Several Occasional Papers are planned for publication in the near future. The first in the series, A Guide to the Classification of Medieval Ceramic Forms, has been published and full details are available.
MPRG Occasional Paper 2, Minimum Standards for the Processing, Recording, Analysis and Publication of Post-Roman Ceramics. Further details can be found online.
MPRG Occasional Paper 3, The Harlow Pottery Industries. Further details can be found online.
MPRG Occasional Paper 4, ‘Genius in a Cracked Pot’ Late Medieval Reduced Wares: A Regional Synthesis, is now available. Further details can be found online.
MPRG Occasional Paper 5, Sourcing Scottish Redwares, is now available. Further details can be found online.
MPRG Occasional Paper 6, A Research Framework for Post-Roman Ceramic Studies in Britain. Further details can be found online.
MPRG Occasional Paper 7, The Ipswich Ware Project: Ceramics, Trade and Society in Middle Saxon England, is now available. Further details can be found online.
Other papers at an advanced stage of preparation are:
- Trondheim Redwares, by Lyn Blackmore
Further details will be found in the Newsletter and on the website when the papers are available.
Other Publications
The Group’s original standards document, Guidelines for the Processing and Publication of Medieval Pottery from Excavations, edited by Hugo Blake and Peter Davey, is a useful guide to methodology and is still available. The main contents are as follows:
- Aims of the Study of Medieval Pottery
- Including the dating of pottery; pottery as evidence for the state and development of technology; pottery as evidencev of economic conditions; pottery as evidence of cultural and social conditions; and the development of pottery.
- Scientific Aids: Level A Recommendations
- Including the use of simple scientific aids in the standardisation of pottery fabric descriptions; general fabric characteristics; inclusions; surface treatment; selective use of aids; and statement of practice.
- Scientific Aids: Level B Manual
- Including mineralogical analysis; chemical analysis; technological analysis; and pottery dating.
- Data Processing
- Including quantification; the use of statistics in pottery analysis; systematic recording using modern aids; and publication of data in Level III.
- Publication
- Including aims; principles of selection; how to publish the pottery; the form of the report; the archive; and special cases.
The Group has also published a 25th Anniversary Postcard, featuring a pottery ‘Supergroup’. This is available from the Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary.
