Experimental Workshops
Pottery
Pottery workshops have been held at some of the open days in 2008. Further workshops and experimental days will be held in the future. Barbara Dinnage, a local potter, ran the workshops, showing visitors how to make pots using simple techniques.
Making a coil pot on one of the open days
Some finished pots starting to air dry
After the pots were constructed, they were left to dry for at least a week. A turf kiln was constructed on site. The pots were placed within the kiln and covered in peat. The peat was lit and left to burn over night. By lunch time the next day, the roof was taken off the kiln and the pots removed.
Pots removed from the turf kiln
One of the pots made was a replica of a vessel located during the excavation. Barbara had examined the sherds and had noted that the vessel was large with straight sides.
The replica of one of the pots found on site
Barbara holding the replica pot
Other Bronze Age style vessels were also made. In general, most of the pots survived the firing and the kiln worked well.
Another Bronze Age-style pot fired in the turf kiln
More detailed experiments will be held next year - check back to this site to get more details.