Pottery in Britain 4000BC to AD1900: A Guide to Identifying Pot Sherds

Lloyd Laing

ISBN 10: 1897738145 / ISBN 13: 9781897738146

Published by Greenlight Publishing, 2003

Previous owner's name and date to inside front cover. Seller Inventory # ABE-1740397644888

Synopsis:

This book aims to provide an introductory guide to identifying some of the basic types of pottery that may be found by accident, in systematic fieldwalking, and in archaeological excavation. Clay is an exceptionally versatile material. It can be made into many useful and beautiful objects, decorated in a splendid variety of ways, and if exposed to high temperatures, made into pottery. Both rich and poor have used pottery since the Stone Age, so the way the craft developed gives unusually clear insights into intimate details of lifestyle and outlooks in even remote periods. It has been said that "archaeology is built on a foundation of potsherds". Some archaeological sites have produced over a million sherds, so, as a result of several centuries of highly complex logical reasoning, scientific analysis and cross-referencing with other material, pottery has become invaluable for making inferences about ancient societies. The book details mostly with pottery made in Britain, though at all times it mast be borne in mind that nay pottery found could have come from any period or any location in the world. As a rule of thumb, lowland areas have tended to produce more ancient pottery than highland, presumably due to a combination of lifestyle and availability of raw materials.

Review: Pottery In Britain 4,000 BC to AD 1900 by Lloyd Laing, senior lecturer in archaeology at Nottingham University, is a very welcome addition to the existing literature on ceramics, providing a concise history of the development of pottery techniques and styles from Neolithic times to the Victorian era. Particularly useful for identification is the author s breakdown of the factors to consider in recognising an individual potsherd - fabric, method of production, decoration, location, and shape or form. Archaeologists and metal detectorists will almost always find their clues to potential sites in the guise of potsherds and the author explains how these get into the ground in the first place. This is virtually a complete course in the art of identification of pottery. Although on a professional level the study of pottery is a very complex one, Lloyd Laing makes it possible for the amateur to achieve a good working knowledge of the subject. This reviewer, for one, wishes he had had the benefit of the author s book when starting out on pottery finds. The Glossary, Bibliography and Index are excellent. Valuable practical advice is provided on the etiquette of potsherd hunting and gathering, together with notes on the equipment and health precautions (tetanus injections and first aid kit) to be taken. The many illustrations and photographs in colour are first class. For the elegant clarity and concision of its presentation, Pottery in Britain would be hard to beat and after you have read it, it is safe to say that you will never again look upon a potsherd in the same light. Well done, Lloyd Laing. --Publisher

Bibliographic Details

Title: Pottery in Britain 4000BC to AD1900: A Guide...
Publisher: Greenlight Publishing
Publication Date: 2003
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: Fine
Edition: 1st Edition