Medieval Pottery from Dartford

MEDIEVAL POTTERY FROM DARTFORD By D. C. MYNARD With an Appendix by Dr. G. C. Dunning THE pottery described was recovered from the filling of a ditch revealed during the construction in 1959 of a Woolworth store, on the site of the former offices of Penny, Son and Parker in High Street, Dartford, extending to the Market Place (N.G.R. TQ 543740). The ditch ran in a north-south dnection from the High Street to Market Street almost parallel with the River Darent and about ninety yards to the west of Holy Trinity Church. The ditch was discovered and excavated by Mr. L. C. Dale, who has kindly aUowed this pubhcation of his discovery.1 No section was drawn but the excavator noted that the ditch was 10 ft. wide and 6 ft. deep. The filling was also unrecorded apart from the fact that a seam of black organic material, varying in thickness from 1 ft. to 2 ft. 6 in., ran throughout the whole of the observed length of the ditch, which was Hi places destroyed by a succession of later rubbish pits and ceUars. The pottery from the ditch is referred to by the abbreviation P.P. Other sherds here published, were coUected on a development site in 1958 on the site of Marks and Spencer's store, and are referred to by M.S.,2 and several residual sherds from the ditch site are referred to byR. The ditch group is of particular interest as it includes a knight jug (P.P.28), a jug with a zoomorphic decoration (P.P.29) and part of an aquamanile (P.P.17), all stratified Hi the black organic layer with other local wares which can be given a general date range of midthirteenth to early-fourteenth century, by comparison with recently pubhshed material from Eynsford Castle,8 the majority being aUied to those from Eynsford phase D (c. 1300 to 1312). 1 1951. On the south side of Watling Street, the shop of Messrs. Penny, Son and Parker and two other shops were demolished for the erection of a Woolworth store. This site proved more difficult to examine than the northern one because most trenches were mechanicaUy excavated. However, with the co-operation of the contractors, some finds were recovered. The bulk of the medieval pottery came from the remaining sections of a ditch cut into the Romano-British layers (cf. Arch. Cant., Ixxxvi (1971), 210 ff.) (L.C.D.). 2 A limited amount of digging was done on an extension at the reax of Marks & Spencer's store on the north side of Watling Street, and a smaU number of medieval sherds were recovered, some in association with a very fragmentary buUding which had a chalk floor. The kind co-operation of the store manager is acknowledged. (L.C.D.) 3 Arch. Cant., Ixxxv (1971), 109-71. 187 17 D. C. MYNARD UNGLAZED WARES JUGS 'Shelly-sandy' Ware The fabric so caUed Hi the Eynsford report is a reduced grey sandtempered ware with sparse sheU grits. There are two jug-sherds Hi P.P.—a sagging base (not iUustrated), diameter 21 cm., exactly paraUeled at Eynsford, knife-trimmed, with buff core, smooth dark grey surface and faint grooves round the body; and a grooved straphandle, P.P.I, with a thumbed strip running down the groove, a form found at Eynsford in completely sand-tempered ware in phase B (c. 1250-60) .4 Sand-tempered Ware Eight jug-sherds (three waU, two from one base, three handles) are exactly like the fabric at Eynsford caUed 'ST b', grey with smooth surfaces generaUy somewhat darker than the body. Two of the handles are normal at Eynsford in phase D (c. 1300) and perhaps earHer— P.P.2, an oval-sectioned strap-handle (rim-diameter 9 cm.) and P.P.3, a strap-handle with thumb-presses running down raised edges (rimdiameter 10-3 cm.). P.P.4, a rod-handle with slashed decoration (rim-diameter 10 cm.) is not paraUeled at Eynsford.5 The base P.P.5, decorated with two rows of vertical slashes, averaging 7 cm. long (diameter 25-5 cm.), may be compared with a jug-base in the same fabric, with a single row of slashes from phase D at Eynsford.6 COOKING-POTS 'Sandy-shelly' Fabric This form of sheU-gritted ware, with a sandy surface quite unhke the regular local sheU-tempered wares, is rare at Eynsford and generaUy grey with red-brown surfaces. Six sherds, perhaps from one vessel, were found in P.P., of which the rim, P.P.18, diameter 25 cm., is of the flat-topped form, shghtly undercut, emergent at Eynsford in phase B and dominant in D (Hi other fabrics). 