Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales

Local Pots for Local People: the study of medieval ceramic material in South Glamorgan

With Alice Forward, PhD student, Cardiff University.

Vale Ware is the general name used to categorise medieval jugs and jars believed to be the result of pottery production local to the Vale of Glamorgan.

Despite being an aceramic region, from the end of the Roman period to the early 12th century, South Glamorgan has a very distinct medieval ceramic tradition which was first recognised in the late 1970s.

Evidence for the actual kilns and production sites for this fabric has not been forthcoming and has so far eluded archaeologists.

However, wasters - the poorly fired and broken vessels found in association with production sites - were found in the grounds of Llandaff Cathedral School ten years ago.

Two assemblages will be discussed in this talk: Cosmeston, a site which has seen sporadic excavation over the past 30 years, resulting in the largest assemblage of medieval material from a site in South Glamorgan, and the potential kiln site at Llandaff Cathedral School.

These sites have provided the foundations for the re-evaluation of the local Vale Ware.

By comparing the waster material from Llandaff with vessels found at Cosmeston using petrographic analysis and optical microscopy, potential variations in the clay make up indicate other possible areas of production.