Early Medieval Glass Vessels found in Kent: A catalogue of the glass vessels of European migrants to Kent, from approximately AD 450-700, in museums, archaeological trusts and societies, and private collections 9781841719962, 9781407320786

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Early Medieval Glass Vessels found in Kent A catalogue of the glass vessels of European migrants to Kent, from approximately AD 450-700, in museums, archaeological trusts and societies, and private collections

Winifred Stephens

BAR British Series 424 2006

Published in 2019 by BAR Publishing, Oxford BAR British Series 424 Early Medieval Glass Vessels found in Kent © Winifred Stephens and the Publisher 2006 The author’s moral rights under the 1988 UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act are hereby expressly asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, stored, sold, distributed, scanned, saved in any form of digital format or transmitted in any form digitally, without the written permission of the Publisher. ISBN 9781841719962 paperback ISBN 9781407320786 e-book DOI https://doi.org/10.30861/9781841719962 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library This book is available at www.barpublishing.com BAR Publishing is the trading name of British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Ltd. British Archaeological Reports was first incorporated in 1974 to publish the BAR Series, International and British. In 1992 Hadrian Books Ltd became part of the BAR group. This volume was originally published by Archaeopress in conjunction with British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Ltd / Hadrian Books Ltd, the Series principal publisher, in 2006. This present volume is published by BAR Publishing, 2019.

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PUBLISHING BAR titles are available from:

E MAIL P HONE F AX

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For Michael, Susan and Angela

Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

...........................................................

........... .................... ......................................................

·LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................................

ii iii

INTRODUCTION ...................... ............. ............................ ............................... ......................................................... ..... 1 CHAPTER ONE The glass vessels, and D. B. Harden's survey of 1956 ..............................................................

.... .............................. ..... .. 3

CHAPTER TWO A survey of fifth-seventh century glass vessels found in Kent since 1956 ........................................................................ CHAPTER THREE Distribution and analysis of glass vessels, the predominance of Faversham, and settlement sites of the eighth to tenth centuries ...........................................................................................................................

9

...... ............. 17

CHAPTER FOUR Collections and catalogues in Kent ..................................................................................................................................

24

CHAPTER FIVE Missing/lost vessels and fragments, 1956 to end December 1999 ...................................................................................

30

CHAPTER SIX Kent update ......................................................................................................................................................................

34

CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................................................................

36

BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................................................................

38

LISTS Appendices A,B,C: Extant early medieval glass vessels found in Kent list ..................................................................... 43 Appendices A,B,C: Early medieval glass vessels found in Kent reference numbers list... ..... ...... ................ .............. ..... 44 Appendices A,B,C: List of vessels and fragments not included in D.B . Harden's list of 1956, or which were recovered between 1956 and 31st December 1999 .................................................................................. 50 Appendix D: Missing/lost vessels/fragments list ............................................................................................................. 53 Appendix D: Missing/lost vessels and fragments reference numbers list 54 .............. ...................... .............. ......... ......... 54 Appendix E: Kent Update, reference numbers list ........................................................................................................ 55 APPENDIX A Catalogue of Museum Collections in Kent , including Archaeological Trusts, Societies and Private Collections ............................................................................................................................................................ APPENDIX B Catalogue of Collections in National Museums ..................................................

56

................... ........... ..................... ........ 121

APPENDIXC Catalogue of Collections in International Museums .......................................................................................................

212

APPENDIXD Catalogue of missing vessels ..........................................................................................................................................

214

APPENDIX E Kent Update vessel reports ........................ ............. ........ ..... ..............................................................

.......... ...... .......... ... 225

Acknowledgements The author wishes to thank the following: Professor Gale Owen-Crocker of Manchester University for her advice, encouragement and enthusiasm; Professor John R. Hunter of Birmingham University, for his advice and suggestions. The following for their valuable assistance on my visits to museums, Archaeological Trusts and Units: Derek R. Howlett , Powell-Cotton Museum; D.R. J. Perkins , Trust for Thanet Archaeology; Kenneth Reedie , Royal Museum , Canterbury; Martin Crowther and Steve Marshall (formerly) the Royal Museum, Canterbury Store ; Ian Riddler (formerly) and Pan Garrard Canterbury Archaeological Trust; Mike Still and Peter Boreham (former Curator) Dartford Borough Museum; Christine Waterman (former Curator) Dover Museum; Keith Parfitt Dover , Archaeological Group ; D. S. Bowman, The Roman Painted House , Dover ; Claire Mason (formerly) Maidstone Museum ; Colin Wilson , Margat e Museum; Leslie Webster, Angela Evans , The British Museum (Department of Pre-History and Early Europe (formerly Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities); Mr John Shepherd, Museum of London; Mr John Roles, Brighton Museum; Simon Bean and Fiona Philpot , Liverpool Museum ; Margaret Slythe , Ospringe Museum ; Arthur MacGregor , The Ashmolean Museum; Helena Hamerow, the Institute of Archaeology, Oxford ; Elizabeth O'Brien, Dublin ; Andrew D 'Ea the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum; Lorraine Mepham and Andrew Crockett, Wessex Archaeology; Brian Philp , Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit; Paul Wilkinson, Kent Archaeology Field School; David B. Whitehouse , Corning Museum , New York State , USA; Matthew Stiff, Oxford ; Claude Seillier, Bolougne, France; Professor Vera I. Evison ; Andrew Richardson, Small Finds Officer for Kent ; The late Sonia Hawkes, the Institute of Archaeology, Oxford. Derek Seddon for his help with photographic work; Susan and Angela Stephens for their encouragement. Photographs The author is grateful to the following for giving permission to include photographs taken personally: Royal Museum Canterbury; Heritage Museum, Canterbury; Dover Museum; Maidstone Museum; The British Museum; Ashmolean Museum; Ospringe Museum, near Faversham; Canterbury Archaeological Trust; Dover Archaeological Group; Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, Dover ; Kent Archaeological Field School , Faversham ; Trust for Tbanet Archaeology; Wessex Archaeology; Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Union Railways (South) Limited and Rail Link Engineering and Jennifer Price of Durham University. The author would like to thank the following for supplying me with photographs and drawings: Powell-Cotton Museum 1-9; Dartford Borough Museum 65-66 ; Victoria and Albert Musewn 228, 229 , 230; Liverpool Museum 231-251 ; Sonia Hawkes 76, 77,262,263,296,297; The Corning Museum, New York State , USA 270-271; Cambridge University Library (Manuscripts Department) 265-266, 302 , 303 , 304, 305, 308 ; Wessex Archaeology 325

