Petrological Examination of Bronze Age and Iron Age Pottery from Hog Cliff Hill, Maiden Newton, Dorset

Abstract

A group of predominantly Late Bronze Age - Early Iron Age pottery from Hog Cliff Hill, including sherds from haematite-coated bowls, was submitted for detailed fabric analysis in thin section under the petrological microscope. In addition, heavy mineral separation was carried out on four of the larger sherds. The object of the analysis was threefold: (1) to confirm the validity of a provisional fabric identification of the handspecimen (Table 1, printed), (2) to see if the fabrics might have been locally made or not, and (3) to compare the Hog Cliff Hill fabrics with certain other analyzed assemblages of roughly the same period in the region, e.g. Longbridge Deverill Cow Down, Eldon's Seat, Gussage all Saints and Rope Lake Hole. The site at Hog Cliff Hill lies partly on the Upper Chalk and partly on Bagshot Beds, closeby to Upper Greensand deposits, just southeast of Maiden Newton.