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ORNAMENTED FRAGMENTS OF CLAY POTS (motif 27)
Type: Ornamented fragments of clay pots, ceramics.
Use: Making, preserving and serving of food.
Site: Raisio, Ihala, Mulli abode.
Period: Viking Age / Crusade Age / Early Middle Ages.
Dating: 980-1220 A.D.
Photographer: Antti Huittinen.
In the end of the Iron Age, ca. 11th century, the hand-made clay pots were ornamented mainly with geometrical shapes which also were widely used in jewels. The most popular geometrical shapes were lattice ornaments which consisted of 2-4 parallel rhomb stripes with eyes and crosses. This style of ornamentation varies, too. Rhomb stripe ornaments were used in southwest Finland, on the Åland Islands, in Sweden, Estonia and Kurland, now in Latvia.
In Mulli abode, ornamented and polished fragments of pottery are known perhaps more in quantity than anywhere else in the Iron-Age sites in Finland. It is possible that in Mulli these splendid pots were manufactured not only for own use but for sale, too. These lavishly ornamented post were mostly used for serving of food.
Reconstructions of the processes used in the creation of ceramics were explored during workshops held in Raisio in 1997 by archaeologist Minna Hautio. In these workshops, using hypothetical materials, vessels were reconstructed and burnt.
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Other related topics:
Coordinates: All over the abode.
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