Pottery from Raeren
Coordinates: 50 ° 40 ′ 41 ″ N , 6 ° 7 ′ 19.2 ″ E
The medieval pottery of Raeren , south of Aachen in Belgium , was discovered during some excavations in Raeren from 2001 to 2004. The place name comes from "clearing" and indicates a settlement in the Aachen Reichswald. The period of clearing is assumed to be around 800 to 1200. Raeren is known for his pottery. Stoneware was made here in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Raerener stoneware is considered Rheinische ceramic and was by the Belgian State to the European Heritage Label excellent. There is a pottery museum in Raeren Castle .
Excavation results
Two circular wall structures about two meters apart indicated the presence of the pottery workshop. They were the structures of a potter's wheel. They were made of rubble and mortar and had a diameter of 160 and 180 cm. It was the first time that the structure to accommodate a pottery wheel was excavated in a pottery center between the Rhine and Maas. In the course of the Raeren exhibition “All just broken pieces or what?” In 2004, it turned out that the structure of a pottery wheel was also discovered in Brühl in 2003. The heavier pottery wheel, with a high angular momentum , was the alternative to the rapidly rotating pottery wheel. Instead of the foot disk, a spoked wheel was used, which was rotated with a stick for the production of stoneware .
In the excavation zone, a pit (also known as a shard nest) about six meters in diameter with about 200 well-preserved vessels was excavated. These included rarer pieces such as face and triplet mugs. The excavations of 2004 in the extended or the second excavation zone of this plot brought:
- Another masonry pottery wheel structure approx. 170 cm in diameter. Clay and ceramic material were found inside . The fixed posts for the axis of the potter's wheel could be exposed below.
- Walls of varying widths were found near the structure. A connection has not yet been made apparent.
- Numerous rare finds were discovered in the second zone. These included two fairground flutes, various figural heads, face jugs, small ceramic toy jugs and well-preserved pottery.