Pottery Summary

Locus 1

Total: 26 sherds

Locus 2

Total: 254 sherds

Locus 3

Total: 52 sherds

Locus 4

Total: 124 sherds

Locus 5

Total: 22 sherds

Locus 6

Total: 55 sherds

Locus 7

Total: 265 sherds

Locus 8

Total: 124 sherds

Locus 9

Total: 164 sherds

Locus 10

Total: 267 sherds

Baulk Trim: T66 2016 Section

Total: 92 sherds

Large quantities of pottery were found in T90 in 2017.  In total, 1445 sherds of pottery were recovered from the trench.  This number is especially high, given that only a small portion of the trench was excavated; in total, we excavated approximately 4 cubic meters.

There are three discernible chronological phases in T90 and the pottery can be grouped accordingly.  The earliest chronological phase is that predating the construction of EPOC4 and consists of Loci 9 and 10.  The middle chronological phase is the functional floor surface of EPOC4, which corresponds to Locus 8.  The latest phase postdates the occupation of EPOC4 and is associated with the construction of a small, rectilinear building within and over the front porch of EPOC4; this latest phase corresponds to Loci 1-7.

There are notable changes in the composition of ceramic typologies that correlate with these different phases.  In the earliest two phases, the era predating the construction of EPOC4 and the occupation of EPOC4, coarseware ceramics dominate pottery assemblages.  In Locus 8, which designates the floor of EPOC4, and in Loci 9 and 10, which both predate the construction of EPOC4, roughly 65% of all pottery recovered from each locus was coarseware.  Many examples of coarseware vessels from these strata are crucible fragments; in total, we recovered 65 crucible fragments in 2017 and 60 were found in Loci 8, 9, and 10 or the baulk trim from the T66 2016 sounding, which sounded through and beneath the floor of EPOC4.  Additionally, 7 kg of slag were recovered from these loci.  The ceramic and slag evidence strongly indicates that metallurgy, specifically the smelting of raw ores, was practiced in the area of EPOC4’s porch both preceding the building’s construction and during its occupation.  Furthermore, very few examples of finewares were found in these strata.  Just 40 of the 647 sherds of pottery recovered from the floor of EPOC4 and earlier strata are finewares.  This is further evidence that this area was used primarily for metallurgy, both preceding the construction of EPOC4 and when the building was occupied.

In contrast to the two earliest phases, in the latest phase, that associated with the small rectilinear building built over the remains of EPOC4, we recovered far more impasto.  Roughly 50% of all ceramics recovered from these upper strata, Loci 1-7, are impasto.  That being said, coarewares are the second most common type of vessel that were found in these loci, while finewares are still relatively rare.  This typological breakdown is indicative of a domestic space, which accords with the architectural remains of the rectilinear structure.

Few datable ceramics were found in T90 in 2017.  All examples of chronologically indicative ceramics came from the upper strata of the trench, Loci 1-7, those associated with the later rectilinear structure.  We found two sherds of bucchero with scenes in relief (PC20170048, PC20170049) and a sherd of stamped bucchero (PC20170047).  All three sherds are comparable to other sherds found in the OC1, OC2, and OC3, indicating that the later rectilinear building dates to the second half of the 7th century.  While no datable ceramics were recovered from the floor of EPOC4 or its subfloor layers, three examples of braided bucchero handles were found in the wall collapse and wall construction of the later rectilinear building (PC20170052).  Typologically, such handl