This is a common phenomenon. In some cases it can be linked to house
clearances when buildings are demolished as construction/demolition
materials are associated with the final infilling of these features. At
usk we had this evidence plus the cesspit was used as a dump for dead
cocks perhaps used in fighting. It is sometimes argued that some
assemblages are linked to inns and riotous destruction by those capable
of paying for it. Wells are probbaly slightly different in that one
might accidently drop pots in the. However, underwater excavations near
Hesdin in north France have produced loads of complete pots dumped out
of an adjacent manor house into the river. For the early modern period
the Dutch towns have hundreds of excavated cesspit asemblages many with
large nos of complete pots. See for example M. Bartels, Steden in
Sherven volumes published last year For Britain see the Guilford
Tunsgate assemblage in Post-med Arch of a couple of years back or the
Usk cesspit in -Medieval and Later Usk- by yours truly. The Americans
will also give you lots of examples. I also remember seeing a similar
medieval assemblage from a pit in Koln.
One thing to remember is that most pottery including imports was very
cheap- see my paper in Medieval Ceramics published last year though it
has 1997 on the cover.

paul courtney


In message <[log in to unmask]>, geoff carver
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>just wondering - does anyone else experience/suffer the phenomenon of finding
>lots and lots of complete pots thrown down in wells and latrines? any
>explanation/theories out there? spring cleaning? out of fashion?
>
>geoff carver
>http://home.t-online.de/home/gcarver/
>[log in to unmask]

--
paul courtney