11

List of Abbreviations P-CB. BTNM. TTA. RM Cant. Cant. Herit. M. CAT. Com.NY. DBM. Dov.M. K.A.F.S. K.A.R.U. Dov. Arch. Group N'bourne pr. coll. BM. Dept.of P-H&EE V&A Liv.M. Maidst. M. Tudor Ho. M. AM. OM. Salisb. M. Wess. A.

Birchington, Powell-Cotton Museum Brighton Museum Broadstairs, Trust for Thanet Archaeology Canterbury, The Royal Museum Canterbury Heritage Museum Canterbury Archaeological Trust Coming Museum, Coming, U.S.A. Dartford Borough Museum Dover Museum Kent Archaeological Field School Dover, Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit Dover Archaeological Group Finglesham, Lord Northboume, private collection London, The British Museum (Pre-History and Early Europe, formerly Dept.ofM&LA). London, Victoria and Albert Museum Liverpool Museum Maidstone Museum Margate, Tudor House Museum Oxford, Ashmolean Museum Ospringe Museum Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Salisbury, Wessex Archaeology

lll

Introduction This survey of Kentish vessel glass begins at the end of the late Roman period, and includes Roman glass vessels found in an Anglo-Saxon context. The period covered is approximately from the middle of the fifth century to the end of the seventh, although certain material is included which may run on into the eighth century. Dr D. B. Harden published his survey, 'Glass Vessels in Britain and Ireland AD 400-1000' in 1956. It was the first complete chronology and typology of post-Roman glass produced in Britain, and was the development of an earlier paper issued in 1950 in the Archaeological Newsletter No. 3 entitled 'Glass vessels in Anglo-Saxon Britain'. 1 The text of the survey was finished in 1953, and the only later discoveries mentioned are two glass vessels found at Lyminge in 1954; these are included in his addendum (p 165). It was not a fully comprehensive survey, and Harden made omissions for various reasons, such as the Dover claw beaker, the existence for which he was not able to find certain proof. Not all the items from the Pitt-Rivers collection were included in his list, the existence, and subsequent loss of some vessels only being revealed through the manuscripts of the collection which records the purchase of the items at auction in the late nineteenth century. Harden's survey is divided according to date rather than by county or individual cemetery. 2 His seriation is based primarily on vessel form and decorative features, and little attention was paid to features such as function of vessel. He divided the essels into eleven typological groups (Appendix I), and these he further segregated into sub-divisions , usually based on ornamentation. He based his sequence of type mainly on comparison with continental finds, of which a typological dating of Frankish and Merovingian graves based mostly on coins found with them had been worked out by continental scholars such as Fremersdorf ( 1934), Rademacher (1942) Germany, Chambon and Arbman (1952) Belgium, and Arwidsson (1932, 1942) Scandinavia. In his study Harden divided the glasses from fifth to seventh century early medieval graves into four chronological sub-groups: 'A', Roman survivals found in Anglo-Saxon graves and Bi, Bii, Biii. Regarding Anglo-Saxon items however , he conceded that caution was needed with the 'B' groups due to the lack of consideration given to associated objects found with the vessels. These finds were not taken into account as this would have lengthened the work considerably. Thus a margin of error must be allowed for when assigning dates, although Harden states his division into subgroups allows for typological development.

1

D.

B.

Harden

'Glass

Vessels

in

Anglo-Saxon

Britain '

in

Archaeological Newsletter (1950) 3 No. 2, 21-40 at 21-27. D. B. Harden ' Glass Vessels in Britain and Ireland AD.400-1000' in (ed.) D.B. Harden Dark Age Britain : Studies Presented to E. T. Leeds, London (1956) 132- 167.

Harden acknowledges the group of claw beakers is the most difficult to study and date. The grouping is rather generalised and divided into sections 'experimental, fine, degenerate, late and bag shaped' which applies to decoration and shape. In his list he does not divide group II, on claw beakers, into i, ii and iii as a general indication of date, as he does with cone beakers, although dating is included in Table I. Sub-divisions II.a and II.c could especially be further divided , and Harden admits that further study is needed. I have extended Harden's claw beaker section 11.d,and e to include 'f, a new late dated beaker found in Faversham (Item 88) purchased by Maidstone Museum in 1996 by public subscription. Harden supports the point made by Thorpe in his publication of 1935, that the shapes and decorative techniques that survived into, or were evolved in the Dark Ages are an important source of evidence for the tastes and habits of its users. 3 With the departure of the Romans, and the discontinuance of many techniques, in general, glassware manufactured in the early AngloSaxon period was of a more simple design. The changes may be to some degree the result of the decline in the capabilities of the glass manufacturers, and not only due to the tastes of the users themselves. It is my hypothesis that certain types of vessels, such as cone beakers and claw beakers , were not functional in design, and indeed were quite unsuited to the function of 'drinking' to which it is assumed they were applied. It is quite likely there would be a 'kick back' of air as the liquid filled the spaces of the hollow claws, forcing the air to be expelled rapidly. It was not a practical feature that vessels should not stand on a stable base, even if it was the fashion of the day, as suggested by Thorpe (1935:43). Since the 1950s, mainly due to the work carried out by museum conservation departments , several items have been matched and joined , to form a complete vessel, or to make a larger section of part of a vessel, thus in certain cases vessel numbers have decreased. In Harden's Appendix 1 (Table 1, here on p 4), he omits vessels of no provenance, but includes them in the vessels reference numbers lists. This can cause confusion, as it reveals some discrepancy between the totals shown in Table 1 and the number of vessels shown on the lists, e.g. Table 1, and the lists of palm cups do not agree. The list of bowls (XI) is restricted to three sections and accommodates 'York', 'Westbere' and 'Faversham', varieties only. There is no flexibility within the codification to include bowls of a slightly different shape or decoration which have subsequently been excavated, such as the Sittingbourne bowl 4 or plain bowls. In the present survey, bowls which do not particularly fit any of the categories are included in either the bowls (XI)

2

3 4

W. A. Thorpe English Glass, London (1935) 43.

BM Dept. of Pre-History and Early Europe , formerly Dept. of M&LA . 1992.4.4, l (Item 197).

