May 1999,
Sheffield

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The MPRG annual conference was held at Sheffield over two days in May 1999.

The aim was to promote collaboration and discussion across regional, chronological and institutional boundaries and stimulate fruitful dialogue. Delegates and speakers were encouraged from prehistoric, Roman and medieval interest groups.

Lectures broadly covered processing and interpretation of ceramics from deposition to final publication. Specific areas of discussion focused on cross-regional fabric studies; fabric archives; minimum standards of processing; methods of interpretation including formation processes and skeuomorphs; and new methods of communication using the internet and virtual reality.

Visits were arranged to view relevant sites and ceramics.

Some papers from this conference have been published in Medieval Ceramics 22-23

16th May 1998
Museum of London Interpretation Unit

The following papers were presented:

(MC* denotes published paper in Medieval Ceramics Vol.*)

The right information in the right place: putting pottery into context – John Oxley, City of York Council

The origins and development of Late Saxon pottery in 9th and 10th century Mercia – Paul Blinkhorn, Oxford Archaeological Unit

Influence or immigrants? Foreign influence on English pottery c.900 to 1200 AD – John Cotter, Canterbury Archaeological trust

Pottery at Saint-Denis, 10th to 12th century – Nicole Meyer Rodrigues, Unite d’Archaeologie de Saint-Denis

Alien and mundane: pots in the metropolis 900 to 1200 – Lyn Blackmore and Jacqui Pearce, Museum of London Archaeological Service

Putting the cart before the horse – or – talking about the Saxo-Norman pottery of Staffordshire (MC22-23) – Deborah Ford, City Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent

Chester’s pottery after the conquest – the missing years? – Julie Edwards, Chester Archaeology

12th-14th May 1997
The Star Hotel, Worcester

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The following papers were presented:

(MC* denotes published paper in Medieval Ceramics Vol.*)

Opening address

Pots and people: a review of past papers Maureen Mellor, Vice President of MPRG

Session 1: Pottery and the purchaser

Ceramics and the history of consumption: pitfalls and prospects (MC21) Dr Paul Courtney, Freelance Archaeologist

All the fun of the fair…buying pottery in medieval Herefordshire Derek Hurst, Archaeological Service, Hereford and Worcester County Council

From dairy to dining room: evidence for changing ceramic use in the 18th century Dr David Barker, City Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent

Session 2: Meaning and milieu

Cheapish and Spanish. Meaning and design on imported Spanish pottery (MC21) Alejandra Gutierrez, King Alfred’s College, Winchester

The duality of a commodity: German stoneware as a utilitarian and social medium Dr David Gaimster, British Museum

Session 3: Interrogating assemblages

Misplaced faith? Medieval pottery and fieldwalking (MC21) Dr Christopher Gerrard, King Alfred’s College, Winchester

Site formation processes: theory and results Stephanie Ratkai, Archaeological Service, Hereford and Worcester County Council

The Romsey Rubbish Project Dr Kris Lockyear, Institute of Archaeology, University of London

Session 4: Visits to Worcester cathedral, The Museum of Worcester Porcelain, and Royal Worcester

Worcester Cathedral, with its outstanding Norman crypt, stands on the banks of the Severn at the south end of the medieval High Street. The Cathedral Archaeologist, Mr Chris Guy, will bepresenting the results of recent excavations within the precinct.

The Museum of Worcester Porcelain houses the world’s largest collection of Worcester porcelain including some of the first pieces made by the company, and examples of commissioned andexhibition pieces from the 18th century to the present day. The curator, Mr Harry Frost, will give an introduction to the collection

Royal Worcester is the modern expression of a tradition of pottery production in Worcestershire which stretches back to the Roman period and beyond. A tour of the factory, founded in 1751,will give delegates an opportunity to see behind the scenes as well as to visit the seconds and clearance shops.

Gerald Dunning Memorial Lecture

Medieval Islamic pottery (MC21) Dr David Whitehouse, Director, Corning Museum of Glass, USA

Session 5: Use and disuse

Vessels of other materials: an aceramic view from London (MC21) Dr Geoff Egan, MoLAS

Some considerations of the use of pottery Tristan Bareham, East Sussex Archaeology and Museums Project

“The post-Roman pottery assemblage from West Cotton comprised 107,643 sherds…” Paul Blinkhorn, Oxford Archaeological Unit

Pots in houses (MC21) Duncan Brown, Southampton

Session 6: Pottery viewing at the Archaeology Service, Hereford and Worcester County Council

A chance to look at excavated assemblages from the City and County.

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Thank you to our sponsors:

Dean and Chapter of Worcester Cathedral
Mrs Jane Faiers
Friends of Worcester City Museum
Hereford and Worcester County Archaeological Service
The Museum of Worcester Porcelain
Past Times
Royal Worcester
Worcestershire Archaeological Society
Worcester City Council Dept of Leisure Services

Pottery from Hull

1996, Hull

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Sorry – no details available at present

7th October 1995
Norwich Castle Museum

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The following papers were presented:

Synthesis: the beginning of the end or a new start? – Maureen Mellor, Freelance ceramics researcher, Oxford

Pots galore: presenting pottery to the public – Judith Stevenson, Dept of Early London History and Collections, Museum of London

Pottery by numbers – Duncan Brown, Archaeology Unit, Southampton City Council

Drawing to a conclusion – Anna Slowikowski, Bedfordshire County Archaeology Service

