VESSEL

A fragment of a Medieval or Post Medieval cast copper alloy cooking vessel rim. In profile the fragment is gently curved, with a broadly P shaped section. The concave surface of the fragment has a thickened curved rim. The rim on the concave surface of the fragment curves gently outwards towards the apex. The fragment is 16.1mm long and 28.2mm wide. The rim has a maximum thickness of 10mm. The fragment has a mass of 12.8g. The internal (concave) side of the fragment has a well developed green patina which covers some striations. Where this has been chipped away, the surface has a lighter green pitted surface. This is also the case on the broken edges of the fragment, which are also partially covered by light brown deposits of an unknown substance, which probably adhered to the vessel rim whilst in was in the ground. There are some black deposits on the external (convex) side of the fragment, together with further light brown deposits. The black deposits are likely to be carbonaceous and suggest that this was a cooking vessel – such as a cauldron or a skillet. Geake (2001, p46) states that cast cooking vessels seem to have come into use in the second half of the 13th century and continued at least until around 1600.