Sourcing Scottish redwares

Abstract

• Sourcing Scottish Redwares examines Scotland's extensive iron-rich clay sources which were exploited for the production of pottery, tiles and later bricks, from the 13th century onwards. Supported by Historic Scotland the authors used inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) in conjunction with the British Geological Survey's national geochemical database of stream sediments to study groups of iron-rich pottery from a wide range of Scottish production sites. Over 600 samples were analysed, including four groups of 12th century or earlier Border Redwares and comparative material from the Continent and England. The results suggested that the Scottish redware industries were far more complicated than previously thought. Building on the work a draft Scottish redware vessel typology and research strategy has been created which includes medieval, post medieval, and industrial pottery as well as floor and roof tiles.