Report No. 06004: All Saint's School (Upper), The Mount, York; Archaeological Watching Brief. June 2006
Report Author: Guy Hopkinson. Web version (in preparation).
Contributors: Alan Vince & Kate Steane (AVAC).
Ordnance Survey based figures omitted from web version for copyright reasons. Hard copy available at York City SMR.

11.0 Appendix 1 - Pottery Assessment

Alan Vince and Kate Steane

A small quantity of pottery was recovered during an archaeological watching brief at All Saints School, York, carried out by Archaeoscope. The finds range in date from the 1st/2nd century to the 17th to 19th centuries, with no pottery dating between the 4th and the early 11th centuries. The finds are typical of pottery from sites in the centre of York. The only sherd of note is from a head pot, possibly of early 3rd century date.

10.1 Description

10.1.1 Pottery

A total of 13 sherds were recovered, representing no more than 12 vessels and weighing in total 631 gm. The sherds are all in fresh condition and some are of moderate size, both indicating that they have not been subjected to much post-burial alteration.

10.1.1.1 Roman

Five sherds of Roman pottery were found, all of types described in detail by Monaghan (1997). One of the sherds is a grey sandy ware (YAT Fabric G1), a type produced in the York environs between the late 1st and the mid 3rd centuries. The rim of a large mortaria (YAT Fabric M3) probably dates to the earlier part of this date range and is also likely to be of local production whilst a sherd from an Eboracum ware head pot may date to the early 3rd century (YAT Fabric E1). The base of a Nene Valley Colour-coated beaker (YAT C1, late 2nd to 4th centuries) and a decorated body sherd from a Samian DR37 bowl (YAT S00, late 1st to early 3rd century) complete the Roman assemblage.

10.1.1.2 Medieval

Seven sherds from six vessels of medieval date were recovered. All are of common types well-known from York (e.g. Holdsworth 1978and Jennings 1992). Three of these are of York Gritty ware (YG), which was produced in West Yorkshire from the mid 11th to the mid 13th centuries and is the most common cooking ware used during that period. A body sherd from a glazed jug of Northern Gritty ware is also probably a west Yorkshire product, dating between the later 12th and the mid 14th centuries (NGR). A rim sherd with plain glaze is probably from a Beverley-type ware jar, dating between the later 12th and the mid 14th centuries (BEVO2B) whilst the final sherd is the handle of a Brandsby-type jug (BRAN), a type produced in the Hambleton Hills area between the mid 13th and the 15th centuries.

The lack of Humberware, the main ware used in York between the later 14th and the early 16th centuries, suggests a decline in activity.

10.1.1.3 Post-medieval

A single sherd of post-medieval pottery was recovered, a base sherd from a blackware pancheon. Such vessels were produced in numerous centres in Yorkshire between the later 17th and the 19th centuries.

10.2 Assessment

The finds probably indicate activity on or close to the site in the earlier to middle parts of the Roman period and again at some point(s) between the mid 11th and mid 14th centuries. This bimodal chronological distribution is typical of most sites in York and is probably due both to survival and to the actual history of human activity in the centre of York.

None of the finds is worthy of further study and their unstratified nature probably means that they have little potential for future study.

10.3 Bibliography

Holdsworth, J (1978) Selected pottery groups AD 650-1780. Archaeology of York 16/1 London, Council British Archaeol.

Jennings, Sarah (1992) Medieval Pottery in the Yorkshire Museum. York, The Yorkshire Museum.

Monaghan, Jason (1997) Roman Pottery from York. The Archaeology of York 16/8 York, Council for British Archaeology.

10.4 Appendix 1

cname	Form	Nosh	NoV	Description	Part	Weight	Use	full name
BEVO2B	JAR	1	1	GLAZED EXT	R	19		Beverley Glazed ware type 2B
BL	PANC	1	1		BS	47		Black-glazed wares
BRAN	JUG	1	1		H	118		Brandsby-type ware
NGR	JUG	1	1		BS	15		Northern Gritty ware
YATC01	BEAKER	1	1		B	18		NVCC
YATE01	FACEPOT	1	1	GROOVED HAIR	BS	38		Ebor 1
YATG01	JAR	1	1		BS	15		Greyware
YATM03	MORT	1	1		R	203		Eboracum and local mortaria
YATS00	37	1	1		BS	6		Samian
YG	JAR	2	2		BS	13		Yorkshire gritty ware
YG	JAR	1	1		R	37		Yorkshire gritty ware
YG	JAR	1	1		R	102	SOOTED EXT	Yorkshire gritty ware

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