Decorated Westerwald - Middleton Hall Excavations 2011

Description

This is a photograph of a highly decorated fragment of westerwald pottery. The fragment itself was not actually discovered on the site during the excavation but was actually discovered in an adjacent field by the botanic gardens estate manager Tim Bevan some years prior to the excavation. On looking at the finds we had discovered from trench 1 in 2011 he rushed back to his home, one of the local farms within the Middleton Estate and brought back this piece of pottery that he said had been sitting on his mantelpiece for years. He kindly donated the fragment to the excavation. From first inspection it was clear that the decoration on this fragment was unlike anything we had discovered on the site (Woods 2012). From further inspection of the decoration and of the fabric of the sherd it was possible to identify what type of pottery this was. The cobalt blue colour and salt glaze meant it was extremely likely that this was in fact westerwald pottery, a common German type of pottery that was a highly popular import during the 18th century (Woods 2012). In terms of the vessel that this sherd would have belonged to, it is likely that it would have been a jug, which is one the common vessel forms of westerwald pottery, the others being chamber pots and coffee mugs.

Unfortunately there is very little we can infer from this find as it is not know exactly where the fragment itself came from save that it was within the vicinity of the hall. This is a very common problem with artefacts and objects that have been discovered with little or no evidence from where it came from. Also with no contextual data such as a layer or deposit with which to attribute it, it is extremely hard to develop a firm narrative that associates it with the hall (Barker 1982). This is one of the reasons why archaeologists are very strict about removing artefacts from layers and deposits as well as being careful when ascribing dates, even when pottery is within the ground does not mean it definitively comes from that context or feature (ibid). Natural processes such as burrowing animals as well as manmade actions such as ploughing can disturb pottery and place artefacts into contexts that were not originally associated with, a process which archaeologists call contamination (ibid). What can be said for sure about this fragment of pottery however is that it is very beautiful and a good example of the tastes and fashions that were in present during the 18th century.

Barker, P. 1982 Techniques of Archaeological Investigation. London: Anchor Brendon Ltd.

Woods, M. 2012 The National Botanic Garden of Wales: A History Through Finds. University of Wales, Trinity Saint David. Unpublished

• http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/about-2/history-of-the-gardens/ (link opens in new window)