Iron Age Norwegian Bucket-shaped Pottery

This type of distinctive bucket-shaped pottery was produced in the Late Roman Iron Age and Migration Period (c.350 to 550 CE ) in southwestern Norway. It was made using a slab-building technique on a cylindrical form, and scholars theorize that the construction method streamlined the production process (faster and easier than coiling) and left more time for decoration. I love to teach this class as a make-and-take, because it allows novice potters to create a piece using completely period methods (with some modern materials) and to decorate it in the historical style using common household objects. For those who want to give it a try at home on their own time, this page includes links to the class handout and two videos; the first video provides the historic background and shows images of many examples, while the second video walks through the process of making and decorating a pot.