Aceramic Revolution? Understanding Technological Continuity and Change in Viking Age England

THE ARRIVAL OF THE POTTERS’ WHEEL in late 9th-century England heralded major changes in ceramic manufacturing practice. Whether it appeared before or coincided with Scandinavian settlement of England in the ad 870s has been the subject of much debate, yet still it is poorly understood why its use was restricted to areas settled by Scandinavians, a group traditionally viewed by English archaeologists as aceramic. Our understanding of the origins of this settling group has transformed in recent years: it is now clear that the early settlers were not purely of Scandinavian stock, nor did they arrive directly from Scandinavian homelands. By considering the success of wheel-thrown pottery as a function of pre-existing ceramic use and the manufacturing practices of this diverse settling group and the late Saxon communities who hosted them, it is demonstrated that this revolution in pottery making was as much about continuity in ceramic practice as it was about change.