GRAPHIC ARCHAEOLOGY

An Introduction to

DrawitgArchaeological

T.lroffery

Lesley Collett

SSOCIATION OfARCHAEOL

lr-lusrnnroRs & SunvevoRs

OCCASIONAL PAPERS: 1

An lntroduct¡on to Drawing

Archaeological Pottery

Lesley Collett

Graphic Archaeology Occasional Paper No. 1

Contents

4. Preparing Pottery Drarvings for Publication .................... .............15

Pottery illustration using computer software ......................17

Scanning pots for pâge-up ..,.,........................20

Converting scanned images to vector images........... ..........20

Handles, Spouts

List of Figares

Fig. 1: Examples of the most usual method of illustrating archaeological potterl'........ ............5

Fig.2: Small pie charts incorporated into the drawing indicate the proportion of the vessel present............5

Fig. 3: Some tools which might be used for pottery drarving.......... .......................6

Fig. 5: The same rim sherd drawn at different angles can suggest rvidely diffs¡snt pot forms.........................8

Fig. 7: Technique for finding the radius of large fragmentary vessels using compasses....................................9

Fig. 8: Measuring the height of a sherd .....,...........,.10

Fig. 9: Drawing pot profile by offsetting from a set squâre............ ......................10

Fig. 10: Àn altcrnativc mcthocl <¡f clras'ing

Fig. 11: Using a profile gauge to procluce âccurate profilc cr.rrve . ..........................11

Fig. 1,2: Stages in thc preparation of a pottcrv drat,ing ..................12

Fig. 13: Transfcrring thc profile ârìcl rcn'x)ving'lriclclcn'portions......... ......,.....,,,..12

Fig. 14: Transferrirrg cletails arourrcl the circurnfercncc of the pot onto the e1er,ation.......................................13

Fig. 15: I-lanclmadc pot s'ith scction rcconstructccl fi'om frvo or,crlapping shercls ..........., ....,....13

Fig. 16: Base ancl uppe r portìons of a vessel survive; reconstructecl profile of the pot shou'n as clashecì line. . 14

Fig. 17: Pot rcconstructccl from non-joining shercls of thc sanrc vcsscl .........,,.. .,.............,.........14

Fig. 18: Inking in the clras,ing u'ith a technical pcn............. .............15

Fig. 19: Pots pagecl

Fig. 20: Drau'ing potterv in Àclobe Illustatot: using lavers... .........17

Fig.21: Tracing o\rer the scan usirlg the Pen tool ................. ............17

Fig.22: The pr<l6lc is clras'n ancl flippccl onto the opposite side................. ..........17

Fig,23: Example iu u'hich cletails of a bocll'shercl lrave l¡eer'¡ tenclerecl in per,cil aucl scarrnecl; the

section ancl other information is then aclded in r\dobe Illustrâtor...... ............................18

Fig.24: Scanned ink dras'ing incorporatecl into vector-clras'n image...., ...,.........18

Fig. 25: Jug drawn in ¡\clobe Illustrator u'ith color.rr effects aclclecl in ¡\dobe Photoshop..................................19

Ftg.26: Ts'o-handlecl iug: cornposite illustration of photograph and drarving ...........................19

Fig.27: Pottery from the Bedern, York; clrarvn in ink, scanned and converted to vector images ....................20

Fig. 28: Comparison of scannecl (raster) âncl vector images of pottery dtarvings........ ..............21

Fig.29: Stipple âncl line used to indicate various types of surface treatment...... ........................22

Fig. 30: Coil-built pots; rvhere coils can be clistinguished, they can be indicatecl in the section .......................23

Fig. 31: Various methocls of depicting hanclles ........24

Fig.32: Perforatcd lug shorvn in scctio¡r on thc lcft-hancl siclc of thc pot and in clo'ation and plan in

the centre of the drarving to minimise distortion ..............24

Fig. 33: Case study - Torksey rvare pitcher; tr\¡o approaches to a complex ârrangement of handles ...............25

Fig.34: 'Green

Fig. 35: Zoomorphic vessel from Jordan (r\nn Searight/British Nluseum) .........26

Fig. 36: Rim decoration can be clrau'n in plan vies' above the pot.................. ..............................27

Fig. 37: Slipnare dish and Chinese porcelain plate shos'n in plan vier¡,'............... ........................27

Fig. 38: Decoration around the circumference of â vessel shown rolled out...... ........................28

Fig. 41: Conventions suggestecl by English Heritage for the depiction of colour glazes, ancl tin-glazecl

earthenwâre drug jar shorvn using colour con\€ntions for monochrome printing......... .....................29

Frg. 42: Stamps on Saxon pottery and on a mortarium rim shorvn unrolled ancl at double scale..................,.29

Fig.43: Decorated Samian borvl: the decoration is shor¡'n flattenecl onto â plân view......................................30

Fig.44: Nfakers'stamps on Sâmiân vessels dtawn at nvice actual size fot reproducdon at 1:1 ........................30

lntroduction

This paper is intended as an introductory guide to the basic techniques of drawing pottery for archaeo-

logical purposes. Despite advances in photographic and scanning techniques, the main reasons wh1' pot-

tery is depicted using Line illustration are still valid. Verl' few pots recovered from archaeological contexts

are complete enough for a photograph to pror.'ide useful information; a drawing can also supply far more

information in a much more immediate manner than a written description.

