Ceramic Building Materials Research Group

In general, it is only recently that excavated assemblages of building materials have come to be regarded as worthy of study in depth, and then quite often through sheer embarrassment at the quantity accumulating. It is common that the person within an archaeological group delegated the task of dealing with it, having no prior knowledge of this material, works in isolation largely unaware of other people working in the same field. A number of societies and research groups deal with one aspect or another of the subject but this makes the field fragmentary and difficult to keep track of.

The inaugural meeting of the CBMRG agreed there was a great need for a forum to facilitate and co-ordinate communications. It was also agreed that a Newsletter would be the best format and that apart from the editors, a formally constituted body was not necessary. Regular meetings are not planned although individuals may get together to discuss a particular point of interest. It is anticipated that the Newsletter will appear some four times a year; it aims to establish an accepted typology/terminology for brick/tile of all periods and to promote discussion of topics of mutual concern. It will provide information on excavations, meetings, and publications having an important building material component.

Further information is available from Mike Stone, c/o Passmore Edwards Museum, Romford Road, Stratford (please enclose a s.a.e.)

Ed. It is hoped that one of the areas at the Archaeology at Work 1985 will deal with various aspects of ceramic building materials.

The Editor welcomes all letters and would particularly like to receive more, especially on subjects such as requests for research information, books, and related topics. Illustrations, if relevant, are always helpful and can assist readers in identifying objects, understanding points, and following arguments.