Leiden University Student Repository

Smedema, Marit (2025)

From clay to pot: A study on the production and provenance of Merovingian handmade and wheel-thrown ceramics from the settlement of Oegstgeest

Master thesis | Archaeology (MA/MSc)

The Merovingian handmade ceramics are often ill-researched and overlooked. It has been believed that the handmade ceramics were poorly produced by unskilled potters. However, they are more than meets the eye. Within this research, the provenance and production of the handmade and wheel-thrown ceramics from the settlement of Oegstgeest have been researched. The ceramics have been analysed with a chemical and macroscopic analysis to gather more and new information, and to put the handmade ceramics in a different and more positive light. Also, a literature study was carried out about the Merovingian pottery and the settlement of Oegstgeest. For the chemical and macroscopical analysis, only a selection of 84 handmade and wheel-thrown ceramics was analysed due to the large quantity of shards. Within the research, the following research question was answered: What new insights on the production and provenance of Merovingian handmade and wheelthrown ceramics can be gained based on a...Show moreThe Merovingian handmade ceramics are often ill-researched and overlooked. It has been believed that the handmade ceramics were poorly produced by unskilled potters. However, they are more than meets the eye. Within this research, the provenance and production of the handmade and wheel-thrown ceramics from the settlement of Oegstgeest have been researched. The ceramics have been analysed with a chemical and macroscopic analysis to gather more and new information, and to put the handmade ceramics in a different and more positive light. Also, a literature study was carried out about the Merovingian pottery and the settlement of Oegstgeest. For the chemical and macroscopical analysis, only a selection of 84 handmade and wheel-thrown ceramics was analysed due to the large quantity of shards. Within the research, the following research question was answered: What new insights on the production and provenance of Merovingian handmade and wheelthrown ceramics can be gained based on a macroscopic and chemical analysis of the ceramics from the Merovingian settlement of Oegstgeest?Show less

Oegstgeest, Merovingian, Pottery, Chemical analysis

Author

Smedema, Marit

Faculty

Faculty of Archaeology

Specialisation

Material culture

Supervisors

Braekmans, D.J.G.
Revello Lami, M.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en