VESSEL

A bodysherd/fragment of a handmade ceramic vessel. The sherd is 7.72mm thick and weighs 17.4g. A row of fingertip impressions are present as decoration. The sherd probably dates from the Middle to the Late Iron Age (c.-500 BC to 100 AD). Like most other types of pottery, prehistoric pottery is dated using fabric type, form types, decoration and rim shapes. With decoration present, the sherd could date from the Early Iron Age (c.800 BC to c.600 BC). As little prehistoric pottery has been published from the Warwickshire area, the dating of this material is broad, relying on material published from surrounding areas such as the Cotswolds. The fabric is similar to that published as SH1 (Standard common fossil shell type) in McSloy 2006, p 38, dated to Middle to Late Iron Age (500 BC to 100 AD). Sherd specific details: Fabric type: Frequent fossil shell Sherd type: bodysherd Wall thickness: 7.72mm Firing condition: oxidised exterior, unoxidised core, oxidised interior Hardness: hard Feel/texture: rough, slightly soapy Decoration: One row of fingertip impressions, each approximately 9 mm apart. Condition of sherds: slightly abraded Sherd/fragment photographed. Reference: Coleman, L., Hancocks, A., and Watts, M. 2006 Excavations on the Wormington to Tirley Pipeline, 2000. Four sites by the Carrant Brook and River Isbourne, Gloucestershire and Worchestershire. Cotswold Archaeology Monograph No. 3. Cirencester McSloy, E.R. 2006 The Pottery pp37-57 in Coleman, Hancocks and Watts 2006