How would this urn have been made and decorated?
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Cremation urn drawn by Ella age 7

Drawing and writing by Ella age 7

This pot would have been made by hand, probably on a slow turning wheel which was turned by hand.

The pot would be left to dry before being fired in a kiln. The type of kiln the Anglo-Saxons used is known as a clamp kiln. It was made of a clay dome and had a fire buring in a pit below this dome. This would bake the pots until they became hard. The pots would then be left to cool before they were used or traded.

Most villages probably had a local potter who made the everyday pots. Special pots may have been bought from further afield.

Kiln drawn by Daniel age 10 1/2

Drawing by Daniel age 10 1/2

This pot would have been decorated by using stamps made from antler onto which patterns could be carved. Lines and other pattersn could also be made with any object with a sharp point.

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