Early Medieval Ware Site  

A very dense cluster of pottery sherds and fragments was discovered and recorded during the survey in 1998. The sherds consisted entirely of one type of pottery ware, known as ginger jar, and probably dating to the early 12th century. The cluster covers an area of circa. 70 metres by 60 metres, and was discovered during a pathside reconnaissance of disturbed soils in recently restocked forestry compartments at Brandon Suffolk.

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This page last updated

2005-12-15
(y-m-d)

Paul Brooker
drawing of ginger jar medieval pots

The Ginger Jar Site - BRD 152

The discovery was surprising, as the site is located in very sandy soils, 2.7 kilometres from the Little Ouse River, close to the parish boundary with Wangford and some distance away from Brandon town. The only other finds on site were the usual prehistoric struck flints, and a single fragment of larva quernstone. Metal detection survey by Ian Hinton produced no finds other than some modern iron - this is a classic example of an archaeological site that can be detected by field-walk methods, but not by metal detection or aerial survey - records officers please take note!

The fact that the cluster is so dense, and consists entirely of one fabric, would suggest that this is possibly a kiln site, or was at least involved in some way in the production and/or distribution of these early 12th century ginger jar vessels. The sherds are very sharp and fresh looking, with some large examples, suggesting that the site, laying on poor heathland (now forest) soils, has been undisturbed by ploughing actions. The natural remoteness of the location, in an area where settlement is mainly riverine, was at first a mystery. However, the Suffolk SMR (Sites & Monuments Record) map provided the answer - not only was the site within walking distance of the fen edge, but it was also located very close to an extinct lake, that is now dry forest. Perhaps a short-lived lakeside satellite settlement of Brandon was built here in connection to the production of the vessels. The larva quernstone may represent this occupation.

The sherds are very sharp, fresh looking and unabraded, with some large fragments. Generally speaking, the fabric or core is dark grey, with one or both surfaces a ginger-buff colour, and with a slightly gritty feel. Suffolk Archaeology described the sherds as 'of an Early Medieval tradition; with buff-firing, sandy with some calcareous inclusions, generally leached out with occasional flint'. The only decoration consists of a few horizontal grooves. All rims found were of a characteristic inverted profile. Bodysherds suggest a large thin-walled globular shape. Bases were shallow or sagging, and displayed slight oxidisation.

Early Medieval Ware

The image below right is a scan of a sample of the fragments from the ginger jar site. The condition of these large sharp fragments can be seen. If anyone else has any information on this pottery, its uses, associations, kilns, or knows of any other sites like this one, please contact me. My site has been recorded onto the Suffolk sites and monument record as BRD 152.

Ginger jars 12 century

Waste scattered medieval scatters in Thetford Forest

The project continues to collect data, but analysis of finds of medieval ceramics from the collection surveys conducted so far, seems to be suggesting that medieval peasants were more choosy about where they scattered domestic waste than their Romano-British counterparts. I tend to find medieval manure scatter where it should be - on the more drought resistant shallower valley slope soils, rather than the deeper soils of the uplands.

Oteringhythe

Forest-walk 38 skirted the edge of the settlement area of the Oteringhythe deserted medieval vill in Thetford Forest. This DMV was discovered a few years earlier through documentary research by David Dymond. Broken tiles, including peg-tiles, concentrate along the bottom edge of the surveyed area. Abraded sherds of medieval pottery were of course collected. However, they were not alone - there were also plenty of Roman sherds, and several prehistoric sherds. it also produced the highest density of lithic (flint) finds of any survey up to that point of the project. it seems that Oteringhythe was considered an attractive place to settle and farm for a number of periods.