WINIFRED STEPHENS

section, or in an undated section of finds where dating is as yet unconfirmed. Harden's Appendix II consists of 'Glasses previously published as Saxon, but omitted from the check list in Appendix I'. In section 2 (p.166) Harden includes a number of indeterminate glasses, and lists a few 'indeterminate' fragments, some of these have since been incorporated into other vessels. In the succeeding years since Harden's survey, the addition of subsequent acquisitions and finds from archaeological sites has increased the numbers of vessels in the various groups. Further research has made it possible to trace vessels which , though extant in the nineteenth century, were not included in the list. Their inclusion in the present survey provides for a more complete and comprehensive list. Much work has already been completed on early medieval glass vessels , and a vast amount of material has been published by various authors , including two very comprehensive reports by Professor Evison, 'Glass Cone beakers of the 'Kempston ' Type ' in 1972,5 and 'AngloSaxon Glass Claw Beakers ' in 1982.6 These papers remain as authoritative, extensively detailed accounts of the evolutionary development of these vessel types, and in the present survey attention is inclined towards the more recent finds and acquisitions, directing the reader to the appropriate publication for reference. Professor Evison's paper on claw beakers is the only comprehensive work which shows a clearly defined division of vessels into five separate types, with further divisions into sections 'a', 'b', and 'c'. The largest number of vessels falls into Type 3.c. with most of them sharing the same characteristics of form, colour and snicked trails, and only minor details of difference which do not affect the overall group within which the vessel is placed. Evison' s analysis of claw beakers considers many features, chronological development through size, shape and decoration, and comparison with vessels found on the continent (often found alongside other datable finds) to assist with forming a dating sequence. The aim of this survey is to form an index/catalogue of early medieval glass vessels found in Kent since 1956 to December 1999; to add later acquisitions , and as far as possible to include those which were not included in Harden' s original list (extending and adding to Harden' s survey of 1956); also finally to record vessels which have been lost since 1956, and where feasible, to disclose the circumstances of loss, and the possibilities of eventual recovery. A final Chapter entitled 'Kent Up-date' includes new vessels found since completion of this work to 2005.

5

V. I. Evi son 'Glass Cone Beakers of the 'Kempston ' Type' in Journal of Glass Studi es 14 (1972) 48 -66. 6 V. I. Evison ' Anglo-Saxon Glass Claw Beaker s' in Archaeologia 107 (1982) 43-76.

2

Chapter One The glass vessels and D.B. Harden's survey of 1956 1.1 The glass vessels and Harden's survey of 1956.

In Tables I and II Harden does not include glass vessels In his survey of 1956, the number of glass vessels recorded by Harden from the twenty seven English counties where glass had been found, which included both Kent and the Isle of Wight, was a total of two hundred and fifty nine, including twenty four vessels which are Roman, and found in Anglo-Saxon graves. Of the counties producing glass vessels recorded by Harden, Kent has produced by far the greatest number with a total of one hundred and seventy one, ten of these being Roman survivals. The counties of Surrey and Sussex combined produced a total of twenty five , and the remaining twenty four counties where glass vessels have been found , together produced a total of only sixty three vessels. At the end of 1999 the number of missing vessels and fragments stands at thirty seven. This includes several vessels on Harden' s list, but noted by him as already missing, and also those which have become lost or missing during the intervening years since.

without provenance. These are however included in his lists of individual references , and this may appear to distort the total number of vessels, when compared with the totals given in Tables I and II. It should be noted that Evison renamed the group of globular beakers more appropriately as 'globular beakers ' . On lists relating to these vessels both names have been included. 1.2 Roman survivals (Group A)

In 1956, when Harden completed his survey of glass vessels in Britain, his group 'A' of all types of Roman vessels found in Anglo-Saxon graves , for the whole of England , amounted to a total of twenty four vessels only. Of the twenty four glasses, the number of survivals found in Kent graves amounted to ten. The most numerous group of Roman survivals are the bowls , with six of the total of eleven recorded being from Kent. Two bowls are now lost, one from Brook House, Eastry (Item 296) ,7 the other from Faversham (formerly Pitt-Rivers collection) (Item 301) ,8 and although this is not recorded as lost by Harden , it is likely it was already missing at the time of his survey. In his survey Harden included in his group of 'Roman survivals ' a bowl from the Howletts cemetery (Item 198), 9 this he subsequently determined to be of a later date. 10 The vessel has now been transferred to the B XI group of bowls. This reduces the number of extant bowls in this group to three. The second most numerous group of Roman survivals are the cone beakers of which only two of the seven listed were found in Kent , from Faversham (Item 116), 11 and Westbere (Item 13). 12 The remaining two vessels from Kent in the group of Roman survivals , are two flasks , one each from Bifrons (Item 80), 13 and Westbere (Item 14). 14

In Appendix I, Harden distinguishes the range of glass vessels , and classifies them into various types and groups. Group A: Roman survivals found in Anglo-Saxon interments, and Group B: Dark Age vessels , found in Anglo-Saxon, Dark Age Britain during the fifth to seventh, and into the early eighth centuries. He divided the vessels into Groups I-XI according to type , and further divided each group into sub-divisions of different styles and decoration, and where possible made provision for dating. As new vessels have been discovered , in some instances of a type and style unknown to Harden , and where there is no appropriate sub-division in which to place these vessels, in the current survey, a new section has been introduced as necessary. His group II of claw beakers has been extended and a new section, II.f has been added , to accommodate a glass claw beaker, of a type not previously known , acquired by Maidstone Museum in 1996. This vessel, formerly part of the PittRivers Collection , was not included in the survey of 1956. It has been placed by Evison in her list of claw beakers (1982) in a new group, type 4d and is the only one of its type so far found. In the present work , a new section has also been added to Harden ' s group XI of bowls. Sections are provided by Harden for 'York', 'Westbere ' and 'Faversham' types of bowls, but for subsequent discoveries such as the bowls from the Dover (new) Buckland cemetery excavated in 1996 there does not appear to be an appropriate section. These have been allocated to a new section XI.d .

