Craft some Anglo-Saxon pottery
The Anglo-Saxons made clay pots to store things in, or to eat out of. They were not glazed with a shiny surface like modern pots, so were not waterproof. They couldn’t be used for cooking.
Probably anything that needed to be waterproof was made of wood, metal or leather.
They liked to decorate their pots and each pot-maker used particular patterns. This means we can often tell where they came from. A pot found in Ipswich might have patterns that we know were much more common in Bury St Edmunds - so we can tell that people travelled and traded different objects between places.
Early Anglo-Saxons didn’t use coins for money - but perhaps two pots could be traded for a bag of apples or a chicken!
Why not have a go at crafting your own piece of pottery?
You will need:
A ball of clay. You could also try air-dry clay, or plastercine or playdough works well too.
Tools to stamp patterns. These don’t need to be specialist pottery tools. Hunt around your house - paperclips, kitchen utensils and pen lids all make great stamps.
Craft your pot:
Take a blob of clay, about the size of a golf ball, and work it into a soft ball.
Stick your thumb into the middle to make a hole, then use a pinching action around the edges with your fingers to pinch and squeeze the pot into a bowl shape.
Once you’re happy with the shape, decorate it in your own special, repeating pattern using little objects to make the patterns.
If it gets dry and crumbly, wipe it with a damp sponge to make it workable again.
Once you’re happy with it, leave it to dry out (or if you used plastercine or playdough, squash it and start again!)