'Shelly-sandy' Fabric This is a completely reduced, grey sand-tempered ware with some sparse sheU-tempering added. I t is common at Eynsford in phase B, and in cooldng-pots, down to D. Thirty-six sherds were found, six of which were base sherds and aU were almost flat. Four typical rims are Ulustrated P.P.19-22, P.P.19, diameter 22-7 cm., P.P.20, diameter 20-5 cm., P.P.21, diameter 20-2 cm., P.P.22, diameter 25-6 cm. 4 Ibid., fig. 19, BB3, B27. 8 Ibid., fig. 22, 37, 39. 8 Ibid., fig. 24, D52. 188 MEDIEVAL POTTERY EROM DARTPORD Sand-tempered Fabrics Hard fine Ught grey ware with smooth surfaces, generaUy darker externaUy. Seven waU sherds were found. BOWLS 'Shelly-sandy' Fabric Two rims were found. P.P.23, simple flanged rim, diameter 34 -4 cm., with thumb impressions around the top edge. P.P.24, complete profile of a shaUow bowl with everted flange rim, diameter 29-2 cm., sloping down internaUy. Both are completely reduced. The thumbed flange is seen on a bowl at Eynsford in phase D.7 SKILLET 'Shelly-sandy' Fabric P.P.25, diameter 32 cm., part of rim with hoUow tubular handle. There is a simUar example at Eynsford in phase D,8 but the handle is not completely tubular as in this example where the tube came right through the waU of the vessel. Certainly this Dartford example could have been used as a spout. STORAGE JARS 'Shelly-sandy' Fabric (London-Middlesex type?) WaU-sherds of perhaps three different vessels. P.P.26, is the best example; aU have the fine horizontal rilling on the body and applied vertical thumbed strips. A simUar example was found at Eynsford in phase B.9 Other waU-sherds from a Hke vessel, P.P.27, are in fabric hke Eynsford'ST 6'. Residual Sherds A heavy thick base in a soft sand-tempered ware, dark grey with buff brown surfaces, possibly Romano-British, not Ulustrated. Two sherds in a reduced 'Sandy-sheUy' ware: R.L, waU sherd from jug, with incised wavy lines between horizontal shaUow grooves; R.2, base from smaU cooking-pot, diameter 12-3 cm., roughly knife-trimmed, more sheUy than usual. MARKET SQUARE From the Marks & Spencer area came a small group of uncertain association. The only three sherds worth mentioning are M.S.I jug rim, diameter 10-4 cm., and handle in sand-tempered fabric. The strap 7 Ibid., fig. 21, 22. 8 Ibid., fig. 17, B14. 0 Ibid., fig. 19, B12. 189 D. C. MYNARD handle is heavUy stabbed and is typical of many examples found at Eynsford, in phase D. M.S.2, unusual bowl rim, diameter 33 -5 cm., in 'Sandy-sheUy' ware, Ught grey with buff surfaces. M.S.3, cooking-pot rim, sand-tempered fabric, flanged rim with convex top and pointed inner bead, short neck. GLAZED WARES The range of fabrics was less wide than at Eynsford, but again the London area products predominate. JUGS (a) London Area Wares Without slip: Hard, fine, sand-tempered fabrics, generaUy with grey body and orange-brown surfaces, which are sometimes streaky grey-brown internaUy. The glaze is of good quaHty, generaUy a shiny dark ohve-green with darker green speckles. Seven sherds—four waU sherds, two with faint vertical brush-marks; two rims, both with very mottled green glaze, P.P.7, a flat-topped bead-rim, diameter 10 cm., and P.P.8 from a baluster jug, diameter 12-7 cm.; a thumbed base, P.P.6, with runs of glaze from the upper body and a patch of glaze on the underside. With slip: Very much as the above but a white sHp goes just inside the rim and covers the body almost to the base, showing that the jug was held hi an mverted position and dipped into the glaze. This is the typical 'London Baluster' fabric, aHeady found at Eynsford Hi phase B and dominant in phase D, ending Hi 1312. I t is the most common ware in this Dartford group. P.P.9 and P.P.10 are waU sherds with