Clay and Cake

On Saturday 13 May 2017, the Salisbury office hosted the Prehistoric Ceramics Research Group’s AGM and Spring Meeting. In the morning, the AGM touched upon many of the challenges regarding capacity, standards and sustainability that face the wider profession. We were also pleased to welcome several new members on the day. 

 

Over 20 people attended to listen to talks by Matt Leivers (Wessex Archaeology) and Lisa Brown (Oxford Archaeology) who spoke about the new discoveries found at the DIO sites on Salisbury Plain and at Thame (Oxfordshire, a joint project between Oxford Archaeology and Cotswold Archaeology) respectively. Both talks included unexpected discoveries of early Neolithic causewayed enclosures, and it was a great opportunity to see and handle the different styles of pottery found at both sites.  Richard Massey (Cotswold Archaeology) talked about the Deverel-Rimbury Bronze Age cremation cemetery at Heatherstone Grange on the edge of the New Forest, a site that had produced an impressive number of urns of different types including a striking number of finely made Barrel Urns. Grace Jones had kindly brought over many of these pots for people to view and Elaine Morris was on hand to share her ideas about the assemblage. Phil Andrews (Wessex Archaeology, Breaking Ground Heritage & DIO) spoke about the investigations at the East Chisenbury midden, perhaps the most impressive of all such sites in Wessex and beyond. The midden represents a massive refuse dump that accumulated during the 9th to 6th centuries BC, which today forms an extensive artificial mound some 3 m in height. Later in the day there was a chance to examine some of the fine and highly decorated pottery and compare this with a similar assemblage from a recently excavated settlement found at King’s Gate, Amesbury (Wiltshire).    

 

The afternoon workshop with its impressive array of prehistoric pots and associated finds provided much scope for discussion and the opportunity to examine and handle the many fine pots.   Between talks and pots, there was a fine array of home baked cakes to consume. 

 

If you would like to find out more about the PCRG please check our Twitter feed @PrehistCeramics