Studies on morphology and stylistics of early mediaeval ceramic vessels from Napole in Chełmno Land

Abstract

Vessel ceramics belongs undoubtedly to the group of the most important movable sources obtained during excavation research. Studies on detailed early mediaeval pottery production should be regarded as essential part of past reconstruction process. Wide range of archaeological studies on settlements and grads carried out in Chełmno-Dobrzyń Lake District for over 20 years have substantially contributed to collecting source base concerning pottery. This source category elaboration constitutes one of the most significant tasks fulfilled by the Department of Archaeology of the Early Middle Ages of NCU in Toruń.

The necessity of conducting complex analysis of pottery ceramics focused researchers’ attention on absolute need of taking up studies on working out efficient analytic tool. These works started in mid 80’s of 20th century and led to creating, commonly accepted, program of describing the most significant technical-morphological features of vessel ceramics, modified and expanded in the course of further studies. Its first visible effect was the schedule of ceramics’ analysis from the lower Drwęca basin published by W. Chudziak (1991), which became the grounds for the project of early and late mediaeval vessels’ description from Chełmno Land, prepared in the beginning of the 90’s of the last century, modified by D. Poliński (1996). After next changes it was applied for elaboration of collections of vessels originating from the studies conducted within the „Adalbertus” research program (Chudziak, Poliński, Moszczyński 1997, pp. 83–95). Usefulness of this form in multi-aspect vessel ceramics’ analysis was confirmed in the following years, when it became a convenient tool for pottery description in objects obtained during rescue excavation studies in the sites placed on future motorway A1 situating. It enabled efficient ceramic material elaboration as well as obtaining the results easy to compare and draw general conclusions. As a result of many years’ work the scheme of technical-morphological features of ceramic vessels’ description was created finally, which is a flexible tool and the elements included enable, without its integrity damage, to make slight changes, which in turn ease elaborating of various technically and stylistically ceramics of early and late phases of early Middle Ages. It has been in use for some years in analyses of ceramics collection from Kałdus, counting several hundred thousand items (Błędowski 2004; Chudziak 2003) as well as numerous other sites, which material has been prepared for publication. This project has been also adopted in other centers beyond Toruń University (compare: Grążawski 2002; Trzeciecka, Trzeciecki 2002, pp. 99–134; Trzeciecki 2002, pp. 111–180).

As the major mean of work the scheme was used in elaborating nearly 30 thousand item collection of ceramics originating from the studies carried out in the years 1991–1994 in Napole, kujawsko-pomorskie province (Bojarski 2006). The settlement complex studied by the Institute of Archaeology of NCU, consisting of a grad and two quasi-opened settlements delivered the vessel collection dating from 2nd half of 7th century until the beginning of 13th century. The ceramics originating from Napolski micro-region was regarded as a collection fully representative for the whole early mediaeval pottery manufacturing requiring, therefore comprehensive elaboration.

The article above contains the presentation of the first part of vessel ceramics’ analysis, consisting of the description of physical pottery features, including technical- technological characteristics (techniques of manufacturing, kind of mass used, pottery recipe and conditions of baking), but also the ones concerning pottery stylistic- morphological features (multistage classification of dish forms, ordination of outlets and bottoms, ornamentation motifs and complete decorative systems). The complete material, without any division it into separate sites or collections, was subjected to analysis recognizing the technique of vessels’ manufacturing with distinguishing five technical groups (hand-made vessels, through partially wheel-thrown ones up to completely wheel-thrown objects) as a crucial criterion. The results obtained became the base for further concluding on the subject of transformations observed in pottery manufacturing and defining chronological-spatial bonds of Napole ceramics as well as its periodization. Considerations on the subject compose the grounds for separate author’s publication (in preparing).