The ceramic evidence for economic life and networks from 12th- to 17th century settlement sites in South Glamorgan Alice Forward PhD in Archaeology School of History, Archaeology and Religion Cardiff University December 2013 Summary Using well stratified ceramic assemblages from eight settlements across South Glamorgan this thesis places archaeology at the centre of interpretations of medieval and early post-medieval economic networks in this area. Comparative analysis and the contextualisation of the material have enabled archaeological evidence to develop new ways of understanding and interpreting the region during the 12th to the 17th centuries. Chapter 3 re-evaluates previous studies of the local ceramics, Vale Ware, and conducts further petrographic analysis on sherds from excavations at Llandaff Cathedral School, Cosmeston and Kenfig. Chapters 4 and 5 are detailed studies of the medieval and early post-medieval ceramic assemblage from Cosmeston. They discuss the contextual significance of the ceramics from the manor and its associated settlement and the changes that affected the manorial estate over 500 years. Chapter 6 focuses on assemblages from the small town, Cowbridge. This chapter develops ideas concerning the role of markets and fairs as central trading places in South Glamorgan. Chapter 7 looks at six comparative case studies: rural settlements at Barry, Sully and Rumney, the towns of Cardiff and Kenfig and the ecclesiastical centre at Llantwit Major. By comparing the assemblages from these sites to both Cosmeston and Cowbridge, i | P a g e interpretations are further developed on the role settlements had within the local and wider regional economic networks. The results emphasise the importance of the Bristol Channel to the movement of goods and people in South Glamorgan. Assessing and analysing the ceramic assemblages in their full archaeological context has enabled a better understanding of medieval and early post-medieval South Glamorgan than has previously been achieved. The results challenge traditional historical interpretations of settlement and identify distinct regional trading patterns that rely on the Bristol Channel to connect South Glamorgan to local, regional and European economic networks. ii | P a g e Acknowledgments I would like to express my thanks to my supervisors Professor John Hines, Dr Alan Lane (2011-13) and Professor Ian Freestone (2009-11) for all their support and advice over the last four years. Without their patience and time this thesis would not have been written. I would also like to thank all those who have helped provide knowledge, and material to analyse; Sian Iles, Nick Cooper, Dr Lloyd Laing, Dr Tim Young, David Dawson, Steve Sell, Jean-Yves Robic, Steve Clarke, Mike Ponsford, Andrew Marvell, Judith Doyle, Claudine Gerrard, Charina Jones, and the staff at the Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust (the collaborative partner for this research) and National Museum Wales. Many thanks also to my colleagues in the SHARE post-graduate office and to my friends who reminded me that there is life beyond academia. Thanks to my family who have supported me throughout. Finally thank you to Matt Nicholas, who without his encouragement and support I would never have even considered going through this whole process. Beyond my supervisors, one person was instrumental in guiding me, the late Dr Paul Courtney (1955-2013), who provided help and guidance in developing my knowledge on pottery in South Wales. His regular notes of advice made the process a little lighter and more realistic and he is sorely missed. Keep working - you have the rest of your life for having holidays (Paul Courtney pers comm. 06.03.12) iii | P a g e Table of Contents SUMMARY I ACKNOWLEDGMENTS III TABLE OF CONTENTS IV LIST OF FIGURES IX LIST OF TABLES XVII CHAPTER 1: MEDIEVAL AND POST- MEDIEVAL POTTERY IN WALES: FABRIC AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSES 1 1. Medieval Ceramics 7 1.1 Early post-Conquest fabrics 7 1.2 12th-13th-century fabrics 14 1.3 Post-medieval ceramics 19 1.4 Excavations and ceramic retrieval 37 1.5 Methodology 43 CHAPTER 2: SETTLEMENTS, ECONOMIC NETWORKS AND CONNECTIONS 53 iv | P a g e 2.1 Medieval and post-medieval economy 53 2.2 The economic role of settlement and their networks in South Glamorgan 56 CHAPTER 3: VALE WARE – AN INDICATOR FOR ECONOMIC NETWORKS IN SOUTH GLAMORGAN? 