1884.37.71

Collection type

Object

Description

Ceramic vessel. Nearly complete pot of fine grained ceramic. Metal wire tied around rim. [JW [Excav. PR] 11/02/2013]

Long description

Ceramic vessel. Nearly complete pot of fine grained ceramic. Metal wire tied around rim. Cracks present and a portion of the body is missing. [JW [Excav. PR] 11/02/2013]

Geographical reference

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

England West Sussex Adur Lancing

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector James A.S. Medhurst

PRM source Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

Date / Period

Date made: Circa 100 Archaeological period: Iron Age, uncertain Archaeological period: Romano-British, uncertain

Date collected

By 1879 July 2

Acquisition information

Donated: 1884

Materials and processes

Material Pottery, Material Metal Wire, Process Thrown

Dimensions

Height: max 73 mm, Diameter: max 98 mm, Weight 186 g

Object numbers

Accession number: 1884.37.71 PR no.: ?/ 9680

Research and responses

As part of Joshua Pollard's visit on 26/11/09 as part of the 'Fell Project' : 'Characterizing the world archaeology collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum' he identified this as dating from the 1st century AD- Late Iron Age or Early Romano-British. [CB 26/11/09]

According to the English Heritage maintained National Monuments Record (NMR) this object may have been excavated by James Medhurst from an Iron Age shrine and Romano-Celtic temple located to the immediate north of Lancing at TQ 1782 0669. Pitt Rivers is known to have purchased material excavated by Medhurst from the Jordan Hill Romano-Celtic temple near Weymouth (74 of these objects form part of the Museum's founding collection) and consequently it seems possible that some of the Lancing material was also acquired via a similar route. The NMR record describes the Lancing shrine/temple as follows: "Romano Celtic temple near Lancing Ring was excavated in 1828 and 1829 by a Mr Medhurst. Near the Building were thirty five graves one of which evidently contained an overhanging rim urn. Curwen notes that coins suggest an occupation 1st to 3rd centuries, but Frere commented that although some IA 'A' sherds were found the main occupation belongs to Belgic times, and in particular to the Tiberian and Claudian periods. Little or no specifically Roman pottery had been recovered from the actual temple site though quantities of Ro sherds occur about 50 yds down the hill to the south possibly the excavation spoil heap...The existence of Bronze and I A Sepulchral pottery suggests the existence of a sacred site before the Roman period. Finds in Pitt Rivers Museum Oxford". The site is recorded under Monument Number 395386, the record can be accessed online at http://pastscape.english-heritage.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=395386. [MN 11/01/2010]

Associated publications

Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge 1879. Catalogue of Antiquities and Works of Art including the collection of the Baron Heath...and the Musuem of Romano-British pottery and Roman personal ornaments formed by the late Mr James Medhurst of Worthing and Weymouth; comprising vessels in terra-cotta, bronze figures &c., cinerary urns, early Roman implements, beads, Roman coins...(1-2 July 1879). London: Dryden Press (Messrs Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge). I have placed a copy of this catalogue on file in the RDF for 1884.2.1 [Dan Hicks 19/07/2013]

Search terms: Vessel, Pottery