Guess who's coming to dinner? Ceramic form and style in medieval and post medieval Scotland Derek Hall, Medieval Ceramics Specialist, University of St Andrews
Derek Hall, University of St Andrews, takes us into Medieval Scotland through its pots.
Medieval Scotland always looked towards Continental Europe for its trade and contact and this is probably best expressed in William Wallace's ‘Lubeck letter' of 1297 after his victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The letter let everyone know that Scotland was open for business again.
This strong relationship is reflected in the wide range of imported pottery that is recovered from excavations in the burghs and monasteries of what was a vibrant independent Kingdom until its Union with England in 1707. This paper will consider the results of more than 40 years of archaeological excavation, largely in advance of development, and assess what sorts of vessels are represented, where they are coming from and how they got to Scotland. Recently excavated assemblages from fieldwork in Glencoe and at Lindores Abbey in Fife will also be discussed.