SYK99 - Smithy's Yard, Kingham, Oxfordshire

Ceramic Building Materials

by S Garside-Neville

Introduction

Two fragments of ceramic building materials were submitted for viewing. The pieces were viewed by eye and by hand lens.

Medieval Material

The two fragments are both medieval ridge tile. The fabrics, though well sorted, are not refined enough to be much later, and the method of manufacture shows no signs of mechanisation. The smaller fragment has a patch of light brown glaze. The larger fragment has small specks of glaze along one section of its surface. It is likely that a complete ridge tile from this site would have had glaze running along the top and shoulders of the ridge, with the lower regions having no glaze at all. The fabrics of both pieces are broadly similar.

Conclusion

These fragments are medieval in date, and may have come from the nearby moated manor site. Further work in comparing fabrics and forms with the local reference collection may help pin-point the dating and place of manufacture of these tiles. Ridge tiles, particularly those with glaze, were often products of potters’ workshops, so it may be possible to connect the ridge tiles with a local pottery industry.

Context Listing

Context	Form	Comments	Date	Spot date
3/006	Ridge	T11, light brown glaze	Medieval	13-16th
3/006	Ridge	T14, specks of glaze	Medieval	13-16th

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