Studying pottery from excavations is a building block of archaeological research. Our pottery learning pack contains all you need to begin to examine pottery as an archaeologist would.
Most societies have developed techniques of making ceramics. Pottery vessels are part of the basic tool kits of early cultures. Pottery sherds help archaeologists to understand how societies change and develop. By looking at pottery we can see how ideas of art, trade and technology were worked into the clay and frozen in time.
Learning with our pack
The Ceramic Thanet Learning Pack is an introduction to archaeological pottery analysis, aimed at adults; young adults and younger children, with guidance and supervision of an adult.
Our Ceramic Thanet Pottery Learning Pack will help you gain skills in examining ceramic material as a first step on your ceramic learning experience.
The Learning Pack encourages the development of observational skills, by comparing ceramic sherds of different periods using visual inspection and tactile qualities, to recognise the differences in ceramic material. The pack includes a selection from a time line of ceramic technology from Prehistory to the Late Medieval and Post-medieval periods.
Pack contents
The pottery learning pack contains a printed booklet with detailed information and instructions on using the pack; a magnifying loupe for close examination of the pottery and two sample sets of pottery sherds, drawn from material from excavation archives in Thanet, which have been approved for discard after specialist analysis.
The sample pottery sherds are selected and dated for the pack by a ceramic specialist; each is contained in its own zip lock bag, with identification label and mounted on a labelled card for identification.
Sample sherd sets
The first set of four sample pottery sherds covers the following periods; earliest Iron Age (1000/900-600 BC); Early to Middle Iron Age (600-300 BC); Late and Latest Iron Age (50BC-50 AD); Early and Mid Roman (50-250 AD).
The second set covers Medieval (1250-1375 AD); Late Medieval (1375-1525 AD); (Post and Late Post-Medieval 1525-1900 AD); Late Post-Medieval (1750-1900 AD).
Sherd size can vary, but the essential characteristics of the pottery type are represented on each one.
Buy your pack
The learning pack can be purchased for £18.00 + £4.75 postage and packing. It is posted to you in a card box, which can be used for storage of the contents of the pack. Orders are sent via Royal Mail and arrive within three to five days.
Go to our store to buy your Ceramic Thanet Pottery Learning Pack