raised strips of clay added to the shpped body before glazing, the strips decorated with a rouletted pattern of smaU diamonds giving a trellis effect, a decoration common at Eynsford,10 P.P.ll is a reconstructed baluster with a rod handle, like the Eynsford example Fig. 24 D54 except that this does not have a thumbed base. P.P.12 and 12a are strap handles; 12a Hicludes a waU sherd with Hght vertical grooves or brushmarks. The grooved rod handle P.P. 13 has two pieces of clay added at the top; this is reminiscent of the 'spurs' on French jugs.11 P.P.14 is a thumbed base, diameter 15 • 1 cm. (b) Surrey Ware Off-white Surrey ware, fine sand-tempered buff ware with a good quaHty ohve green glaze, at Eynsford in phase D. A thumbed base, P.P.15, diameter 18 cm., and two waU-sherds. 10 Ibid., fig. 24, D57. 11 K. J. Barton, 'Medieval Pottery at Rouen', Arch. Journ., cxxii (1965), 73-86. 190 ^ x^- D. C. MYNARD (c) Tyler Hill Ware One sherd of a strap handle, P.P.16 (not iUustrated) in fine sandtempered ware, with grey core, orange brown surfaces, patchy ohve green glaze, is exactly hke the material produced at the Tyler HiU kilns, near Canterbury, which has a distribution mainly in east Kent.12 Although Httle of this ware was found at Eynsford, its discovery at Dartford is not unexpected. AQUAMANILE P.P.17 (Fig. 2) Large sherd of the rear part of an animal body with simple rod legs. The fabric, unknown at Eynsford, is a buff-grey, fine sand-tempered ware with pink surfaces. There is a good quaHty yeUow green external glaze which is darker Hi patches and some glaze has run inside the body. The body appears to have been thrown on a wheel, the legs added in the same way as many jug handles: by being pushed through a hole in the body and smoothed over internaUy and externaUy. There are raised vertical lines running down the body, no doubt a styhsed version of haH or bristles. The rear view shows an external scar where a taU, which may have continued up the body to form a handle running along the back, has been broken away. STONE MORTAR The ditch-filling, P.P., also contained half of the lower part of a globose mortar (Fig. 5) in fine grey calcareous sandstone with sparse crumbled fossU sheUs of ostrea and cardium type, perhaps a superb bed of Kent Rag. I t has a base-roU and traces of lugs, in the general fashion of mortars from c. 1300 in Caen stone,13 Burr stone14 and other materials (as distinct from the Purbeck mortars, which tend to be conical rather than globose and usuaUy without the base-roU). The dressing is faUly fine on the exterior, with a claw-tool effect, horizontal on the body, vertical on the roU. It is ground smooth mside, neither towards the centre nor the sides but eccentricaUy, so that the base slopes from 45 to 30 mm. in thickness, and was broken before it wore through. Mr. L. C. Dale also reports an Hon tripod. 12 Arch. Cant., Iv (1942), 57-64. Surface finds from the site in the Royal Museum, Canterbury. 13 J.B.A.A., 3rd series, xxxni (1969), 82-4 (from Dover). 14 Med. Arch., v (1961), 279-84 (from Northolt, Middx.). 192 MEDIEVAL POTTERY FROM DARTFORD ¥ u ''X 193 D. C. MYNARD \ » ^ K l i h* 6 Oi £ 194 MEDIEVAL POTTERY FROM DARTFORD APPENDIX KNIGHT JUG (Fig. 4, P.P.28, and Plate I) Top and most of the body of a knight jug made of fine Hght orange/ red ware, throughout and on surfaces. The outside is entirely glazed, covering the spout, handle and figural decoration, and the body down as far as is preserved. The glaze is glassy in appearance, thick and even, and streaked verticaUy; it is dark green with a reddish brown tone due to the body colour showing through. The jug has a cyhndrical neck joining the body at a weU defined angle. The rim is rounded on the top and thickened on the outside as a coUar about 2 cm. deep. Below the coUar is a broad swelling Hi low reUef. The spout is long and tubular, level with the rim at its upper end. It is held by a thick strut to the upper part of the neck. The handle is a sohd rod, grooved lengthways. At both ends it is marked by