Pick and mix: the integrated pottery report – Irena Lentowicz, Norfolk Archaeological Unit

Sherds, pots, assemblages? What are we publishing, why and how? – Clive Orton, Institute of Archaeology, London

10th-13th May 1995
Cologne and Bonn, Germany

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The following papers were offered:

(MC* denotes published paper in Medieval Ceramics Vol.*)

Session 1: Cologne

Historical Introduction to Cologne

The current state of research into ceramics of the area

Session 2: Pottery production and production sites

The Mayen industry from 7th to 11th centuries: a study in changing distribution – Mark Redknap

Results of Neutron Activation Analysis on ceramics from the Mayen industries – Henning Stilke

Pottery production in Cologne – Sven Schutte

Pingsdorf wares, a typology (MC19) – provisional

Technology in the Rhenish ceramics industry – provisional

Session 3: Export and Trade

Distribution of German stonewares in Norway and Sweden – Ian Reed

An incomplete review of German stonewares imported into medieval Denmark: dating, spread and distribution – Per Kristian Madsen

German stonewares imported into the Netherlands – Jan Baart

German stonewares in Flanders: imports, consumption and competition – Frans Verhaeghe

German stonewares imported into Britain – John Hurst

Dunning Memorial Lecture

The Trade in medieval pottery around the North Sea (MC19) – Alan Vince

21st May 1994
Nottingham

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The following papers were presented:

A recently excavated assemblage from Nottingham and its research context – Alan MaCormick and Bob Alvey

East Midlands Reduced Ware – new evidence from Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire – Anna Slowikowski and Paul Blinkhorn

Recent work on pottery from two production sites of Limpsfield Ware in East Surrey – Phil Jones

Proposed work on the early post-medieval pottery from Ticknell and the implications for the study of East Midlands ceramic groups – Alan MaCormick

Research Designs for production centres – Varian Denham and Sarah Jennings

A specification for the processing and analysis of medieval ceramics from production sites – Alan Vince, Ian Freestone and Clive Orton

Reference collections for material from production sites – Beverley Nenk

22nd-24th March 1993
Connaught Hall, Southampton University

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The following papers were offered:

(MC* denotes published paper in Medieval Ceramics Vol.*)

Session 1: Ports, Markets, Sites of Consumption

Chairs: John Hurst and Peter Davey

Late Medieval Imports into Hull and the Humber Ports – Dave Evans

Norway: an overview (MC18) – Ian Reed

London (MC18) – Lyn Blackmore and Alan Vince

The imported pottery of Late Medieval Southampton (MC17) – Duncan Brown

The South West (MC18) – John Allan

Waterford: the imported ceramics – Audrey Gahan

Session 2: Other types of evidence

Chair: Charlie Murray

Imports of Spanish pottery to England in the Later Middle Ages: documentary evidence (MC17) – Wendy Childs

Wrecks – Bob Thomson

Late Medieval pottery on Dutch shipwrecks and a well-dated inventory of the early 15th century (MC17) – Karel Vlierman

Session 3: Sites of Production (1)

Chair: Bob Thomson

Normandy stonewares and related earthenwares – Bob Burns

Martincamp and Beauvais (MC17) – Pierre Ichnowitz

Session 4: Sites of Production (2)

Chair: David Gaimster

Imported pottery in the Bruges area (MC17) – Bieke Hillewaert

Dutch Redwares (MC18) – Jan Baart

Rhenish stonewares – Sven Schutte

The 10th Dunning Memorial Lecture

No Sex, some H-M and Lots of Fine Trade: medieval ceramic studies in Italy (MC17) – Hugo Blake

Session 5: Sites of Production (3)

Chair: Hugo Blake

Italian pottery exported during the 15th and 16th centuries (MC17) – Marco Milanese

Ligurian Tablewares, 13th-16th centuries – new archaeological and thin-section data (MC17) – Fabrizio Benete, Sergio Sfrecola and Sandro Gardini

Session 6: Sites of Production (4)

Chair: to be arranged

Una panoramica de las producciones hispanas y de reflejo metalico de los siglo XIV al XVI (MC18) – Javier Marti

Coarseware from Western Andalusia (1300-1650) (MC17) – Alfonso Pleguezuelo-Hernández

Session 7: The Wider Perspective

Chair: Frans Verhaege

Travelling pottery – a European overview – Frans Verhaege

Friday 16th November 2012
The Wallace Collection, London

Organised by the Medieval Pottery Research Group & the Association for the History of Glass

The day will start at 10am with registration and coffee, finishing with a wine reception in the evening. Some wonderful speakers from among Sarah’s many friends and colleagues in the worlds of glass and ceramics will be presenting.

Key speakers include:

• Hugo Blake and Michael Hughes – An early 14th-century tin-glazed earthenware jar from Norwich and other archaic maiolicas excavated in Britain
• Hilary Cool – Aromatic Assemblages: Exploring the Finds from Pompeii Insula VI.1
• George Haggarty – The Delftfield Pottery Glasgow 1748 -1826; Demolition and Resurrection
• Ian Freestone – Red, White and Blue: the Origins of Medieval Window Glass Technology
• David Whitehouse – Before Venice: The Antecedents of the Venetian Glass Industry

Other confirmed speakers are Katherine Barclay and Frans Verhaeghe. Further details will follow; for updates please see the MPRG and AHG websites.

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