Medieval Pottery

“Did the same potter make the roof tiles and the pots?”  The answer for a castle community such as at the Ozark Medieval Fortress is yes.  The community here is a mid-sized one.  In a town or village there would be several potters.  The potter, however, like other Medieval craftsmen had assistants.  Unlike some crafts, women were welcome workers in the pottery shop.  Potters were in demand.  Glass was known from the ancient world, but was expensive and in the Medieval was used primarily for the cathedral windows, jewelry and specialty items such as an hourglass.  You would not find bottles like our plentiful Coke ones of today and you sure would not throw a bottle away.  The main containers for liquids were wooden cooper-made buckets and barrels and potter-made containers that varied from very small to big.  How big?  That varied.  In the Roman era, remember, pottery containers were the main dry food storage and water vessels.  They brought large pottery containers of water to Jesus at the wedding and the use of such pottery continued after Rome and throughout the Middle Ages. 

At the Ozark Medieval Fortress there is no need yet for such large containers.  The potter has been plenty busy making traditional Medieval water bottles, pitchers, tankards and bowls.  He has not made plates: it was more common to use stale bread or wood for plates.   The roof tiles are made on a flat wooden form.  The other pottery creations are done on a potter’s wheel.  Guests at the castle can visit with the potter and see a display of wares typical of the Medieval.