With this blog post we began a series of file card about the archaeological material recovered and documented in archaeological surveys .
Archaeological materials let us date chronologically layers and structures that have been localized (for example the filling of a silo, or the ruins of a building) and also provide us valuable information.
Once recovered the archaeological material, it is processed in our laboratory: It is washed, sorted and labeled. It can then become part of the studies that are derived from the analysis of a site and finally increase museum funds. But many times remains unpublished and stored in boxes in museum warehouses.
With this initiative, therefore, we want to show small hidden treasures of our archaeological heritage.
Medieval moneybox in glazed pottery
- Origin: Stratum (SU 103) in the silo E13 of the sagrera of templar church and farm of Sant Pau de Riu-sec (Sabadell, Vallès Occ. ) .
- Excavation: August 2010 (Arrago sl)
- Inventory Number: SPR2010-13-103-3
- Stratigraphic Dating: End of 13th century. (Coin of James II of Barcelona 1291 – 1327).
- Material: Glazed oxiding earthenware.
- Dimensions: Height 6.02 cm. Lower diameter 4.4 cm. Maximum diameter 7.8 cm.
- Description: Closed piece with spherical body and flat bottom. It has a rectangular opening in the top to put the coins in. The piece was documented in two parts, as if it had been broken and opened to get the coins before throwing it into the silo. It is glazed on the outside with a honey color and good quality glaze. The paste is homogeneous clear orange and the filler is not perceived.
- Parallel: This is a very rare piece in the Catalan medieval ceramic collection. There are other examples known in the Peninsular and European area, but this are found in contexts from the 15th, 16th centuries and are widely known in modern times. They are also rare pieces, often found broken, presumably to retrieve the coins they contained.
- Bibliography:
- ROIG, J. – COLL, J.M. (2012): “La intervenció arqueològica a Sant Pau de Riu-sec 2007 – 2008 (Sabadell, Vallès Occ.): La vil·la romana, l’assentament d’època carolíngia i l’església i parròquia medieval” a Arqueologia Medieval, 6-7 (2010/ 2011) ACRAM. Barcelona.
- ROIG, J. – COLL, J.M. (2013), “Los palatia altomedievales del Vallés (siglos X-XI): la aportación de la arqueología”, BALLESTÍN, X. – PASTOR, E. Lo que vino de Oriente. Horizontes, praxis y dimensión material de los sistemas de dominación fiscal en Al-Andalus (ss. VII – IX). BAR International Series 2525. Archaeopress, Oxford.