7

Harden A.d.i .3 (Item 296. Harden A.d.iv.3 (Item 30 I) . 9 BM. Dept. P-H&E E. 1836, 0511.106 (Item 198). 10 D. B. Harden 'An glo-Saxon and Later Medieval Glas s in Britain: Some Recent Developments' in Medieval Arc haaeology 22 (1978) 1-24 at 4. 11 BM . Dept. P-H&EE .1320 ' 70 (Item 116). 12 RM Cant. RM 643 1 (Item 13). 13 Maid st. M. KAS 1954.620/ 1 (Item 80). 14 RM Cant. RM 6433 (Item 14). 8

3

W INIFRE D S TE PHEN S

Harden's Table 1 (1956: 160) THE PAGAN SAXONS A 1------

i

- - - ~ --=B=------ii

iii

- -....Jo~ it

TOT ALS 0 0

B

u

G

It A N

a r

0

~

T 0

T

" L

I I I

'. Avlesford I i:hrfr,ston

; ;

2 3 2

Ii1 I

I

I

i

I I

I

\

I 1

l

I5

2.

11 2

!

I 2. : :2

2.

2 2. 2

I 2I 1i l

11 I

1

I

2.

I

•

I I

:

2

2.

2.

I

3·4 1 : : 1 i I i I

I

l .

l (h u t.h:un Do....~~

:i

i 1, I

I

1 !4

2. 6 2 143 4

2

2

4 ! 7 I 57 I

JI

I 1

1I 1 I 1

G:fton k ,r ton Kirby

1

:

z. 2.

11

'

2

12

2.: 11 2 2 I

r

i

:

;

\

f

I

3

I2

; 1I 6 ' 2. I 2 I i 1 I 2I 5

2 1

11

1 2

71

7

5 I i 11 i I I

1I 1i

i Ylc.st::,cre

I

;

I I

i

I

l

I

I

2. I 2 I 1

I

2

13 I l 1

2

l'lc.st.,cll

1•

2; : i 2

10 1 10 5 -

6

1

I7 13 !3

5 12 1

I

!2

I

11

1I I

: Wyt Down

I

2 9 3 J 9

2

I

1

I I2 2 1 I 4 6 110 3 i 8 3 3 7 13 67 12 1 1 10 2.7; 2.71105 2. 171

TABLE I An analysis of fifth - seventh-century

glasses from Kentish sites, pp. 144 ff.

I omit from this Ta .ble and Table II the followi:-;g glasses which are included in Appendix I: 4 plain squat jars, I coneb~aker. and 3 pa\n:i-cups in Canterbury l\:[useum, but u., proveni c nced, I palm-cup, ditto, in Liverpool Mu seum, 2 palm-~ups, ditto, in the Briti sh '.\fuseum, and the Dover claw-beaker, of whose existence there is now no cenain proof (A.ppendu: I, p .• I 59). Otherwise these tables and Appendi.."t I corre spond exa ctly. @ Th.is pie ce, havin g been temporarily exhib ited in the :\1aison Dieu at Ospring e, is wrongl y labelled ' Ospringe' by Thorpe, p. 55. ~ _Tr.e .early acco'.!nts say that no l~ss than 30 o:her-s were found at the same site, but as the y no longer exist and the number 1s quite cxcessi\'e, we should orrut them fro :n our calculations.

1.3 Stemmed beakers

not entered on the list is now lost, and the only evidence for its existenc e is an illustration which appears in the 16 Pitt-Rivers catalogue (Item 302).

On the 1956 list of Dark Age glass vessels , the number of stemmed beakers (I) for England amounts to three, with only a single short stemmed beaker coming from 15 Howlett s, Littlebourne in Kent. (Item 121). To this nwnber can be added the record of a second stemmed beaker from Faversham. The beaker , which is

The picture shows the vessel appears to be similar to the stemmed beaker from Howletts , which is slightly taller, has a longer conical shaped body with an outsplayed rim, and stands on a flattened disc shaped foot. This would have brought the number of vessels found in thi category to two.

Dark Age (Group B)

15

16 Pitt-Rivers Catalogue 2 ( !884 -9 1) 2 15-6 Ca mbrid ge University Library Manu scripts Department (Item 302).

BM . Dept. P-H& EE. 1925,0707. 1 (Item 12 1).

4

EARLY MEDIEVAL GLASS VESSELS FOUND IN KENT

only vessel of its type in existence (Item 136). 22 Since then a second vessel of similar ornamentation and workmanship , also from Faversham has been traced to the Coming Museum in New York state (Item 270). 23

1.4 Claw beakers

The list of claw beakers (II) shows a total of twenty seven beakers , and twelve fragmentary pieces of doubtful affinities, or lost. Of the twenty seven vessels listed, nineteen were found in Kent. One claw beaker from Eastry of the 'a' 'experimental types' is now lost, reducing the total to eighteen (Item 297). 17 Mention must be made here of an example of an unusual claw beaker/bag beaker in sub-division 'e' 'bag shaped' from Sarre (Item 87). 18 This vessel is decorated with horizontal trails around the neck, and a thicker row below, from which descend two continuous, vertical trails which cross underneath the base and rise up the other side to re-join the thick horizontal neck trail, thus dividing the body into four parts. Within these parts lie two rows of four, almost flat, applied claws, one placed above the other. The shape of the vessel resembles that of a bag beaker, and could more appropriately be regarded as a bag beaker with claws attached, and as such must be viewed as late in date, probably the late sixth or early seventh century, and made in Britain, and must therefore be regarded as contemporary with bag beakers. This vessel remains a unique find, and no similar vessel has been recorded in Kent.