It is essential to show the form of the pot, its cross-section, construction techniques and any decoration,

using recognised conventions which allow different vessels to be compared and readill' understoocl by

different v¡orkers.

Traditional methods of illustration are now increasingll' being supplemented by computer-aided graphic

and photographic techniques which may make it easier to depict fabric q'pes and enhance the presenta-

tion of the information.

Although a number of guides to drawing pottery have been published over the years, it is some time

since anything new has appeared in print. In the intervening years, digital and computer technology have

revolutionised the production of reports and the graphics they contain. This introduction sets out todemonstrate current practice in the preparation of potter)/ illustrations and describes how traditional

methods of producing pottery drawings can be integrated with and enhanced by digital technologl'.

1. Drawing Pottery

Archaeological potter)¡ drawings are highly

conventionalised; vessels are shown in cutaway

side view (orthographic projection being the

technical term), so that both the exterior formand the section of a three-dimensional vessel are

presented on the same two-dimensional drawing.

The section/proñle is shown on the left-hand

side of a centre line, together with any i¡¡.r¡otdetail, and the exterior is shown on the right.

Some Eastern European and other countries re-

verse this and show the section on the right, butthe principle is the same.

o.-------?o tt

Fig. l: Exanples of ilte nost rrutal tttetbod of ilhrctmtingarcltaeo-

logical potÍary, in eleuation aieu pith tbe lefflnnd side sltøùng tlte

section tltrctglt tln uasel, the ight-hand sltotuing tlæ external aieu

Pottery is generalll' drawn initialll' at full size (1:1) and reproduced at7:4 or sometimes 1:3, although

there ma1' be exceptions for very large or ver)¡ small vessels, or where very complex decoration is present

(see below, Preparing pottery drawings for publication),

Some pottery specialists like additional information (eg 7o vessel

present) included in the drawing as a small pie chart.

Fig. 2: Snall pie chaús incotporuted iúo tlte drutaing indicaie

tlte þrcportion of tlte uatel prcsut.

z:'\ oa'!,- t* l z

3. Method

The techniques emplol'ecl for drawing pottery describecl belo'nv are those I have trsecl ancl developecl overthe last 20 1'ears as a professional illustrator. Other illustrators use different tools or materials; personalpreference plays some part in the choice, as does availabiliry of dme and equipment. I ha\¡e generallyopted for the minimum âmount of specialist equipment and the most economic meclia ancl materials,which should be generallv available to most people.

As with all archaeological illustration, the golden rule is: measure twice, draw once, rhen check. Alwayscheck your measurements at e\¡ery stage, and check again when you've fìnished.

Begin b.v carefulll,looking at the sherd, and identifv rim (if present) andf or base. Nfake sure you knorvwhich is the inner and which the outer surface, and check for an1' decoration. If you have a drawing briefor catalogue description from the pottery specialist, rvell ancl good, although it is not unknown for themto change their minds at a later stage (bases may become lids and so forth)!

Prepare a drawing board, ancl attach the tracing paper lightly with drafting tape. (If you do not have âdrawing board with parallel motion, it is helpful to use a backing sheet of graph paper as a guide.)

Rirn anitude: Place the rim top-down against a flatsurface and rock it back and forth until the rim 'sirs'

on the surface with minimum movement; in regular

wheel-thrown vessels, no light should be seen be-

tween the rim line and the surface. This will indicatethe angle at which the rim sits.

It is important to judge this correcdl'; if the angle is

misjudged the rvhole form of the pot can be misin-terpreted.

wide jar

jar

beaker

dish

Fig. 4: Jndging tln angle of tbe inl

Fig.S: Tlte sat¡te it¡t slnrd druwn at dffercnt angles

can uggest vide!1, difercnt þot forns!

\TT

Rim diarneter.' With the rim in the correct attitude, and

viewing directh'above the rim, slide the sherd across a ra-

dius chart until the outer edge coincides exacdl'with one

of the concentric lines. With irregular or handmade pots

this can sometimes be a matter of 'best fit'rather than an

exact match.

Rule a faint horizontal pencil line near the top ofthe clrawing paper, the length of the rim diam-

eter. (l..lote that the diameter at the rim may be

less than that further down the pot, so check the

maximum diameter of the sherd and allow plenq'

of space either side of the rim line on the draw-

ing.) Mark a point halfrvay along the rim line.

Fþ. 6: Usinga it¡t dianeter cbat'i.