82 3.1 Aims of the analysis 83 3.2 Previous Work 86 3.3 Production and diagnostic features: fabrics and form 90 3.4 Regional and local production evidence 93 3.5 Hand identification and microscopic analysis of Vale Ware 97 3.6 Petrographic analysis 102 3.7 Petrographic results 105 3.8 Conclusions 130 CHAPTER 4: MEDIEVAL COSMESTON – MANOR AND DEPENDENT HOUSEHOLDS 133 4.1 Backgrounds 134 4.2 The archaeological evidence for the manorial estate of Cosmeston 144 4.3 The ceramic assemblage 154 4.4 The Medieval Manorial Estate 157 v | P a g e 4.5 The medieval rural household 163 4.6 Medieval Cosmeston: conclusions 215 CHAPTER 5: LATE MEDIEVAL AND EARLY POST-MEDIEVAL COSMESTON 220 5.1 Post-medieval fabrics 224 5.2 Buildings G and I 226 5.3 Yard 432 228 5.5 Floor Layer 437 233 5.6 Yard 427 235 5.7 Demolition and deposition 240 5.8 Medieval and post-medieval Cosmeston: changes and continuity 253 CHAPTER 6: COWBRIDGE 255 6.1 Town Background 257 6.2 Early work and the primary historical sources 258 6.3 Cowbridge as a borough town 269 6.4 Cowbridge assemblages 273 6.5 Medieval Cowbridge 278 6.6 Post-medieval 315 vi | P a g e 6.7 Conclusion 326 CHAPTER 7: MANOR AND TOWN, COMPARATIVE ASSEMBLAGES 331 7.1 Town 333 7.2 Manorial settlements 350 7.3 Llantwit Major: the ecclesiastical evidence 368 7.4 Recent excavations within the modern-day town 371 7.5 Bishop’s Palace Field excavations (NMW 37.410) and ceramics 376 7.6 Conclusions 381 CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS 384 8.1 Fabric Analysis 384 8.2 Contextualising the 12th- to 14th-century ceramic evidence for economic networks in South Glamorgan 388 8.3 Contextualising the 15th- to 17th-century ceramic evidence for economic networks in South Glamorgan 396 8.4 Conclusions 401 BIBLIOGRAPHY 404 APPENDIX 1: COSMESTON FABRIC SERIES 429 APPENDIX 2: FINDS FROM THE EWENNY FAIR SITE 440 vii | P a g e Finds recovered from the field next to the priory church 440 Found by Landowner 442 Other finds 451 APPENDIX 3 – COSMESTON ASSEMBLAGE 453 APPENDIX 4 – COWBRIDGE ASSEMBLAGES 453 APPENDIX 5 – OTHER CASE STUDIES 453 viii | P a g e List of Figures Figure 1.1 Map showing early post-Conquest sources of pottery including sites from which Greensand-Derived sherds have been recently analysed 6 Figure 1.2 showing two examples of Minety Ware Tripod Pitchers. Above from Dundas Wharf, Bristol, below from Loughor, West Glamorgan. 9 Figure 1.3 showing Ham Green jars excavated at Loughor Castle (Vyner 1993, 130) 11 Figure 1.4 showing the range of Ham Green glazed jugs. Above (Ponsford 1991, 92) and below (Barton 1963, 106) 12 Figure 1.5 Vale Ware unglazed vessels (Price and Newman 1985, 12) 15 Figure 1.6 Bristol Redcliffe jugs from excavations at Chepstow (Vince 1991, 106) 16 Figure 1.7 Saintonge All-Over Green Glazed jugs and Polychrome jugs from excavations in Southampton (Brown 2002, 60) 18 Figure 1.8 15th/16th-century South Somerset ceramic forms (Allan 1984, 150) 21 Figure 1.9 map showing the known post-medieval Somerset pottery kiln sites 22 Figure 1.10 17th-century South Somerset ceramic forms (Allan 1984, 151) 24 Figure 1.11 Range of forms found in North Devon Gravel Tempered Ware (Allan et al 2005, 191) 26 Figure 1.12 A range of Sgraffito Ware decorative motifs and an example from Cosmeston (above = photo courtesy of Matt Nicholas); (below = Allan et al 2005, 190) 27 Figure 1.13 map showing the three main post-medieval assemblages discussed here indicated by the green stars 30 Figure 1.14 showing a range of imported ceramics found from sites in Wales (Evans 1982, 81) 33 Figure 2.15 map showing the medieval official towns in South Glamorgan and Monmouthshire 59 ix | P a g e Figure 2.16 showing the distribution of 17th century tokens found in south Glamorgan and the towns where these tokens were produced. 65 Figure 2.17 showing the site plans for Dinas Powys castle, Sully castle and the possible keep at Cosmeston, 72 Figure 2.18 map showing the known port and landing places in the Bristol Channel in South Glamorgan and Somerset 76 Figure 3.19 showing the bedrock geology in South Glamorgan, North Somerset and North Devon. Of note, blue is limestone and light pink is Old Red Sandstone 95 Figure 3.20 to the left, LC1 photographed under crossed polars, field view = 4.7, and to the right, part of the thin section, field view = 17.7m 106 Figure 3.21 to the left, LC4 photographed under crossed polars field view = 4.7, and to the right, part of the thin section, field view = 17.7mm. 107 Figure 3.22 to the left, LC9 photographed under crossed polars field view = 4.7, and to the right, part of the thin section, field view = 17.7mm 108 Figure 3.23 to the left, LC10 photographed under crossed polars field view = 4.7, and to the right, part of the thin section, field view = 17.7mm 109 Figure 3.24 to the left, LC11 photographed under crossed polars field view = 4.7, and to the right, part of the thin section, field view = 17.7mm 110 Figure 3.25 to the left, LC3 photographed under crossed polars field view = 4.7, and to the right, part of the thin section, field view = 17.7mm 111 Figure 3.26 to the left, LCF2 photographed under crossed polars field view = 4.7, and to the right, part of the thin section, field view = 17.7mm 112 Figure 3.27 to the left, VSF17 photographed under crossed polars field view = 4.7, and to the right, part of the thin section, field view = 17.7mm.