A Standard for Pottery Studies in Archaeology

Pottery is one of the most common artefacts recovered from archaeological excavations. While it is widely regarded as a reliable tool for dating, pottery is also significant as evidence for technology, tradition, modes of distribution, patterns of consumption, and site formation processes.

But when simple, basic tasks have not been carried out, and the true value of an assemblage has not been understood, the potential for missing important information is too great. With that in mind, 'A Standard for Pottery Studies in Archaeology' takes the reader through the various stages of an archaeological project, from planning and data collection through to report writing and archiving, with the intention of informing not only pottery specialists but also those who manage and monitor projects.

This Standard, produced with funding from Historic England, was compiled by the Prehistoric Ceramics Research Group, the Study Group for Roman Pottery and the Medieval Pottery Research Group, with the aim of creating the first comprehensive, inclusive standard for working with pottery. It is intended for use in all types of archaeological project, including those run by community groups, professional contractors and research institutions.