeper of Archaeology at Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales identified them as medieval. Medieval pottery kilns are extremely rare in Wales, so their discovery was, and remains, one of national importance. Recognising the importance of the discovery,Wheeler arranged for a small selection of pottery and parts of the kiln structure to be donated to the Museum (accession number 21.46).
Unfortunately, one of the kilns was destroyed during construction but the other was preserved under the building. The recovered material was later identified as a local pottery type known as Dyfed Gravel-Tempered Ware, referring to its rough, gritty appearance and dates to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A small range of different vessel types were recorded including storage jars, bowls and roof tile. Many of the vessels were wasters (the waste products from failed firings) and some were glazed. Fragments of slate were also recovered, which had splashes of glaze across one surface, thought to be part of the kiln structure.
In 2016, The Newport Hall Committee commissioned renovation work at the hall. During these works the surviving kiln was re-excavated, uncovering more pottery vessels and kiln furniture. These include additional vessel types such as jugs, pipkins (handled cooking vessel) and alembics (medicinal/distilling jars) and a small selection of this material was donated to the Museum in 2019 (accession number 2019.7H). A full pottery report is expected to be published in 2021.
Rim sherd of a jug with pulled spout. Medium coarse fabric and traces of external glaze. Jug type B.
From joint report of the pottery by David Dawson and Oliver Kent: 'Jug type B. Similar in form to type A but larger and more heavily made in a coarser fabric. Spouts are shaped with a finger and sometimes the handles are not attached with thumbed 'ears' at the rim. It is unclear what form the base took.'
Pwnc
Rhif yr Eitem
Gwybodaeth am y darganfyddiad
Enw'r Safle: Newport Memorial Hall, Newport: Pembrokeshire
Nodiadau: The material was deposited at the National Museum by David Dawson on 9th May 2019 following his assessment and subsequent joint report of the pottery with Dr Oliver Kent.