Ceramic pot

Burial at Veien - cremation grave from the Late Roman Iron Age
ca. c.200-400CE 

This typical pot features a handle on the side. It was unearthed in a burial mound alongside another pot, both filled with sand and devoid of any other items.  

Production of ceramics gained popularity during the Roman Iron Age, especially for items used in cooking and food consumption. The pots were typically made using coil pottery techniques, where long rolled bands of clay were layered to form the vessel, later smoothed, polished, and sometimes decorated. Subsequently, the pots would be left to dry before being fired in an oven. Creating such ceramics required a certain level of technical knowledge.  

The making of pottery has been known since the establishment of agriculture as vessels to contain and preserve foodstuffs, both for everyday use as well as for special occasions. This pot dates to the later part of the Roman Iron Age, a period where feasting was a central part of social dynamics and the establishment of power among the elite. Perhaps this pot was part of the tableware used for a feast in the hall at Veien?