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A medieval pottery kiln in Saint-Léger-en-Bray (Oise). Ceramic structure and production

Un four de potier médiéval a Saint-Léger-en-Bray (Oise). Structure et production céramique

Abstract : The presence at Saint-Leger-en-Bray of a pottery kiln, remarkably preserved for its date, places the village in the common activity of the region. As suspected, pottery production at Saint-L£ger has been found thanks to this archaeological operation. This is not surprising as the village offers easy access to all the primary materials required to make pottery: Wood, water and outcrops of ball clay. In addition, the structure of this pottery kiln bears witness to a technical tradition known from other local examples, though most of which are more recent. Here a new example of a linear piriform kiln with a roof /vault made of pottery sherds covered with silt could date to the second half of the 10th century. Concerning the typology of the pottery associated with the kiln, it attests to a standardized production of "oules" round cooking pots and "cruches" jugs, sometimes painted, whose typology and local comparisons date from the second half of the 10th century to the middle of the 11th century. The kiln is not the only evidence of medieval activity : A silo, a probable second pottery kiln, several ditches, pits and some deposits are further evidence of occupation from at least the 11th century that persisted to the beginning of the 13th century. Only further archaeological investigation would allow the understanding of the extend and limits of this occupation and more particularly the pottery workshop. © 2018 Revue Archeologique de Picardie. All rights reserved.