POTTED HISTORY - ANCIENT POTTERY REPLICAS DEMONSTRATIONS & HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

I am a Potter/Experimental Archaeologist working from my studio "Crown Studio Gallery" in Rothbury, North Northumberland.  I offer a wide variety of services including demonstrations, workshops, talks, lectures, replicas, reconstructions and museum displays and travel throughout the United Kingdom.  I specialise in Prehistoric,Roman and Anglo-Saxon pottery of Britain and Ireland but can also cover the Medieval and Post Medieval periods.  I have also successfully created replicas of Ancient Greek and Egyptian pottery.

To the casual observer, ancient pots in museum cases sometimes appear quite boring, I know that they're not!  They are filled with clues about the lives of the craftspeople that created them.  In my Demonstrations and "Hands-on" Workshops, I bring them to life by demonstrating the processes that went into their creation, and the part that they played in the lives of their makers, in a lively, educational and entertaining way.

Graham Taylor

Demonstrations and "Hands-On  Workshops cover:
  • Hand built, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age & Saxon pots
  • Wheel thrown Iron Age, Roman & Saxon Pots
  • Mould made Roman pots, lamps, figures and tiles
  • Making & using ancient pottery tools
  • Prehistoric open firings
  • Building & Firing Roman, Saxon and Medieval Kilns

Replicas & Reconstructions:
  • Replica pots, ceramic objects and pottery tools for handling collections. 
  • Working reconstructions of ancient pottery kilns & workshops
  • Reconstructions of metal furnaces and bread ovens
  • Museum displays
  • Interpretation material and museum models
  • Lectures and talks on ancient pottery technology
  • Heritage Ceramic Technology Consultancy

If you have any ideas for projects that you would like to discuss with me please contact me.  The following pages will give you an idea of the sort of projects I can deliver and below is a list of some of my recent projects.

Arbeia Roman Fort:   Roman paint pots and pigment grinding mortar for fresco display:  Schools workshop: Roman head pots workshop and Roman life
Archaeological Research Services:   Reproduction prehistoric pieces from the Millfield excavations
Baliffgate Museum, Alnwick:    Youth group contemporary sculpture project
Bede's World:  Heritage skills workshop:  Saxon pottery demonstration with handling collection:  Saxon kiln reconstruction with Durham & Newcastle University Archaeology Students:  Saxon coin medallions for "North Face  exhibition:  Bede & Beijing Terracotta Warrior.
Bedlington Whitley First School:  Roman head pot making with 100 children over three days
Birdoswald Roman Fort:   Roman pottery handling collection & workshop for children
Bondington Project Berwick:  Medieval pottery handling collection & demonstrations making pieces from the  excavation
Centre Screen Productions:  Greek Potter video for Leeds Museum Discovery Centre: Throwing and decorating of pots on film,   reproduction "red figure  Amphora, Bell Krater and Lekythos as props and reconstruction Greek    potter’s wheel, tools and equipment for set.  On set advisor.
Chesters Roman Fort:   10 days Roman pottery demonstration & workshop making pieces from the collection "Crafty Romans"
Coquetdale Community Archaeology:   Prehistoric pottery workshops & handling collection adults:  Fire & Stone; Neolithic firing demonstration:  Excavation of 18th/19th century miners  cottages, Ovenstones, Northumberland:  Field-walking and excavation pottery identification      
DLI Museum & Art Gallery  "Return of the Romans", pottery demonstration and handling collection
Doncaster Museum:  Mortaria etc for handling collection
Durham University:  Excavation of Bronze-Age field system and cairn Clennel Street, Northumberland:  Experimental archaeology project development with PhD Students
Fenton Centre:  Exhibition of Neolithic & Bronze-Age reproductions
Ingram Valley Visitor Centre:   Reproduction Bronze-Age pots, demonstrations & workshops making pieces from the collection:  Commissioned piece for visitor centre display
John Barleycorn Festival  Medieval ceramic stills, 19th Century "Grey Hen  flagons and Bronze-Age beakers, demo & firing:  19th Century country potter demonstration
Maelmin Heritage Trail:  Neolithic & Bronze Age pottery workshops, demonstrations,  firing & handling collection: Saxon pottery & kiln building with Whittingham First School
Museum of Antiquities:   Roman pottery demonstration, National Archaeology Day, all ages: Young Archaeologists Group Workshop:  Kielder, Eglingham, Stob Hill, Pegswood and Thropton First Schools Roman pottery workshops:  Roman pottery reproduction Head Pot, Samian bowl, mould and stamps, other pots for handling
Northumberland National Park:   Presentation Bronze-Age pots for Their Royal Highnesses  Prince Charles & the Duchess of Cornwall:  Goat Crag Food Vessel Urn, presentation to Paul Frodsham
Oxford Museum:    Meet the Romans, demonstration and workshop making pieces from the collection
Our Lady & St Anne's RC Primary:  Tyne Bridges sculptural vessel:  Roman Pottery workshops and face pots
Pax Britannica:   10  days Roman pottery demonstrations and workshops with , KS-2 and community/general     public days with full dramatic plot and full school participation ± 120 children per day.
Rheged Discovery Centre:  Egyptian Canopic Jars for handling collection
Roman Forum Project:   Roman Pottery Workshops, Walkergate Scouts and Cubs
Rothbury Community Education:   Community history panel group project
Royal Grammar School Jesmond:  Roman Head Pots and mould made ceramics workshop
Segedunum:   Roman kiln reconstruction and Firing:  Roman Pottery demonstrations, all ages:   Roman Bread Oven reconstruction and bread making workshops:  Dressel 23 & 1 Amphorae; Egyptian Shabti & Canopic Jars for handling collection:  Roman Market:  Roman Altar making workshop:  Hadrian's Head modelling workshop
Senhouse Roman Fort:    Roman Pottery workshops and temporary kiln construction & firing
Source of the Tyne Festival:    Interactive relief panels at Brigantium Iron Age Centre
Sunderland Museum:   Ceramic Sculpture Workshops with Sunderland Mental Health Trust
Swaffham Museum:   Egyptian Pottery for the Howard Carter room
Tall Ships Festival:   Roman market and pottery demonstration All ages
The Archaeological Practice:  Watching brief Rothbury Coplish excavations
Tomlinson CofE Middle School:  Landscape wall panel
Touching The Wall - Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall:  Roman pottery workshops within a specialist event for schools, offering a full day of Roman and Celtic activities.
Tyne & Wear Museums:    Roman Domestic Wares & Egyptian handling collection:  Roman pots for food preparation, demonstration at Bellingham and Glendale Shows
University of Newcastle Upon Tyne:   Prehistoric Pottery Workshop for MA Students:   Experimental archaeology project development with PhD Students:   Prehistoric pottery demonstration and firing with undergraduate archaeology students
Venerable Bede's School:   Anglo-Saxon Pottery Workshop, ages 12-13
Wakefield Museum:  Roman pottery demonstrations and workshops
Workers  Education Association:   Roman pottery demonstration, workshop with handling collection at Gilsland Spa
Woodhorn Museum & Archives:   Roman Pottery demo and workshop for children & adults based on Northumbrian finds
Yorkshire Museum:    Roman pottery demonstrations & workshops making pieces from the collection:  Replica Roman cooking pots for experimental Archaeology

pots@crownstudio.co.uk                01669 622890



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LATEST NEWS
Touching The Wall, this year's event, the successor to Pax Britannica, was held at Housesteads Roman Fort and was recieved with great enthusiasm by all the children and the teachers.  Many of the schools have already booked for next years event.  More news of this event later.