1.5.3 Cone beakers (sub-divisions c-f)

In 1956, the number of cone beakers listed for the whole country in sub-divisions c - f, is nineteen vessels, and eleven of these were recovered in Kent. Only one cone of variety 'c' 'withfestoons on body, with or without neck trails ' is represented on the list (Item 91 ). 24 The more prolific variety 'd ' 'with corrugations (twisted or vertical) ' records six cones, whilst variety 'e' 'with neck trails ', and ' f 'plain ', show two vessels each. 1.6 Bell beakers

Group (V) of bell beakers is small with a total of only ten vessels for all England. According to F. Rademacher in his publication 'Frankische Glaser aus dem Rheinland' ,25 the earliest form of bell beaker, sub-division a.i, dates from the fifth century , and sub-division 'b ' group is certainly later than the ' a' group. Of the bell beakers found in Kent, three are from sub-division a.i. 'pointed, .with knob on base', and three are from sub-division a.ii 'with constriction in body '. One of this group , although it is on the list was already lost,26 and another was later found to be from Palermo .27 These two vessels are therefore eliminated from the list. Harden wrongly attributed the bell beaker from Palermo to Faversham. Although there is no documentary evidence to support this, the museum records state ' a bell shaped tumbler ' from Palermo. The presence of a number of glass drinking horns, of broadly contemporary date, in Italy provides some supporting context for the presence of a Merovingian type of vessel from a Mediterr anean source (see catalogue p. 000). Of the four glasses in subdivision 'b' 'dom ed, with constriction in body ', three are from Kent, and the fourth is from Mitcham in Surrey. This reduces the number of extant bell beakers from Kent to seven. A bell beaker from sub-division 'b ', which is lost and unknown to Harden , belonged to the Pitt-Rivers collection (Item 303) .

1.5 Cone beakers

Harden ' s list gives the number of cone beakers (Ill) found in England as forty, whilst in Table II he shows thirty nine, as he omits an unprovenanced beaker from the Royal Museum , Canterbury (Item 18). 19 The number of vessels recorded by Harden in his list from Kent is nineteen , with Tables I and II showing eighteen , again omitting the unprovenanced cone beaker in the Royal Museum . 1.5.1 'Kempston' type cone beakers

The list, of cone beakers of the 'true' 'Kempston ' variety a.i 'with horizontal trails at neck and vertical loops on body' shows eighteen vessels for all England. Five of these are from Kent, (including the cone beaker without provenance) and inclusion of the two vessels from group a.ii 'squat and thick ' Faversham (Item 252) ,2° and Wye Down (Item 90) ,2 1 produces a total of seven cone beakers of the 'Kemps ton ' type.

1. 7 Bag beakers

Group (VI) of bag beakers is placed in chronological phase iii, and also constitutes a very small class of glasses , with only seven vessels from both varieties , ' a' 'with fill ets, vertically' these are mainly large vessels and ' b' 'with marvered f estoons (small vessels)'. Of variety 'b' two miniature bag beakers/pouch bottles are listed

1.5.2 Latticed cone beakers

A crudely executed latticed cone beaker of sub-division 'b' 'thick trails, horizontal at neck, criss cross below ' from Faversham , King's Field cemetery is dated by Harden to the sixth century , and was thought to be the

22

BM . Dept. P-H&EE. . 1319.' 70 (Item 136). Com. NY . 85.1.4 (Item 270). 24 Maidst. M. KAS 269 (Item 91). 25 F. Rademacher ' Franki sehe Glaser aus dem Rheinland' in Bonner Jah rbucher ( 1942) 285-344 at 307. 26 Hard en V.a.ii.3. 27 Harden V.a.ii. I AM. 1927.259. 23

17

Harden II.a.2 (Item 297). Maidst. M. KAS 263 (Item 87). 19 III.a.i.18 RM Cant. (Item 18). 20 AM. 1927.78 (Item 252). 21 Maidst. M. KAS 267 (Item 90). 18

5

WINIFRED STEPHENS

(Items 146, 299). 28 Only one of this pair of vessels can now be found in The British Museum, the other is m1ssmg. This unusual pair of m1mature bag beakers/pouch bottles , excavated in the Faversham, King 's Field cemetery in the mid eighteen hundreds , manufactured of dark blue glass, and decorated with opaque white marvered trails combed into festoons, was cautiously dated by Harden to the seventh century, as Faversham Dark Age glass is mostly late, although the exceptional quality of workmanship and ornamentation suggests the possibility of a much earlier date. Today it remains a unique example of this type of vessel. The loss of one of this pair of bag beakers , reduces the number of extant bag beakers on the list to six. It should be noted that two bag beakers of variety 'a' from Faversham, are a pair, the first is in The British Museum (Item 144), 29 and its partner can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum (Item 230). 30 Both beakers are from the Gibbs collection, and the second of the pair is illustrated in the catalogue of the Gibbs bequest. 31

Westwell (Items 107-8), 37 and Barfriston (Items 2412), 38 are designated as globular beakers, as these have concave or flatter bases , with only a slight kick. 39 These three sub-divisions together produce a total of twelve extant pouch bottles in Kent. According to Harden: Pouch bottles are clearly akin in shape to bag beakers , and their absence in the Rhineland may be fortuitous ; but one would also expect the type in Scandinavia and I can cite no instance. 40 1.9 Globular beakers (Squat jars)

