CHAPTER II

Pottery from the West Village

By ARTHUR BULLEID, L.R.C.P., F.S.A.



This chapter treats chiefly with some decorated pottery from the Meare West Village. As regards the large mass of ceramic matenal discovered on this site no attempt has been made so far to sort it, or to ascertain amongst other things the number of pots with bead-rims, and allot them to the three or more subdivisions they may represent. The accompanying drawing (Fig: 3) gives the rim-shapes from one mound (No. XXII). Scores of carefully ticketed bags of unornamented pottery stored at the Somerset County Museum, Taunton Castle, await examination when time and opportunity permit.

The Glastonbury and Meare Lake Villages were undoubtedly inhabited at the same time, but we are not sure which of the two settlements was the earlier. Since the publication of the monograph on the Glastonbury Lake Village our knowledge of Early Iron Age pottery has been much extended and enhanced by the classification introduced by Prof. C. F. C. Hawkes and others, also by recent excavations, notably at Maiden Castle, Dorset, by Dr. R. E. M. Wheeler. Maiden Castle is specially valuable because it is the most important and the latest site to be examined in the West of England. The classification of Late-Celtic pottery now in vogue is based on the form and characteristic features of the pot, and is arranged in three groups ~ Early Iron Age A, B and C. At Maiden Castle the approximate date of each group was arrived at stratigraphically, a method often unobtainable and at its best unreliable at Meare and Glastonbury where soft peat had to be dealt with. The pottery ftom Meare belongs mainly to Groups B and C. Some pottery fragments however have been found with features recognized as belonging to group A, but their number is relatively so small that they may be looked upon as intruders, that is survivals of form or ornament of culture A transmitted to group B. It is therefore doubtful if any of the hand-manufactured pottery at Meare can be assigned a date more than a decade prior to B.C. 50, and it was probably about this time the first settlers arrived at the site.

With regard to the date at which residence at the village terminated, it evidently did not survive for any length of time after the Roman conquest of south-west Britain. The quantity of Roman pottery shards found was very small in relation to the total ceramic material discovered, and precludes anything more than an occasional contact with Roman colonists and that for a short period only. For this and other reasons however we are led to believe that the Meare Village was inhabited at a slightly later date than Glastonbury. Roman coins were discovered undoubtedly, but they were of late date and in the absence of other occupational evidence may be considered strays, probably lost many years after the site had been evacuated. The coins, were all in bad condition, and of those that were identifiable one was Constantius II, A.D. 348 or later, the others Valens and Valentinian 1, A.D. 364-378.

Fig 3 - sections of rims of pottery vessels from one mound (no. XXII), Meare Lake Village

At both villages the Roman shards were discovered in the black earth immediately underlying the flood-soil, a position which represents the most recent occupational floor-level. In no instance was Roman pottery procured from deeper strata.

In many ways, the description of the Glastonbury Lake Village pottery applies equally to that found at Meare, The pastes are similar, the technique is ihe same, and some of the incised designs are identical.

Fig 4 - portion of a large pot (p 249), ornamented with an elaborate scroll design, Meare Lake Village
(see also Fig 8)

 

Some of the best Early Iron Age C pottery is wheel-turned with pedestal base similar to that procured from graves in the east and south-east counties of England.1 Taken as a whole the pottery from the Somerset Lake Villages is coarser in texture and has not the finish or colour of the typical cordoned and zoned wares from the graves at Aylesford and Swarling, and other well known sites, such as Hengistbury Head

1 What has been written regarding the probable forrn of burial carried out by the Glastonbury folk also applies to the occupants of Meare. As no cemetery has yet been located near either site the form of sepulture in vogue is still
unsettled.

Vessels with Pedestal

At Meare a slightly larger number of pedestals have been discovered than at Glastonbury and we are faced with the same difficulty in classifying them. We are unable to say if the pedestals belonged to urns intended for burial purposes or whether they should be considered domestic ware, specially as the omphaloid base of one example had been intentionally perforated. Parts of seven pedestal vessels have been found so far at Meare West Village, four of which have a well-
marked omphalos. Examples are seen in Plate II, P 104 ; Plate VIII, P 59 Plate X,P 51 ; Plate XV, P91. At Maiden Castle pedestal pots were associated with Early Iron Age C (Belgic) pottery, and are dated by Dr. Wheeler from A.D. 25~45.

