Tracing Changing Beverage Consumption Trends with a Special Focus on the Low Countries: Through the Analysis of Stoneware Drinking Vessels, 1300-1600 CE

Late Medieval north-western Europe was transformed by the introduction of hopped beer into the market. It has been assumed that during the late 13th and into the 14th century, beer replaced wine as the preferred beverage in the areas around the Low Countries and Germany. Authors like Raymond van Uytven, Susan Rose, Max Nelson and Richard Yntema have all demonstrated how this change is reflected in the historical records. The focus of this thesis is to study how this change from wine to beer consumption may be reflected in the material record. To study this, research has been conducted on the material that was most common from the 1300-1600s; stoneware. A use-function approach was used to gather information about characteristics of drinking vessels. This approach was carried out by researching previous scholarship and studying the defining characteristics of different vessels outlined in the Dutch classification system. Further research brought in contemporary historical...Show moreLate Medieval north-western Europe was transformed by the introduction of hopped beer into the market. It has been assumed that during the late 13th and into the 14th century, beer replaced wine as the preferred beverage in the areas around the Low Countries and Germany. Authors like Raymond van Uytven, Susan Rose, Max Nelson and Richard Yntema have all demonstrated how this change is reflected in the historical records. The focus of this thesis is to study how this change from wine to beer consumption may be reflected in the material record. To study this, research has been conducted on the material that was most common from the 1300-1600s; stoneware. A use-function approach was used to gather information about characteristics of drinking vessels. This approach was carried out by researching previous scholarship and studying the defining characteristics of different vessels outlined in the Dutch classification system. Further research brought in contemporary historical illustrations of stoneware vessels in use, where specifically wine or beer can be assumed. These sources present a window into how artists and their audiences interacted with reproductions of social situations. Once gathered, these characteristics work as guidelines to apply specific use-function of either wine or beer consumption to individual vessels. This catalogue of characteristics can then be applied to datasets of stonewares. In this case, these characteristics were applied to a dataset of stoneware assemblages from Nijmegen, Dordrecht and Deventer reported in Cities in Sherds (Bartels 1997). These assemblages were classified into groups based upon use; Beer, Beer?, Wine, Wine?, Either wine or beer, Non-wine/beer, and unknown. By breaking down the assemblages into these categories, it was possible to observe trends in the production of beer or wine vessels. One large bias in the data, and indeed to the approach, is the size of the Unknown category. Making up 65% of the assemblages, there is a problem with the documentation and identification of stoneware vessels. Focussing on the other groups, the results from this data indicate something different from what has been argued by historical scholars. The data showed an increase in wine vessels after the 14th century. Future studies in the field could focus on developing more accurate methods to identify vessels. With more accurate results at this stage, the sample size for analysis will grow, creating a better understanding of the different forms consumed during the centuries. This research could potentially be used as a starting point for future enquiries into the nuances of beverage preferences in the late medieval period.Show less

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Tracing Changing Beverage Consumption Trends with a Special Focus on the Low Countries: Through the Analysis of Stoneware Drinking Vessels, 1300-1600 CE