The group of globular beakers (squat jars) (VIII) is the largest group of vessels in the survey. In Harden 's Table II for all England seventy eight globular beaker s are recorded. In Harden's Tables I and II, sixty seven globular beakers are listed from Kent, but he does not include four unprovenanced globular beakers in the Royal Museum , Canterbury. This brings the complete total of vessels from Kent to seventy one. The group is divided into three sub-divisions, the first ' a' is further divided into sections a.i-v 'with trailed decoration ' according to type of decoration , and by date, in this section thirty four glasses are listed from Kent. Variety 'b' 'corrugated or ribbed decoration' is a much smaller sub-division and lists four vessels found in Kent (two pairs) from Westwell (Items 107-8), 41 and Barfriston (Items 2412).42 These are designated as globular beakers , and not pouch bottles as they have fairly flat pushed in bases. A rare example of Christian iconography is exhibited on the pair of globular beakers mentioned above, the base of each vessel displays a cross with quincunx bosses positioned in the centre and between the cross anns (Items 107-8). Variety 'c' 'plain ' without decoration , the most prolific group, lists a total of thirty three vessels from Kent. Seven globular beakers from Kent are listed as lost, but one of these, has subsequently been found to be part of the Meyer collection in Liverpool Museum (Item 240). 43 As I have been unable to locate an unnumbered globular beaker which is recorded by Harden ( Item 276)44 the list of missing globular beakers remains at seven. As in 1956 the complete number of globular beaker s listed from Kent was seventy one, the reduction in numbers by seven missing vessels produces an extant total of sixty four.

All the vessels except one were found at Faversham, the exception, in sub-division 'a' was found at Guilton , a short distance from Faversham (Item 234). 32 It appears this group is almost exclusively from Faversham , an indication that bag beakers may be an English form , and supports the viewpoint that if glasses were made in Kent, Faversham is a most likely manufacturing centre. 1.8 Pouch bottles

The group of pouch bottles (VII) is again quite small, and amounts to a total of fourteen vessels. With the exception of a single vessel in sub-division 'a' excavated at Bungay , Suffolk, these are almost exclusively from Kent. 33 Pouch bottles are divided into three subdivisions , variety 'a' 'with neck spiral and body zig zag: rounded base' which amounts to a total of six vessels in Kent. Of variety 'b' 'with neck spiral: pointed or rounded base ' five vessels are recorded, four only are now extant as one vessel, from Hoath, is listed as lost. 34 A good example of variety 'b' is a fairly large pouch bottle (height 13.4cms) with a series of neck trails spiralling almost half way down the body (Item 149). 35 Variety ' c' 'Body with corrugations: pointed base ' records two vessels from Chalkwell (Items 150-51). 36 These two optic blown glass vessels are designated as pouch bottles as their bases are more convex , or pointed. Whilst two pairs of similar optic blown vessels from

Mention deposited 'Kennard from the

should be made here of a globular beaker in the Ashmolean Museum which came from 1895'(Item 257). 45 This vessel may come group of eight vessels acquired by Kennard

28

BM. Dept. P-H&EE .. 13 13.'70 .. 13 13.a.'70 (Items 146,299) . BM. Dept. P-H&E E . . 1321.'7 0 (Item 144). 30 V &A .. 132 1A. 1870 (Item 230) . 31 C. Roach -Smith A catalogue of Anglo-Saxon and Other Antiquities Discovered at Faversham, in Kent, and Bequeathed by William Gibbs Esq., London (1871) 19. 32 Liv. M. M 6647 (Item 234). 33 Harden VU.a. I . 34 Harden VII.b .5. 35 BM. Dept. P-H&EE. 1842, 0728 .608 (Item 149). 36 BM. Dept. P-H&EE. 1883, 12 13.580-1 (Items 150-51). 29

37

Maidst. M. KAS 273a-b (Items I 07-8). Liv. M. M6594A -B (Items 241 -2). 39 Harden ( 1950) 24. 40 Harden ( 1950) 24. 41 Maidst. M. KAS 273a-b (Items 107-8). 42 Liv . M. M 6594A -B (Items 241-2) . 43 Liv. M. M 7002 (Item 240) . 44 RM Cant. (Item 276). 45 AM 1909 .2 14 (Item 257). 38

6

EARLY MEDIEVAL GLASS VESSELS FOUND IN KENT

circa 1894, and may have been excavated

m the

1.11 Palm cups

Faversham, King's Field cemetery. 46 In 1956, the number of palm cups recorded for all England is thirty eight. Of this number , the total for Kent is twenty five. As with other groups these are divided into sub-divisions. In Kent , of group X.a.i , the earlier 'toed and ribbed ' variety with a rounded rim there are five. Of variety a.ii 'with a folded rim, (outward or inward)' there are three, and of variety 'b' 'plain, with folded rim (outward) ' there are sixteen (which includes four vessels without provenance, but attributed to Kent). Variety 'c' , 'bell tumbler, with folded rim {inwards)' of a later date demonstrates an early example of the development into the elongated variety of bell tumbler, of which in the 1956 list, there is only one example, from Sarre (Item 113). 59 According to Rademacher subdivision 'b ' does not appear before the seventh century .

Globular beakers can vary considerably in size and shape, whereas most beakers are globular in shape, an unusual vessel, quite tall (12.5cms.) plain, with dark streaking in the glass, with an elongated, slightly concave neck and rounded body, was discovered at Sittingbourne, Rondeau estate (Item 185). 47 The majority of globular beakers are undecorated, or in a single colour with self coloured trailing. An exception is the pale green globular beaker from Wye Down cemetery (Item 168), 48 which has self coloured trailing around the neck and shoulders, and blue alternate looped (with an extended trail) and hooked trailing on the lower body. It is one of only two glass vessels found in Kent made in two colours. The other vessel being a claw beaker found at Ashford, which has a light green body with green yellow claws and trails. 49 It is worthy of note that glass globular beakers are rare on the continent, 50 and it is likely that an Anglo-Saxon glass house must have specialised in this type of beaker.

