Type D ornamented vessel (Łosiński, Rogosz 1983, 1986)

A vessel from Mścięcino is a typical example of a pot made of coils of clay, with upper part turned on the potter's wheel. Early medieval ceramics, which mostly survived in pieces, are studied using various criteria, with the most basic one being the production technique. According to this criterion, vessels can be categorised into ones made with no use of a potter's wheel, as well as partially and fully turned vessels. Pottery products vary in sizes and shape, as well as material type, decorations and function. Among Pomeranian vessels dating back to the early Middle Ages, a total of 18 types were distinguished, which were further divided into families. For archaeologists establishing the age of the vessels, the upper parts are of particular importance, especially the differences in the shape of the rims and their edges. Thanks to detailed studies carried out by several generations of researchers it was possible to work out a cohesive system, which enabled tracing the changes occurring in Pomeranian pottery during several centuries of the Middle Ages – between the 6th and the first half of the 13th century. The pot from the Mścięcino settlement is biconical, with a characteristic outward-sloping rim edge and a gentle bulbous shape in the bottom third. This kind of pottery, partially made using a potter's wheel, found in Pomerania, date back to the early 9th – late 11th centuries.

Grzegorz Durdyń