large thumb impressions. The jug had plastic decoration of two knights on each side of the neck, facing the spout. The knights on the side Ulustrated are largely original; those on the other side were missing and are whoUy restored. The knight nearer the spout is mounted on a horse (head restored), with its legs extended Hi the attitude of gaUoping. The figure behind him is not mounted, and has a rod-like body only. Both knights wear helmets with three large crests (partly restored) and each carried a long triangular shield decorated with horizontal Hnes, alternately vertical and oblong (probably rouletted) and irregular oval tool marks. Below the spout was the figure of a stag (head and neck only present), shown in profile, with long pointed ear and a stab marked pellet as an eye. The antlers are highly styHsed and pass up each side of the spout, with coUar hke peUets at intervals to represent the tines. Round the bulge below the figural decoration is an apphed finger pressed strip forming a large chevron. The lower part of the jug and the base are restored, with groups of thumb marks at intervals along the basal angle. The height, as restored, is 41-5 cm. (16-3 in.) and the body diameter is 22 cm. (8-6 in.). The restoration was made in 1964 by Mr. J. Yasi, in the Conservation Laboratory of the Institute of Archaeology, University of London. The knight jug found at Dartford is an import from further north in England, probably from the north or east Midlands rather than from Yorkshire. In these regions at least three sources for the style are known and others are suspected. The type-specimen was found Hi Nottingham15 and is presumed to be a product of the pottery kilns there. The decoration is in two zones: 1S Annual Report of the Peveral Archcelogical Group, 1965, 18-23. 195 D. C. MYNARD ! \\ is / t / / / CD CU Q. Q. BUN & b- 2 ^ CM 5 196 PiATE I Knight Jug from Dartford. Photo: IjOiuloit Museum [face )i. 19« MEDIEVAL POTTERY FROM DARTFORD knights, both mounted on horseback on the neck, and the stag-hunt below them Hi a contmuous zone around the body. In some respects the knight jug found at Hatterboard, near Scarborough16 is a closer analogy for the Dartford jug. On this jug both the knights are reduced to rod-like bodies and neither is mounted; below the figures is a fingerprinted strip round the bulge; and the rod handle is also grooved lengthways. Differences between the two jugs are: a Human figure on the front of the spout instead of a stag, and structural detaUs such as the conical neck and plain rim. Although the fabric of the Hatterboard jug is not typical of the Scarborough locahty it is more likely to be the product of kilns there than elsewhere. Other centres making knight jugs were at HaUgate, Doncaster and at Winksley, near Ripon.17 UntU Ulustrations of these jugs are pubhshed, detaUed comparison is not feasible. However, at HaUgate there is a tubular spouted jug with lateral face-masks and a panel decoration on the body of straight and wavy strips, a partial analogy for the strip on the Dartford jug.18 Among the knight jugs sent to other regions, that found in Cambridge19 has several simUarities to the one at Dartford. On this jug the stag is also on the front with its antlers up both sides of the spout, and the rod handle is grooved lengthways; but both knights are mounted. The fabric differs from that of the other knight jugs mentioned above; it is grey and sandy, and a source in the region of Lincoln has been suggested for this ware. From this brief survey it wUl be seen that the 'knight' style of figural decoration is, with certain variations, remarkably umform throughout 1 e northern region. The differences relate mainly to the knights, wnich are either mounted on horses, or reduced simply to rod-like bodies; these forms can occur separately or together on the same pot, as at Dartford. The stag-hunt varies from a complete scene with the stags attacked by hounds (Nottingham) to the separate figure of a stag on the spout and hounds at the sides (Cambridge) and