Of the four palm cups without provenance in subdivision 'b' , a palm cup in Liverpool Mus eum , although it bears no rrovenance , is part of the Mayer collection Item 251). 6 This palm cup is not from the Faussett collection , nor was it acquired from C. Roach -Smith. Joseph Mayer purchased items in several places, and also instructed agents to buy on his behalf . There is no supporting documentary evidence , but this palm cup is included in the list as ther e is a very reasonable possibility the vessel is from Kent. 6 1 Two palm cups of sub-division 'b' in the Royal Museum , Cant erbury also bear no provenance , but must have been excavated in Kent (Items 32, 33). 62 Of the fourth palm cup listed in sub-division 'b' nothing is known and its existence is doubtful. 63 Harden admits there may be some duplication in his list. 64 This unknown vessel , and in addition the three palm cups from sub-divisions a.i and 'b' already record ed by Harden as lost , reduces the numb er of extant palm cups found in Kent to twenty one.

1.10 Bottles In group (IX) only one bottle is recorded , an incomplete specimen , minus the rim and part of the neck from Bifrons (Item 111). 51 In his addendum Harden records the finding of a complete bottle whilst his paper was being printed. 52 This comes from Lyminge, and is included here in chapter two (Item 112). 53 The only other example which may be of a type of bottle , is a fragment of a rim and neck with opaque white trails found near Margate (Item 115), 54 which Evison includes in her list of globular bottles, 55 although this example is quite unlike the two bottles in Maidstone Museum. Rademacher accepts an early dating for some examples. 56 He believes the group lasted into the sixth and seventh centuries , but Harden does not concur , as there are examples of the type with opaque white festoons from French sites. 57 This appears to be in agreement with Evison , who suggests there are no others like it in England , but they occur in France in the fifth and sixth centuries. 58 The total number of bottles found in Kent is now two. This does not include the fragment from Margate included by Evison in her group of globular bottles.

1.12 Bowls The group of bowls (XI) is of early date , with ten vessels recorded in England from the fifth to early sixth century , and of these , five vessels were found in Kent. The group is divided into three sub-divisions. Variety 'a' is described as 'York ' type 'with neck spiral and vertical loops ', and includes a single bowl from Faversham (Item 196). 65 Of vari ety 'b ', 'Westbere ' type 'with various trailed or mould-blo wn decoration ', three vessels recov ered from the W estbere cemetery are listed , of which two are now lost. 66 Variety 'c' , 'Faversham' type

46

A. Meaney A Gazetteer of Early Anglo-Saxon Burial Sites, London (1964) 119. 47 BM . Dept. P-H& EE. 1883,12 13.596 (Item 185). 48 BM. Dept. P-H& EE. 1893,0601.195 (Item I 68). 49 V&A. C. 187- 1939 (Item 228). 50 Rademacher ( 1942) 3 11. 51 Maidst. M. KAS 270 (Item 111). 52 Hard en (195 6) 165. 53 Maidst. M. MNEAS 1963.705a (Item 112). 54 Tudor Ho. M. no ref. (Item 115). 55 Evison personal communic ation . 56 Rademacher ( I 942) 320. 57 Harden ( 1956) 142. 58 Evison personal communication .

'with cut-out below rim and tooled ribs on body', compris es of only one vess el, a bowl from Faversham 59

Maidst. M. KAS 262 (Item 113). Liv. M. M6190 (Item 251). 61 inform ation S. Bean, Liv. M. 62 RM . Cant RM 954, 957 (Items 32-33). 63 RM. Unnumb ered. 64 Harden (1956) 165. 65 BM. Dept. P-H&EE .. I 314. ' 70 (Item 196). 66 Harden Xl.b.4 -5. 60

7

WINIFRED STEPHENS

which is now in the Coming Museum, Coming, New York State, but according to Harden it is doubtfully Saxon (Item 271). 67 This leaves three of the original five bowls on the list still extant if the 'doubtfully Saxon' vessel is included. Harden's list of bowls , divided into 'a' 'York', 'b' 'Westbere' and 'c' 'Faversham' varieties, is restrictive to these sub-divisions in shape and decoration. No provision is made for vessels of plain or different ornamentation which may be discovered at a later date. 1.13 Bowl, moved from Group 'A' Roman survivals to Dark Age vessels Group XI. In his 1956 survey Harden included in his Group 'A' of Roman survivals a bowl with a constricted neck and opaque white spiral trailing at the rim, which comes from the Howletts cemetery (Item 198) (see. pp. 00, 00, 00).68 He subsequently determined it to be of the late fifth or early sixth century and transferred it to group XI. In his paper of 1978 (p. 4) Harden reveals that, when in his survey of 1956 he placed this bowl , he was: perhaps mislead by the vertical ribbing , with its Roman look, on the Alfriston example; but since all three ... (including the Mucking example) have at the rim the kind of opaque white spiral trailing which is so characteristic of the earliest Teutonic glasses, I now accept them as being of the late 5th or early 6th century. 69 This clarifies Harden ' s decision to transfer the vessel from his group of late Roman survivals to group XI of Dark Age glasses, and brings the present number of extant bowls to four. 1.14 Vessels 'lost' and 'found' Entered in the 1956 survey of globular beakers a vessel from Ozengell is listed as lost (Item 240). 7° Formerly in the W .H. Rolfe collection, this vessel is now part of the Mayer collection in Liverpool Museum. A 'Kempston ' type cone beaker mentioned by Thorpe as 'whereabouts uncertain ' (Item 232), 71 was also formerly in the W.H. Rolfe collection, and is now incorporated in the Mayer collection in Liverpool Museum. 72

67

Corn . NY . 79.1.38 (Item 271). BM . P-H& EE . 1836,0511 . 106 (Item 198). 69 Harden ( 1978) 4. 70 Liv. M. M 7002 (Item 240). 71 Liv. M . M664 3 (Item 232) . 72 Thorpe ( 1935) 49. 68

8

Chapter Two A survey of fifth-seventh century glass vessels found in Kent since 1956 conservation, mainly by The British Museum , and also due to the loss of some vessels since compilation of the list. A total of two hundred and seventy one vessels (including parts of vessels) are extant from Kent which shows an overall increase of one hundred items over approximately the last forty five years (not including missing vessels). Since completion of this list the numbers of glass vessels found in Kent has been augmented by the excavation of a further seventeen vessels. This advances the number of extant vessels found in Kent in 2006 to two hundred and eighty-eight.