A tip for finding the radius of vessels larger than the average radius chart, particulady if only a small

proportion of the circumference survives: holding the rim upside down, Iighdy trace round the outeredge with a pencil onto a largeish sheet of paper (a on Fig 7). Place the point of a pair of compasses on

one end of the pencil line and draw a small circle (about 3cm diameter). Draw an identical circle centred

on the point where the 6rst circle intersects with the pencil line of the rim. Draw a straight line across

the intersection of the circles (d). Repeat the procedure at the other end of/further along the rim line.

The two lines will intersect, grving the centre point and the radius of the pot.

Fig. 7: Tecbniqrcþrfnding the rudirc of laryeftagruttary uessels rcingcottþasses.

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Height: Holding the rim in its correc attitude,measure the height of the shercl using a set

square. (fwo set squares, or â set sc¡r"rare and

an engineer'.s square, will give a more accLtrate

result.)

Drarv the centre line of the pot, verticalll' fromthe rim line, the length being the sherd height

)¡ou have just measurecl. If the base of the pot ispresent, another horizontal line can be clrawn forthis; measure the base radir"rs in the same wâ1, ¿g

the rim radius (Fig. 12(i)).

Itig. 8: ù4eaning tlte lteigltr oJ' a slnil.

Profle: The outcr profile of the sherd can be measured in various wavs, such as b1'positioning the poton its side rvith its rim against a block of woocl (see Griffiths et al, 1990, p.60; Grinsell, Rahtz ancl PdceWilliams, 1974, p.46) and tracing the outline with an engineer's square. However, I fincl it more âcclrrateto use a combination of set squares and profile gauges. First, holding the sherd rim-down in its corrcctâttitucle, place a vertical set square against the outer surface, as in the method used for measuring theheight above. With a second square, or dividers, measure how far from this \¡ertical eclge various pointsalong the profile are þick points about 1Omm âpart, as well as important points such as changes of angleat shoulder). Plot these points faindy onto the left-hand side of the clrawing. Then, for the cletail of thecun'e of the pot, use a profile gauge. Always look at the shercl carefullv whilst drawing the pro6le, andbe sure to re-check an)'thing that doesn't look right.

--- h

s

f

--- ê

-d. .C

-b

a- t

c.d-e')

tv

g'xh-x

Fig. 9: Dmuiry tbe pot prcfh @ offtettingfvnt îet t¿lra,v.

Tip if using a profile gauge: press the teeth firmly against the curve of the pot (never use a profile gaugeon fragile or soft-fired pottery!). To trace the pro6le, place the teerh of the gauge flush against the sur-face of the drawing board - this helps minimise inaccuracy - and rrace with a pencil onto a small pieceof paper. This can then be added to the main drawing.

\

10

Fig. l0: ahernatiae trctltod of ¡l¡apingprcfle lt, rcstitß

ilte þol hoùlonlal11 against a nnigltfed backltoaú and

dircctl1, sigþ¡¡¡79 dottn and droppittg poiú f'on tlte þotonto the dmtùngpaper; after Ginsell, Raltqand Pice

IY/illiatn, 1974.

Fig. I l: Usinga prcfle garge to pndtrce an accnmte þrofle cnrue.

The internal pro6le ma)'be drawn in by measuring the thickness of the sherd every 10mm or so, ândat

^ny particularly identifiable points (eg changes of angle, cordons, etc) with calipers or dividers, and

transferring the measurements to the drawing. Again, check carefully by eye, holding the sherd againstthe drawing for comparison.

Transfer the outer profile of the pot to the right-hand side. Using a scrap of tracing pâper, simply tracethe outer profile, mark on the top and bottom of the centre line, reverse the paper and trace back ontothe right-hand side. Remove any portions of the profile thât are 'hidden'in the external view, for exampleby an overhanging rim (Fig, 12(üi), Fig. 13).

1,1

sT21 13t99context 1129type 1bDrg. no 44Drawn by LEC 27110/89

Fþ. I 2: Stages in tbe prepamtion 0Í a pottery drauing i: tbe rim ødiøs, lteigþt þntrc linQ and base utlirc arc tlruun; ü: tlte oúer

p, ofle of tlte pot is added; iü: the otur prcfle is fþped otrto tbe opposin dde of tbe tlrauing and tbe intonal profk is added to tbe

left-band side; ia: an1 extenal eletail is acldal to tbe riþ*band side, context and otlter infotwation is rccordetl on tbe druuin¿.

Fig. 1 i: Transfenin¿ tbe prcfle and renoaing 'hitlden' portiont

Fig. 14: Tunsfening decorution annnd tlte

circnttfercnæ of tbe pot onlo tlte eleuation.

Details of the outer surfâce of the pot can be drawn onto the right-hand side of the drawing; horizontaldecoration on wheel-made pots simp\' by horizontal ruled lines. Wavy lines, lattice work, rouletting etc.

can be transferred accurately to the drawing by the following method:

Using a compass, draw an arc of the radius of the pot at the point at which the decoration occurs. Thisrepresents 90" of the outside of the pot. Using calipers or dividers, measure distances between pointsin the pattern along a horizontal line, and transfer these to the arc. Place the arc above the pot drawing,and measure down vertically from the points 1'ou have measured, to the horizontal line. Mark the points,and draw in the decoration fig. 14).

