BPT 46
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This small fragment of pottery, a potsherd, measures less than 2cm along its longest edge, and even when clean still looks a muddy brown on one side and almost black on the other (presumably it was part of a cooking pot blackened through use on an open fire). That it was noticed at all, and retrieved from the soil, is a remarkable thing.
It has been identified as Bristol Pottery Type 46, with tiny chips of flint among other minerals in the clay, and it dates to the 13th century. It is a reminder that sometimes the least attractive and most easily overlooked objects can have some of the most interesting stories to tell.
Material: ceramic
Period: Medieval
Find spot: Hampstead Road, Brislington, Bristol. ST 612710
Exhibit contributed by Ken Taylor
Text written by Ken Taylor, in 2011
Photographer: Ken Taylor
Acquisition number: 110521a4