2.1 The glass vessels and Harden's survey since 1956

Since completion of Harden ' s survey, the number of new finds and acquisitions of glass vessels and fragments discovered in Kent (including those not listed in the survey) has increased by one hundred and fifteen. Of these, the number regarded as complete vessels included here in Table I is sixty eight, and forty seven of the one hundred and fifteen are very small fragments. A slight reduction in the numbers has taken place due to the more recent matching and joining of fragments through

2.2 Table 1: An analysis of fifth-seventh century glass vessels from Kentish sites since 1956, with addition of items not included in Harden's survey. Items

'(D Ql

II

Ill

0

w

Ql

:,

·o-

(/) C:

!2. Q)

~- ~

Ql

.!!!. (') (')

0 :::,

m

'iii

Broadstairs (St Peter's tip) Broadstairs (Bradstow School) Canterburv (Cranmer House) Dartford (Darenth bowl) Deal Deal (Mill Hill) Dover (Buckland Cemeterv) Dover (New Buckland) Eastrv Faversham Faversham (?) Finglesham Guilton (Ash) Howletts Lvminae Monkton Ozengell Ramsaate (lord of the Manor) Sandling (near Hvthe) Sittingbourne Westbere Kent No provenance Miscellaneous small fragments Totals

i V

IX

~. g

XI

II

Ill

ii V

A iii

IX

X

II

Ill

_!!!.

;;o

3

Totals

B

A

C"

~

C"

a (I)

w

(')

[

f

(/1

C'O Q)

~

_o. C'O (')

0 :,

m

C'O

C"

C" 0

[ a C'O C"

C'O Ql

C'O

cil

.o.

- !~

Q)

~

w "C

(/1

~

Ql

.C'O

3 n

C:

~

Jll, C" (')

0 :::,

m

VI w C" w

(C

VII VIII "C

0

C: (')

':,'

Ql

a m

~

cil

C" 0

i

~ a.

ii

iii (/1

-C:

(0

g C'O

X

B

0

0C:

~

g Q)

'7' (I)

ii!

C:

:,

C"

"C Q)

3

:, Cl.

Cl.

~ Cl.

~ Cl.

.,,

~

!!!. -i

~

co

3 (I) :,

(')

s· 0

[

Qf'

C:

~

cil

3

3

2

1

1

5 1 2 1 1 5 5 13 1

8

8

1

2

1 4

2

2

2

1

2

2

1

1 1

1 1 1 2

2

1

1 1 2

4

1 2

1

4 1 6

1 3 1

1

2

3

1

2

1 1 1 1

1 3 4

2

2 1 1

1

1 1

1

2

1

1

1

1

2

1 3 1 1

1

1

1 3

1

3 1 1 1

1

1 1

1

1

1

3

7

7

4 1

1 1

2

3

1

9

1

2

5

3

1

1

9

1

1

1

4

5

8

7

6

2

22

11 27

6

2 1 1 1 1 1

47 47 47 115

WINIFRED S TEPHENS

2.3 In order to provide a uniform continuation of groups in the catalogue, as in Harden's Table 1 (1956) a similar table of entries has been followed, with as few changes as possible. Where a new group has been created, to accommodate later finds, not included by Harden in his list, this is clearly marked. Harden defines the chronology of his 'B' groups as follows, but allows for some overlap, with groups merging into each other, sub-division ii. overlaps into both groups i. and iii. and sub-division iii. spreading over into the early eighth century. 1. 11.

iii.

fifth - early sixth century sixth century late sixth century - seventh century.

The groups roughly correspond to the Merovingian period in France , are generally recognisable and dates can usually be established on the basis of continental finds, although for the dating of certain Saxon types of vessels such as the bag beaker and pouch bottle, which do not appear in France, Belgium or Germany, reliance must be placed, where possible , on comparative typology, or associated grave finds, if any.

As with Harden, where any given type seems to straddle two chronological sub-groups (e.g. cone beakers III.d which straddles Bi and ii) the whole group is placed in the period to which the majority of its pieces seem to belong. Cone beakers As group Ill.a.ii . and 'b ' are considered to be parallel in date, examples from sub-divisions a.ii from Wye Down and Faversham, which probably centres on the seventh century , are shown in Table I, in chronological subdivision iii. following the same procedur e as Harden . Bell beakers GroupV.a.ii ; although this sub-division belongs to the sixth century (middle dated group) Harden includes these vessels in sub-division i. Sub-division 'b ' he includes in sub-division ii. this is continued in Table I here. Globular beakers In his Table 1, Harden includes all globular beakers in his Group VIII.iii. although his list shows several subdivisions. The globular beaker from Deal, BM Dept. PHEE. 1972,0105.1 (Item 169) which is not earlier than the seventh century and belongs to sub-division a.iv is included in Table I in the 1999 survey in section iii. as also Harden has done with other vessels of the same type.

Chart 1: An analysis of fifth-seventh century glass vessels from Kentish sites since 1956 D Broadstairs (St Peter's tip)

mBroadstairs

Ii 1% %

1%

. ,, tlj 41%

-~~

.

(Bradstowe School)

ISlCanterbury (Cranmer House)

%

□

Dartford (Darenth bowl)

~

Deal

E:J Deal (Mill Hill)

4%

D Dover (Buckland Cemetery) ~

Dover (New Buckland)

□ Eastry

r.1Faversham l2'J Faversham (?)

El Finglesham □

Guilton (Ash)

laHowl etts

01%

Olyminge □ Monkton □ Ozengell

1BRamsgate (Lord of the Manor) 51Sandling (near Hythe) DDSittingbourne ~Westbere

el Kent

~1% 1112%

03% 01%

El No provenance □

Miscellaneous small fragments

EARLY M EDIEVAL GLASS VESSELS FOUND IN KENT

2.4 Distribution map of fifth-seventh century glass vessels from Kentish sites since 1956

... : . ..

, ,..)

. ..

) l,..-.

' •-.

r--. ../-.,. •.:i.. v

....._ ..\ ·: .... :'~ ..... : ::·/.= ...