Any internal details which require drawing, such as mortaria grits, internal decoration or rilling can bedra'u¡n onto the left-hand side.

Reconstructìon

Where the profile of a pot is reconstructedfrom several sherds, these may be shown inoudine on the drawing fig. 15) - a tech-

nique more frequendy used for handmade

vessels. Alternativelli use dashed lines toshow reconstructed portions of the vessel

(Fig. 16). A pie diagram is sometimes used

to show the proportion of the original potpresent.

llhere a profile has been built up from t'u¡o

overlapping but non-joining sherds of the

same vessel, bracþets can be used to showthe âreâ of overlap €ig. 10.

Fig. 15: Handnade þot tyitb ¡ection rcconilnrctedfront

hao ouerlEping slæill

2oc€. lzoS

ffi| ¡ rbo I

(rl

L_.: ' _j.-.-J

5"--

l3

Fþ. 16: Ba¡e and ilþper þl,'tions oJ a uessel snrairc; ilte

rcconstnrcterl þtuf le of tlæ pot is slton n l¡, la,¡l¡ed lines.

.Ø .Ø

Fþ. I 7: Pot rcconsturcled ttvn non-joining slnrds of the ¡alte ae¡sel: itn and bandk (fr, /uÍ) and baæ þortions þenln) arc drun n

seþamÍelt and a coltposiÍe dmuing (,'tS/rt) ¡t tl¡en avated lU oaerlaþþing the huo. Brucl<els on iln sution of the cotttposite dmn,ing

indicaie tl¡e exÍenl of tlte oualap behtæn il¡e rþpet aad lonnt'porlions.

Continuation lines, two short parâllel lines projecting be1'ond the end of the existing section of the pot

are used when it is not possible to reconstruct the vessel, and to indicate when a vessel is incomplete;

thel' ¿¡s normally only shown on the left-hand, section side of the drawing.

Fìnisbing of

Next to the drawing, write any information you have about the sherd (site code, context number, type

code, drawing number, etc.). This can be vitally important as pencil drawings ma)¡ be stored for yeats

before publication and a drawing with no information can be very difficult to track down later. Initials ofthe illustrator and the date drawn can be useful too. If I'ou are drawing a number of sheets of pots forthe same site or project, number the sheets and keep them in a folder together, and also keep a record

of which sherds are drawn,

14

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4. Preparing Pottery Drawings forPublication

Thelc arc scveral va)¡s that potter)¡ drau'ings can be

prcpar:ecl for incorporation into the final pr"rblication,

rvhich rnight fall into thrcc br<>acl catcélorics - inkccl

pages, digitalll' d¡¿1"¡ potter)¡ or a combination <¡f

the tu,o in rvhich hancl-inked clrawings are scanned

and paged-up in a computer clrawing package.

It is rarc norvaclays for potterl' to be pagecl-up as itoncc wâs as sheets of inkccl clras,ings, ancl the latter

nvo methods are far more likely to be practised in

professional archaeologl'. Howet'er, if access to com-

puter graphics packages is not available, drau'ings can

be prepared l¡)'hancl as follows.

I;ig. l8: lnkitlg,in Íl¡e lrun,itßn,iil¡ u letl¡nim/ þen.

Draruing in InhIf you are preparing a rvhole page or more of potter)¡ illustrations, it is more efficient to ink up thc pagcs

at one go rather than inking each clrarving indiviclualll' ancl then mor¡rÌting tl'rem up later, providing vou

knou' the image area of the pr.rblication ancl the orcler: in s,hich the drau'ings are to go. lt is also more

e fficient to procluce all the illustrations f<>r one report to a single reduction, such as 50%. This s,ill mean

that potterli for example, rvhich conventionallf is publishecl at 1:4, can l¡e inkecl up at half the actual size.

Handmade or highly clecorated Potter)¡ is often reproclucecl at 1:3 or eten1,:2. N'Iake sure )'ou and t'ourpottery specialist are aware o( and agree on, the final reproduction size beforc inking vour dras'ings.

Begin b1' calculating thc image area of I'our publìcation at the size rec¡uirecl for reduction. (NIost journals

publish 'Notes for Contributors'which provide information on the publication size and how illustra-

tions should be supplìed.) If ¡'et¡ have chosen 5070 reduction, )¡ou rvill need a clrag'ing area trvice that ofthe final publication, and ¡'er¡¡ pencil pot drarvings rvill have to be reduced to 50% before inking in. Ifyou reduce these on a photocopier, be aware that clistortion can occur, often m<>re in <¡ne cìirection than

another. Bar scales drarvn both horizontall¡' ¿¡¿ verticalll' can be used to check clistortion.

