This thesis concerns a low-tech fabric analysis on two types of fabrics found in Dutch archaeological context. This early-medieval pottery has been made in the German Rhine valley, close to Cologne...Show moreThis thesis concerns a low-tech fabric analysis on two types of fabrics found in Dutch archaeological context. This early-medieval pottery has been made in the German Rhine valley, close to Cologne, called „Vorgebirge‟. In this region, several potteries produced pottery with the same raw materials, which makes it hard to know their provenance. Two small villages, Badorf and Walberberg, are known to have produced a lot of pottery. The fabrics of these typical pots are light-coloured, mostly tempered with fine sand and baked at high temperatures. The produced forms are for instance relief-band amphorae, large vessels and cooking pots, but smaller forms also occur. The pottery was exported and traded by river (Rhine, lower Rhine, Meuse, IJssel) to early-medieval settlements in the lower countries and from there exported overseas. In Dutch archaeology, this typical pottery has been found at large-scale trade centres like Dorestad, but also on small sites related to big trade routes. The large quantity of sherds archaeologically found at Dorestad has been used to make a typology based on forms and fabrics. This typology is still used as a reference in processing sherds. The problem is that these sherds are examined on characteristics like colour and hardness, but those are problematic because of factors like baking atmosphere and post-deposition. However, with the low-tech fabric analysis it is possible to get a better notion in these fabrics. In this method a sample of a sherd is used, to get a fresh break. After preparation, this sample is re-baked at 900 °C to get disposed of sample-differences like moistness and to be able to reconstruct the original firing of the pots. Afterwards, the fresh breaks of these samples are all microscopically tested on several factors like calcite, colour and hardness subsequently, and their fabrics are described on porosity by looking at pores as well as on the main tempering and texture. By doing this, a distinction between the fabrics and a comparison with the results with other analyses can be made. The present low-tech fabric analysis on the Walberberg and Badorf fabrics sets a clear example of how useful this method is. It clarifies that several specified sherds should be determined differently.Show less