The proportion of wheel-turned pots at Meare is probably slightly higher than it was at Glastonbury, owing to the finding of more Roman shards. Apart from these, the pedestal pots and a graphite-coated vessel, we have no reason for believing that any of the ware was imported. A large number of the Meare pots are semi-wheel made, for it must be assumed that the deep vertical and everted rims could only have been moulded with a tool when the pot was rotating. The same assumption applies to the making of cordons, girth grooves and foot rings. What form of turning-table or apparatus was used we are unable to state. It was not a pottery wheel in the strict sense as we know it, for as far as our observation goes, the pots show no signs of striae on either tbe outer or inner surfaces. P 249 is a good example and shows a built-up pot with bands of clay. (Fig. 4).

Haematite-coated Ware

So far Meare has produced only one pot (P 223)2 showing painted decoration. This was a large coarse pot partly covered with a red-coloured pigment applied as a slip without any attempt at a design. Portions of two haematite-coated vessels
were found at the Glastonbury Lake Village. This method of decorating pottery belongs mainly to the Early Iron Age A group but was apparently in use although less frequently in B and C. Dr. Wheeler puts the initial date of its introduction
at about 300 B.C. At Meare it must be looked upon as a survival of the A culture in the Early Iron Age B period.

2 P 66 was apparenity part of the same pot. P 223 was found in Mound XX, in the black earth under the clay. 4 ft. SE. of the c.p., 1933.

Pottery with finger-tip Decoration

An example has been found at Meare, Plate IV, P 176, and may be considered a survival. At Maiden Castle pots with this type of ornament were found stratigraphically at Early Iron Age A levels.

Pottery ornamented with 'Exclamation' Marks

Pottery ornamented with deeply-grooved so-called 'Exclamation' marks, or letter I marks have been met with at Meare. Two of the former are seen on Plate XI, P 154, and Plate XV, P 220. For the latter decoration see Plate XIII, P 206. A pot with deeply incised marks on the rim, discovered at Meare, is seen on Plate IV, P 69. Pots with this ornament were found at Maiden Castle in the middle or late Early Age A levels. The Meare example is accompanied by a countersunk eyelet handle.

Flat-rimmed Pots and Bowls

Meare has produced a few vessels with this characteristic. At Maiden Castle flat-rimmed pottery was found at Early Iron Age A levels, but as a survival this feature extended into the Early Iron Age B and C groups. Dr. Wheeler says that
in the Early Iron Age Bii period there was a tendency for the outer junction of the flange and the shoulder to form a bead. A flat rim pot from Meare is seen in Plate IV, P 176 ; and a dish with grooved ornament across the flat rim in Plate XI, P62.

Ornamented Bases

At the Glastonbury Lake Village twenty-five were discovered with decorated bases. At Meare West Village so far seventeen examples have been recorded with about one-third of the settlement unexplored. The design most frequently found at both villages consists of segments of circles drawn in single or more often in double line, Plate V, P 27, P 130. The crescents are placed back to back, sometimes overlapping. When this takes place the oval space formed by the intersecting crescents is shaded with diagonal lines or with cross-hatching, Plate V, P 117. In other examples the triangular spaces are shaded with parallel lines, sometimes curved, in other cases straight. The whole design is enclosed by a groove running parallel with the margin of the base, see Plate V, P 18, P 27, P 117 ; Plate VIII, P 43, P 52, P 113, P 218. At Meare a design has been found probably of greater interest consisting of a three-armed fylfot or triskele, in which the arms terminate near a marginal groove in semi-circular spaces shaded with cross-hatching, Plate VIII, P 100, P 109, P 169, P 232. Other types of design may be noticed, Plate VIII, P 132 ; and Plate IX, P 56. Bases ornamented with marginal grooves only are rare at Meare ; two so far have been recorded. At Maiden Castle only one ornamented base was found. The design consisted of reversed semicirdes, and the fragment was associated with Bii pottery belonging to the last quarter of the first century B.C.

Roulette Ornamented Pottery

At Glastonbury several fragments of pots were roulette ornamented. At Meare so far two vessels have been met with, Plate Xli, P 121, P 122. Two different sized wheels were employed by the Meare potters ; at Glastonbury three were used.

