Pottery Sherd on Portmarnock Beach

thebadmonkey

Was walking along Portmarnock Beach with my wife yesterday in her neverending quest to find the 'perfect' seashell when came across a pottery sherd in the wet sand where the water had been a few hours before.

The outsider surface is a red/brown colour and quite rough. There is a design directly under the rim on the outside - it appears to be impressed rectangles.

The rim/lip itself is an inch thick while the the wall of the sherd is just under half an inch thick. A number of small black stones are visible as part of the material used - it's quite course.

The inside of the sherd is smooth and is a reddish black colour.

There is no real curve to the fragment so its impossible to easily see if it was a pot or something else.

I've uploaded two photos which might give more detail. To give an indication of scale the 'top' is about two inches wide and its about 3.5" long

Its piqued my interest to be honest as I couldnt imagine why a sherd would be there. Anyone have any idea what it may be? Have I the remains of someones flowerpot!

Wibbs

Its very coarse, so I cant imagine its of recent or commercial manufacture. Medieval? Or earlier? *crosses fingers* If it's roman I'll wet myself Bring it to the national museum or one of the college faculties, so you can get an expert eye. Do you know exactly where you found it. Could you retrace your steps? Just in case its recently come out of the cliff deposits. It doesnt look like its been in the rough and tumble of the surf for long anyway?

It could be part of a water pipe though. AFAIR the victorian ones are made of rough ceramic with bits of black in them. Still Im living in hope

thebadmonkey

Thanks Wibbs, will do that!

I know pretty much exactly where I found it. There's no cliff nearby just dunes. The lack of any real feature nearby is what really piqued my interest tbh. Ill drop it in to the museum maybe and see what they can say!

suzerxxx

hey im just a nosey nelly lol did you find out what it is??

thebadmonkey

I didn't unfortunately. Sent emails to some of the archaeology departments in the Universities in Dub but got no response. Still have it here beside the PC as we speak

suzerxxx

have u got any local museums?? or u cud bring it into the national one!

katarin

Wibbs wrote: »

It could be part of a water pipe though. AFAIR the victorian ones are made of rough ceramic with bits of black in them. Still Im living in hope

Looks like water pipe to me too. Or chimney, with the reddish black on the other side. I'd hazard a guess at late 19th/ early 20th century. Good eyes to spot that on a beach!

Millucc

thebadmonkey wrote: »

I didn't unfortunately. Sent emails to some of the archaeology departments in the Universities in Dub but got no response. Still have it here beside the PC as we speak

Looks like it could be a sherd of Leinster Cooking Ware, C.12-14th Cent. Very common pottery for Anglo Norman Dublin and its hinterlands. Its course make up comes from the riverine sand and mud that was used to make it. If it is, its likely to be from a rubbish midden somewhere in the nearby dunes.

Perhaps you could furnish another photo of the 'straighter' edge of the sherd? (i.e. its thin side in profile). Also, put a ruler or coin beside it for scale?

enda sweeney

cooking ware post-medieval,sorry to say but you could find that **** anywhere. near by miden-heap

Aelfric

Roofing tile. Possibly used as part of a ships ballast at some stage.

robinrobin

It looks modern to me, some type of household thing like a tile, chimney, etc.

slowburner

Aelfric wrote: »

Roofing tile. Possibly used as part of a ships ballast at some stage.

Ballast - interesting. Roofing tile - dunno.
I can't think of any roofing tile which would have a rim like that. There also appears to be ornamentation - a posh roofing tile perhaps! However, the blackening on the underside does seem to indicate some form of overlap?
I'm guessing it's Victorian at the very earliest.

slowburner

Wibbs, you won't need to change your underwear methinks