Find Spot record 15160 - Medieval Vessel Foot from Bickley

<1> Portable Antiquities Scheme, Various, Portable Antiquities Data Import, LVPL-EE8BF9 (Digital Archive). SCH5212.

A fragment of a copper-alloy vessel of Medieval date. It is the terminal end of a pot leg which is semi-circular in shape and oval in cross section. It has a dark green patchy patina with black deposits of burnt material.The adhering traces of an unidentified black substance, which is probably a sooty/carbon deposit, on each surface of the object. Cast cooking vessels seem to have come into use in the second half of the 13th century and to have continued at least until c. 1600 (see 2). Butler and Green (see 3) state 'there is evidence that (cast copper alloy) metal cooking vessels became increasingly common during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries'. While certain specialist cast copper alloy vessels such as skillets remained in use later 'bronze cauldrons in general seem to have been superseded in the early years of the eighteenth century when their place was taken by cast-iron vessels which were cheaper to make and more durable to use.' (see 3).

<2> Geake, H, 2001, Finds Recording Guide Version 1.1, p.52 (Unpublished Report). SCH9053.

<3> Butler, R., Green, C. and Payne, N., 2009, Cast Copper-Alloy Cooking Vessels, p.15, 22 (Article in Journal). SCH7821.

<4> The British Museum, Portable Antiquities Scheme Online Database, LVPL-EE8BF9 (Web Site). SCH5176.