Mount the reduced pencil clrarvings within the image area, making sure the rim lines are level and the

centre lines vertical. (It helps if your drawing boarcl has parallel motion.) Pages of potterl, look a lotneater if the centre lines and rim lines are aligned, although this is not always possible when vessels are

different sizes. In most cases the layout can be iuggled so that it appears ticly ancl maximises the use ofspace available. A higglecly-pigglecly ârIangement can look verl'sloppy and be confusing. Once the page

is arranged to your satisfaction, place a sheet of drafting film over it. This should be large enough to al-

low a 5-1Ocm handling margin all the way around the page. Mark the corners of the available image area

with crop marks which do not intrude into the image area.

If your drawing board has parallel motion, you may Êncl it quick and efficient to draw all the centre lines

of a page of pottery at one go, then all the rim ancl base lines, etc. If working for 50o/o reduction, rim,base and profile can be drawn in 0.35mm thickness, the centre line in either 0.35 or 0.25. Any clecoration

and shading can then be added with finer lines.

15

\-@. m,

\-R,,

sôla l:4

caption area

I crop marksT

maximum available lext area /

Fig. 19:Poßpageì@þrpttblicalioninajorrnaln'itbalextawaof 1j5xl90nlt. Cropuatksindicatetl¡etmxiltttuextentoJ' tln pinted paga The dmuing arca beþrc redtction n as 270 x 380 tn4 tlte pott uere dmun at 500/o actnal siTg io be rcdtced 15,

afitlter 50% to tln f nal piltlication vale of l:4 (25%).

16

The top rim [ne shoulcl not ioin the section - leave a small gap, so that the form of the section is clear

ancl not obscured by the rim line. This also detaches the section from anf internal detail or shading.

Final\', add numbers, usually to the bottom right or bottom centre of each pot. It is useful to add a

drawn scale bar to the drarving, even if the scale is to be stated in the caption - caption writers and print-ers have been known to make mistakes.

Pottery illusnation using cornputer sortwøreThis section covers the preparation of pottery illustration to traditional print format. The soft'ware re-

ferred to here is Adobe Illustrator, although similar design packages may be used to produce illustrations

using broadly similar methods.

Generally the basic clrawing of the pot is produced in pencil as described in part 3; this is then reduced to50% using a photocopier (usually adding ru¡o 50mm bar scales to the drawing in order to check scale) and

F Prr:.¡¡s',4 17 Dlnln+sto: 15õ-

then the reduced cop1, i5 scanned. This does

not need to be a very high-resolution scan,

a 200dpi greyscale lpeg will be adequate, as

the scan is discarded after tracing. Remember

that this drawing is now at 7:2, and still neecls

to be reduced to 1:4.

Open a new drawing and place the scanned

pencil drawing on a layer - make sure centre

and rim lines are vertical ancl horizontal re-

spectively. Turn the scan layer into a template

layer (ie turn off print options, dim and lockthe layer).

Begin drawing on â new layer; using the Pcn

tool, draw the horizontal rirn line ancl centrc

line, and trace the left-hand profile. (l,incthicknesses - I generally use 0.75pt for extcri-

or outline, 0.6pt for centre linc. llcar in nri¡rrl

that ünes less than 0.57pt (0.2mrn) in thick-

ness ma)' not print adequatell). \)íhclr c()trl-

plete, transfer to the right-hand si<lc using tlrc

Reflect horizontal and Copy utilitics t() crcatc

a mirror image; align the t'wo profìlcs.

Decoration and rilling can be clrawn using

a selection of brushes, although tlris rrra1,

be more time-consuming than cìrarving by

hand in ink, and the results can bc lathcrmechanical and arti6cial-looking. I-lorvevcr, a

more flexible approach to pottery illustrationis possible, and a number of alternativc ap-

proaches may be explored, such as: inscrting

Fig.

Íoo/.

2l: On another netu /Eter, t,ace oue,' tlte scan usitry tlte Pen

llaæ: lGItr

conr:ln-õl m17 Tefipþte F L¡:rK

V'Ìrr+t f Pri:f

Fþ. 20: A nua layrfor tlte scanned pencil druuing ltas lteeu crated

and ttade into a tenQlate (non-þitttittg, dinnted) la¡,en

[Elrt-4w{.tr:l"1 ,

Maewlql6hHæfc Áâcr: E-.

,o9.fr - - . @oy I

: F:. F,:.' -*---

Fig. 22: Top and centrc lines dmun; tlte prcfle i¡ druun and fþpedonto tlte opposite ide rcing Reføt Wrtical 90o' and 'Cop1'.

To( I

csrel I

I

I

I

t7

scans of hand-drawn detail (either pencil or ink) into the Illustrator drawing (Figs 23-24); exporting the

Illustrator drawing into Photoshop and adcling shading or colour detail (Fig. 25); inserting photographic

or photomicrographic details of fabric and texture into the drawing (Fig. 26).

