A case-study of the so-called “pottery depot” from Bessów, site 3, commune Bochnia, Małopolska Province. Archaeological material and functional re-interpretation

Site 3 in Bessów is one of the sites located on the lower reaches of the Raba River, in the micro-region associated with the Przeworsk culture, dated mostly to the Younger and Late Roman Periods. In the results of excavations in Bessów, a group of archaeological features described as a “pottery depot” were discovered. In its fill and in its closest vicinity, about 8.330 fragments of pottery were found. Almost all of them represent wheel made pottery, and about half are sherds with abradable surfaces. Apart from pottery and about 180 pieces of daub, other categories of finds did not occur. In older publications the so-called “pottery depot” was interpreted as a place where ready-made vessels were stored. The basis for this interpretation was mainly the presence of a huge amount of pottery in the fill of this feature, with a relatively low share of materials bearing traces of different types of damage at the same time. Reanalysis of pottery material and the stratigraphy allowed for a new interpretation of the “pottery depot” as a potter’s workspace or workshop. The paper focuses on the pottery material from the “pottery depot”. It is an example of a case study of an untypical archaeological feature and the difficulties connected with its interpretation.