finaUy to the stag alone in this position (Dartford). These differences appear to indicate local variations rather than chronological changes; as regards the skUl and competence of the potting, and the detaUs of the figures and shields, there is Httle to choose between any of these sources. I t is not possible to say, from the material at present avaUable, that the knight jug style, Hke that of the related face-mask jugs studied by Mrs. Le Patourel, 'originated at any one of the places where 18 J. Gr. Rutter, Medieval Pottery in the Scarborough Museum, 13th and 14th Centuries (1961), 16, fig. 2, no. 8. " Med. Arch., x (1966), 160-4. 18 Ibid., fig. 67, no. 2. 19 B. Rackham, Medieval English Pottery, London, 1948, pi. 12A. 197 D. C. MYNARD it was made'. In any case, an origin for it in the north Midlands or in south YorkshHe is reasonably certain. Examination of the fabric and glaze of the Dartford jug has not helped to solve the problem of its origin. Smooth, shghtly sandy, oxidized fabrics glazed in brownish-green, occur over a wide area of north LincolnshHe and south YorkshHe (Humber ware), and the known kilns produce pottery Hi a whole range of colours. Mrs. Le Patourel has kindly examined a sherd of the Dartford jug and considers that it is not from a kiln in YorkshHe. In aU these uncertainties and factors that are by no means easy to assess, it is at present not possible to be more precise than that the ~??T.??7.?7TK r \ VS////V//A Y////////////.A W/////A I '\ CY'///Z////s/AyA \ i i // \ / \ • / \ s / / Fro. 5 (i). Dartford jug is an import to Kent from the north Midlands. I t is one of the few examples of this type found away from the sources, and in association with other pottery. The date, either side of 1300, usuaUy assigned to knight jugs, faUs weU within the brackets of the deposit as a whole (p. 187). I t may be added that at two other sites Hi Kent, Canterbury and Stonar,20 knight jugs are represented by fragments. On the adjacent part of the continent, knight jugs have been found at Bruges and at Aardenburg in Zeeland;21 these examples were no doubt carried to the Netherlands by the Enghsh wool trade. JTTG WITH ZOOMORPHIO DECORATION (Fig. 4, P.P.29) Four sherds of fine, grey sandy ware. The inside surface is Hght brick-red; the outside has a thin white shp and lustrous mottled green glaze. 20 In the Royal Museum, Canterbury and Deal Castle Museum. 21 Berichten van de Bijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek, 15-16 (1965-66), 199-200, pi. XXIV, 1-2. 198 MEDIEVAL POTTERY EROM DARTFORD The decoration is of six-sided panels formed by narrow strips, each containing an animal in low rehef, aU coloured dark brown. The animal is standing, with one foreleg raised and the head Hi fuU face. The features are identical on both the heads, the ears are smaU and upright; the eyes are large and round, with stab marks for the pupUs; and the nostrUs and teeth are also shown as stab marks. Fur on the neck and body is shown conventionaUy by diamond rouletting. The character of the features and the stance as far as this can be reconstructed suggest that the animals are fehnes. The two animals face in opposite dHections, so presumably the panels were on the side of the jug. The only relevant parallel is a jug found in Cannon Street, London,22 which has panelstyle decoration containing quadrupeds, and bHds in the spaces between the panels. Elements of the decoration are coloured reddish-brown and dark green. These jugs were almost certainly made at the same place, not yet located, but probably in east Surrey. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to Mr. L. C. Dale, for permission to pubhsh this material which is at present deposited with the Ancient Monuments Inspectorate of the Department of the Environment. To Dr. G. C. Dunning, for providing the Appendix, and to Mr. S. E. Rigold, for reading and improving the text. 22 British Museum, Catalogue of English Pottery (1903), 63, B40, fig. 49 B. Rackham, op. cit. in n. 15, coloured pi. B, facing p. 8. 199