Bucket with straight handle

Wooden scoops were among the essential household equipment, as evidenced by their prevalence in cultural stratifications favouring the survival of products made of organic raw materials. Most often, they are fragments of bowls and broken handles with parts of bowls. Morphologically, the scoops belong to two types: a straight handle, situated in one line with the edge of the bowl, a more or less curved handle, and a deep bowl. The Kamień specimen belongs to the first type. It was used for scooping liquids as a drinking vessel. Sometimes the buckets are called ladles, unambiguously connected with work in the kitchen. The function is determined by the context of the discovery, as in the case of the bowl found inside a stave boat in Szczecin, which was used for pouring water. They were made from various types of wood, such as oak, alder and ash. Interestingly, both oak and ash are characterised by considerable hardness. They are also tricky to split, but the oak stands up well to prolonged contact with water, while ash wood is much less durable but more resistant to mould. Alder wood is relatively brittle, so it is well suited for hollowing. It is also very durable in contact with water. The choice of wood for objects with different purposes shows a perfect knowledge of the properties of individual species and the high competence of early medieval manufacturers.

Anna Bogumiła Kowalska