Fig. 2i: Exarple ìn ubiclt detaik of a boþ slnrd baae been rcnde¡vd in pencil and scanned; the section and otlter ittþrntatioa is tlten

added in Adobe Ilhtstraiot:

100 mmrrrrll

Once each individual pot dra\¡/ing is completed, the elements of the drawing may be grouped together

as one object, making page layout much more straþhtforward. The completed page of pottery drawings

can be saved as a pdf file to send to the pottery specialist, or âs ân eps or úff file which can be inserted

into the final report in a desktop publishing package.

4,,

0I

Fig. 24: Scanned hk drutuing þiþt-hand side of þot) iilco,po,ated into uector-druun (left-hand sidQ intage.

0 10cmlrlrrlr¡r,l

I';i.g. 25: Jry dm¡w it Adol¡e lllrctntor )ilìil) îlloilr

elfedî a¡de(t as le1afttle lEers; drunìtg ex'pzr¡ed lo

Adol¡e Pl¡o¡osl¡oþ; glaqe sanpledfrcu scanaed sltetd

ail¿ ilsed t0 bnild @ arca oJ glaqe on dnuin;q.

-Ø

Fig. 26: Tuo-ltandled jtg cotttpoite

illt¡tmtion of þhotogaphed exte-

rior (ighf) uitlt section (/eft) dmuu in

Adol¡e I//rshaton

t9

Abernatiue methods

Scanning pots þr page-upInked pot clrau'ings ma1' bc scanncd individual\' and importecl into a computer graphics packagc such

as Illustrator for lal'out ancl final publication; they should be scannecl at quite high rcsolution (at least

300clpi) and the scanned images mal'need some cleaning-up before paging up. Numbers, scales and oth-er cletails can then be aclded. This form of lalout is of course much more flexible than the olcl method

of paging up, but as the clrawings themseh,es âre râster images thel' 2¡s less easy to edit and usuall)' take

up much more file space than they rvoulcl if drawn as vector files.

Conaerting scanned irnages to aector imagesIt is also possible to scan inkecl pot clrawings and convert them clirecdf into vector drawings; the draw-

ings belou' (Fig.27) represent a tinl' 5¿¡np1e of a verv large number of drawings of medieval pots fromvarious sites in York,which hacl been clrarvn in the micl-l980s in ink on CS10 (a hearl'opaque paper).

In order to prepare them for incorporation in a digital publication, the drawings wete scanned ancl

converted to vector graphics using Á,clobe Streamline, and page layouts were then rnade up in Adobe

Illustrator. Nlore recent releases of Adobe Illustrator incorporate a Live Trace utility which replaces the

function of Streamline (Fig.2B).

0 50mm

8209

Fig, 27: Potleryfrottt tlte lledern, York; otiginals drutvn in ink ot paper uerc ¡canued and conaeúed to aector inages beþrc being

þaged-up in Adobe llhrctuÍor. (York Arcbaeological Tnut)

8201

20

=:

a

a) Inked dmwing scauned at 400 dpi: grg,scale (l .tL'Ib)

) Greycale van (a) conaerted to uecÍor irtage

nsing Adobe lllrchator Liae Tmce in 'inked

dmwing' seftitrg (195 Klr)

b) Tbe pruiorrs vanned irnge conaerled lo a l200dpi

bituap (.5lvlb)

d) Bitnap scan (lt) conuerÍed t0 ueciot'ittage utittg

Adobe llhrctntor liue Tmce in 'detailed illttstmtion'

setting (0'l Kb)

21

=

\L

. -.æ4

Fþ. 28: A conpañson of vanned inleed druwings in aaions flefonruts.

5. Special Cases

Fabric and TextareShading conventions for potterl'are the same as for other artcfacts: thc light is shoq'n corning fro.r thetop left. Shacling is not gcneralll' shorvn on u'hcel-throvn potter)r or ant'thing u,hich is to bc rcclucecl bt'tnore than a half althc¡ugh occasionalll' 'rilling' or thros'ing lines n-ra), be shorvn by parallcl horizontallines, and such surface treatment as slip or glaze ma)' be inclicated by stipple or soffìe orher convenric¡rr.

Stipple is generallv usecl for shos'ing coarse\\/are texture but line or line ancl stipple can also be effectiye.Burnishing can be shos'n bv fine horizontal lines. Other cletails such as inclusions, cracks ancl scratchestnav also be shos,n but bcar in mincl tlìât too much detail mav clutter up a clras,ing unneccessar.i\i or bck¡st or black in <¡n recìuction.

1;þ. 29: .\'/ilrþ/e þ) is gencm//1, rnd for coane .fàbic, n,/ti/e

lnnitltittg (b) cat lte ¿eþ,¡îtul ßiil.g ltotilotttttl litres; l¡one¿er tbis

¡l¡oilrl l¡e auoilul i/' ìecotzttion is þresenl. I )ne¡ are al¡o asci to

ruþvnul kniJ'e-ltilttlitg anì siuilttr e/Jàcls þ).