Cordoned and Zoned Ware

Vessels with typical cordons and zones have been less common at Meare than at Glastonbury where twenty-one examples were recorded. Several pots from Meare are however of special interest because the cordons are ornamented, Plate II, P 2, P 17, P 20. Another vessel is ornamented with a plain cordon below the rim, and a zigzag cordon on the shoulder, Plate IV, P 225.

Pots with perforated Bases and Sides

The number of pots with perforations recorded from Meare West Village is seventeen. The holes are circular, and vary from 3/16 in. to 1in. in diam., and the majority of them were made affer the pottery was baked. The number of perforations through the bases varied from one to six, and through the side of a pot one to three. In pots having perforated sides the holes were generally made in the lower quarter of the body. One example had perforations near the middle of the vessel and in another, an ornamented pot, a single hole was made through the shoulder below the rim. The purpose of a single perforation in such a position is obscure. In another instance the hole had been made through an omphaloid depression in the base of a pot, Plate III, P 3, P 6, P 38, P 40, P 88, P 110, P 145, P 178 ; Plate VIII, P4; Plate X, P 58, P82 ; Plate V, P18.

Graphitecoated Ware

Meare has produced fragments of one vessel, Plate XVI, P 90. This pot is undoubtedly wheel-made, has a hollow base and is ornamented with cordons. Pots very similar to this have been found on the Continent on pre-Roman sites, from Hallstatt and La Tene deposits dating from the eighth to the second centuries B.C. In Britain fragments of some twenty or more vessels were discovered during the excavations at Hengistbury Head, Hants.3 These were however difficult to date on account of the disturbed state of the ground and only one fragment appears to have been capable of exact dating. This was found below some clay, and was probably not later than the second century B.C. The Meare example being wheel-turned we fail to see how it can be placed at such an early date, unless it was an importation.

3 Report No. iii, Research Committee, Soc. of Antiquaries, Excavatiotn at Hengisibiary Head, 1911-1919.

Bead Rim Pots

This type of rim probably originated from copying the turned-over lip of a metal vessel similar to the Glastonbury bronze bowl. Vessels of this and other descriptions, although rarely found, were apparently not uncommon at the Somerset Lake Villages. This may be surmised by the discovery of numbers of rivet-heads used in joining their plates of bronze. No less than twenty-two of the Glastonbury dwellings produced examples. Bead-rims are considered typical of Early Iron Age B pottery and as stated by Dr. Wheeler made its first appearance at Maiden Castle about the middle of the first century B.C. It can be assumed that the same date may be applicable for its introduction to the Somerset Lake Villages. The production of this type of rim was however accomplished gradually, for at Maiden Castle Dr. Wheeler has pointed out three stages in its development. At Crayford in Kent, 4 vessels with ill-formed bead-rims were noticed on some Early Iron Age A pottery.

4 An Early Iron Age site at Crayford,, by J. B. Ward Perkins, Proceedings, Prehistoric Soc., n.s., iv. (1938), 152.,

Pot Covers

At the Glastonbury Lake Village one plain pot cover was discovered. At Meare parts of nine have been found, all of which, with one exception, are ornamented. Four of the designs are elaborate and of considerable interest, Plate VII, P 16, P 75, P97, P 141. Two plain covers found in the Belgic war cemetery at Maiden Castle are dated C. A.D. 44. The portions of the three other covers from Meare are illustrated in Plate VII, P 13, P 36, and P 85.

Lugs or Eyelet Handles

The number of pots with handles found at Glastonbury Lake Village was thirteen ; Meare West Village, so far as it has been explored, has produced nine. Four of these are placed vertically and five in a horizontal position. Seven are countersunk and the other two not countersunk are ornamented, Plate III, P 142; Plate X, P 115. Dr. Wheeler says that handles other than countersunk are rare in Early Iron Age B pottery ; in the case of Meare the ornamented examples must be assigned to the Iron Age C period. The earliest type of countersunk eyelet handles on bead-rimmed pots date from 50 B.C. onwards. Countersunk handles on everted rimmed vessels show Belgic influence and are dated from 25 A.D. to the Roman conquest, Plate III, P 7, P 80, P 99 ; Plate IV, P 69 Plate X, P 53, P 92 ; Plate XV, P 220.