VESSEL

One ceramic wheel-thrown rim sherd of probable Staffordshire Blackware, dating to the 17th/ 18th century AD (36.8mm x 15.5mm; thickness: 11.3mm; collective weight: 7.81g). A hard-fired earthenware, the fabric colour is salmon pink with a dark brown/ black glaze inside and out and a slightly metallic finish.

Blackwares originate from Cistercian wares in the 15th/ 16th century, but is recognised in Staffordshire from the 17th century, with a decline in the mid 18th century AD. Later forms include round-bodied and straight sided cups and mugs, porringers, dishes, bowls, posset and chamber pots. One of these sherds has a slightly irregular double pinched handle, and probably came from a mug. Production centres are widely distributed throughout North Wales, Herefordshire, Merseyside, Yorkshire to Essex and Kent, bit are also well represented in the Midlands at Wednesbury and Ticknall as well as sites in North Staffordshire (D. A. Ford & D. barker, 1999).