'- -ì=-.:--ì----

././' .,/.. . 4:tt

22

TëchnologtlVh ee l-thrown/ h andmade p otter!Horizontal lines on u'heel-thrown pots (eg rim and l¡ase l-ines, collars) are general\'drawn with a rtrlct',

rvhereas handmade pottery is always clrawn freehand. Some people prefer the sections of rvheel-thrown

pots to be solid black ancl handmacle pottet)¡ hatched.

Sections can be filled in with black, stipple or hatching ancl combinecl to show cletails of manufacture

such as appliect hanclles and clecorative corclons. Thumbing ancl surface treâtment can be inclicated on

hanclmacle or hancl-finished pots. Different methods of showing coil manufacture are illustratecl below

(Fig.30).

Fig. i0: Coil-bnih pots; ¡vhere coil¡ can be distittgithed,

ilte1 ¡oo be indicaled in tlte ¡ection rcing one o/ iltese con-

tunlions.

. a ¡l'r lr-:

.tt...-,bo

;ì---.:r\i¿., !r&t¡.. r:z??ÈE?.'

gåå¿

23

Handles, Spouts and LugsHanclles or lugs are usuallv sho'nvn to the right, spouts to the lcft (Fig. 31). \)7hen one handlc is present,

it is shorvn on the right with a cross-section and elevation if necessarl'. If there are r\\¡o or more handles

they can be shown in elevation on the right and in section with details of the construction on the left.Spouts and lips are shov,n either on the left in section for iugs or in elevation on the centre line in the

case of mortaria (Fig. 31b, Fig.42).

.-

c ross-sec t iott of h an dle :

outer profile uppermost

Fig. )'l: Va¡iott¡ tretltodt of

depictirtg handles.

Fig. 32: Tlte in þrojection and l¡andle h tbis cltafry

dislt aw shotyn in sectìon on tln left-hand side of tbe pot

and in eleuation and plan in il¡e cenhv of tlte druuingto

ltiuilti¡e di¡tottion. Tbe intention is to ¡ltop tbe uaxi-

naor inþrrtation, mtlter tltan ittp!,itßtl¡at there arc hvo

handles at 90 degvw to each othe¡ altltouglt ilæ drawing

ntalt giue tbat elfect!

24

:r'#

Ttoo-handled aessel: leJt-hand handle

I';i,g. i): It llte casc of' iltis T'orksc¡ n,are

¡>itclte4 ilte illnslrulor ltad lo eon¡ider l¡on' lo

illnlnfe il¡e nmterons ltailles (thrce arcmd

Ílte in and.fon on il¡e uetselI slnuldel.

\\

T-lte npnblislted frst dmJt (aboae) artuuþß to

¡/¡otv botb rcß of bandles on Íl¡e one æeÍion, and

buotns ae¡¡' confrrcirtg In tlte f nal púlislted uu'

sion (/eft) tlæ illtutrutor decided Íltai a þlan uiøa

ìt)as ileîessat), lo ¡/¡ou il¡e l¡and/e /ocalions.

(\'o rk A rclta eo logi ca / T nrc t)

llt\t--€-

,/\- \/'tr\

,t\

,,\

25

CornplexþrrnsSeveral vics's ma)'be necessar,r'to shos'unusual fol:ms such as this'(ìrccnr\bbev or the z(x)morphic vessel þelos).

NIan' iug fr<>m llvnsharn

50 mm

Fig. 35: Zoontotpltic aesse/ ft'ont.loilan: e/etaÍion and plan ttien,î atv coul¡ined to sltou

.î eatþ| / Bitislt A Insetn)

26

-@

0 100 mm

ttig. )4: Tl¡e dccotution anlþrnt ql' tbisjrlgrcqùrc4 a.fi'onl anlside aien'; a/tltotþ ibe te¡.ce/ i.c cit'm/ar al il¡e int il¡e base lta¡

addedfeø n,l¡iclt n,erc ¡l¡onn in a baral plan aient

(OxJòil Arcltaeolog1)

ilte contphx þntt of tltis ollccl. (Ann

Plan uieutsPlan viervs ma1, þs needecl occasionally to shog'details such as handles, spouts, lips, rim decoration orinternal decoration (Fig. 36).

Fig. 36: Nn decomtion can lte dmun as a þlan uiev altoae ilte l>ot - tl¡is can al¡o be rced to sbou atg, otlter sþwialfeattrcs of tlte

titt, ttclt as location of lnndle¡ and ¡Þonts.

Fþ. 37: Slipua: disl¡ and Cl¡inese þorcelain þlate dmn'n in þlan aiay to allou decorution lo be ¡ltoun.

DecorationDecoration arouncl the bodv of the pot ma\¡ be shown 'unrolled' to thc right or, if the clecoralion is cluite

simple and repetitive, clraln out on the cun'e of the pot.

