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Talk by Mike Ponsford

On Sunday 16 May, Mike Ponsford delivered an illustrated talk on archaeological fieldwork in the Bristol area, at Arnos Manor Hotel.

Several local people also took this opportunity to bring along finds from their gardens for identification. Most of these were pottery, and much was from the 19th and 20th centuries, some of which were of particular interest. One colleciton of finds were identified as kiln waste - pieces of pottery broken while they were bing made, as well as trivets (three-legged supports for pottery in the kiln) and other relics of the manufacturing process. These had probably been dumped in Brislington by a pottery in the Temple area of the city.

Other items included the neck of an 18th century stoneware bottle, a fragment of pottery from the 16th or 17th century, and a sherd of Malvernian ware from the late medieval period, probably 13th to 14th century.



Credits
1st photo — a selection of finds from a garden in Conway Road, includes kiln waste (© Steve Pearce 2010).
2nd photo — close up of an example of kiln waste from Conway Road: unglazed pottery. The picture, which was created by applying a transfer to the clay, shows a bridge over a river. When glazed and fired this would produce a striking blue picture on a white background (© Steve Pearce 2010).
3rd photo — Malvernian ware from Hampstead Road (© Steve Pearce 2010).
Text — Ken Taylor
(page created 23.05.10)