Fig. i8: Decotulion arctnrl il¡e

circtntJercnce oJ a uesse/ slton,n

rclled onf.

Incised decoration is shown by using two lines of different thick-

ness ro indicate shadou, (Fig. 39).

Slip coating can be indicatecl b)'areas of light stipple: alternatively

slip clecoration such âs the Nfetropolitan slipware belorv can be

shown as white on a black body.

Fig. i9: Incised decomtion.w

¡'Sì

28

Fþ. 40: t\[eh'opolita n ilþn arc.

Color¡r paint or glazcs can l¡e shos'n cithcr as a colour plate or l>r'usc of a monochr()n-rc c()nvcrlti()rì:

F=:=====Lrgnl ll,.,ijji.*"{r-.-ht,,a r-.;...."..:.i:i..]:"'"" tër:¡i.* 7"-'^"0 N erown

Darkblue

Grey

Yellow

Yellowocnrel-

ffi ffiffi oranse ffi e,,nr" I aru"t

llJllliJlllll o*'"

L---.1 wn

'l"

}:ig.4l: (abotu) Cont,entiott:.v4qge.rter! 14, l:r.glilt Ilui/ttry.fòr tlx dEictittn of'

co/otr g/ales; (t'tg/)t) -l'iil-Sla19d

earllrnuare rlrrlg.þr .rltrtn,n niug co/orrr cout;e nliol¡

.fò r n o n ocl.t rorrc þ i n / i 49.

Stamps

Star-np decoration, for example on hanclmade r\nglo-Saxon pottelv - in tl'rese examples the starnp im-

pressions themseh'es are clra\\¡n at nvice actual size ancl shou'n ât âctual size (1:1) next to the pot (here

at 1:2).

(1c o ccQccc c t t tt

f;i.g.42:.\'talltpstn'Çaxottþo//er1,antl(ln/on)nakerIrtdi/þ()l¡alllorÍainntinl¡l¡on,lllnro//uland¿l

êêN*s.'::ji

,yÃnyl>

@@

4\\a-J7

Éfnà\¡Z

çìltir

É14(9tF¿f1F-u

Sarnían

Undecorated Samian vessels are not usualll' drawn as the forms are so well knorvn. Decorated sherds

may be drawn by means of taking rubbings using fine tissue paper and graphite, or tracing with a techni-

cal pen onto clear film,

Small detailed decoration or potter's stâmps are often drawn at 2:7 f.or reproduction at actual size, or

even larger if the detail is very small.

Fig.4i: Decomted Samian bot¡l: tl¡e decorution is sbotun faitened onto a plan aieu. Tlterc is of cot,:te a certain auornt of di¡tortion

inuolaetl in dEicting decomtion on tl¡e tbru-dinensional curae of the px fauoned in this uEt. (Yotk Arltaeological Tntst)

Fþ.44: Makers' stanps on Sanian aessels druun at

fiuice acttøl tiqe.foneþrcdrrction at l:l .

The cltaucteistic 'ouolo' border desigrt þight) sltoøld

be druun ¡vith care a¡ sntall uaiations can be diagnos-

tic of þarticølar !pæ.

tMltulMC6-L \ ilt-)

lMlullv{l

Acknowledgernents

I am grateful for additional material based on an archaeological illustration course taught to undergradu-

âtes at Reacling Universig' by Margaret Mathews and Steve Allen. I would also like to thank the staff ofEssex Counry Council Archaeology Section, Oxford Archaeology Unit, Northamptonshire Archaeology

and York Archaeological Trust for their assistance in the past and for permission to reproduce potterydrawings.

I would like to thank Margaret Mathews and Laura Templeton who read and commented on this paper

in eadier drafts, Frances Mee for proofreading the text and Steve Allen for support and ironing.

.A,ll the drawings are by the author with the exception of the following figures:

Thanks to Deirdre Crone (Ulster Museum) for Fig. 29a; Ann Searight @ritish Museum) for Fig. 35;

Judith Dobie @,nglish Heritage) for Figs 29b, and 29c;York Archaeological Trust for Figs. 27,28,37c,33,36c and 43.

Bibliography

Drautingpottery

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Cambridge Universiry Press, 1989

Brodribb, A.C.C., 1.971: DruuirgArcltaeological Findsfor Pil.ilication. London: John Baker/Ncw York:Association Press

Goddard, S., I(night, D. & Goddard, J., Hamilton, S. and Rouillard, 5.,1997: Asputs of lllushation:

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Green, C., 1 980: Druuing ancient pottery for pulilicatioz. ,A,AI&S Technical Paper 2

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Hamilton, S., 1996: 'Reassessing archaeological illustrations: breaking the moulcl.' GruphicArchaeology

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Jennings, S., 1981: Eighteen Centuries of Pottery from Norwich. East Anglian ArcÌtaeology 73

McCarthl,, M. R. and Brooks, C. M., 19BB: Arledieual Pottery in Britain AD900-1600. Leicester Univer-sig' Press

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dmuirg.)