The Medieval period is generally taken as being from about AD 1050 to 1650.
The earth and timber castles (motte and bailey), hastily constructed by the new Norman owners of the estates, were replaced by stone castles with large towers and enclosing walls. These again changed shape and style as the centuries went by.
Great Benedictine (Bury St. Edmunds and Battle), Cistercian (Fountains and Riveaux) and Cluniac (Wenlock and Pontefact) monasteries and abbeys were being founded.
The early, small timber churches, were replaced by stone ones, but these were taken down and rebuilt by the new Norman landowners, obliterating most of the original Saxon features. A few pieces still survive in some of our parish churches.
By the late Anglo-Saxon period wheel-made pottery was again being made in places like St. Neots, Cambridgeshire. The pottery kilns at Brill, Buckinghamshire were already producing pots by the early Medieval period. Edward the Confessor had a hunting forest at Bernwood and a hunting lodge at Brill, which helped the pottery and brick industry thrive.
s from this perod.
Click to enlarge
The Bodleian Bowl dates from the thirteen century. A two handled tripod cauldron, cast with a Hebrew inscription in relief about its girth, recording that it was presented "as a gift by Joseph, son of the holy Rabbi Yehiel" (AN2009.10).
The Ashmolean has a large and varied collections from the medieval perod including the following examples:
Reliquary casket which commemorates the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket (WA1947.191)
Ivory and metal crosier head presented to the Museum in 1683 (AN1685.A600)
Fourteenth century chimney pot from a merchants house in the High Street, Oxford (AN1887.3206).
Puzzle Jug found in Oxford (AN1921.202)
Medieval floor tiles from Oxfordshire and elsewhere in Britain.
This jug (AN1938.1259) forms part of a large collections of artefacts and archive materal from the deserted medieval village at Seacourt in Oxfordshire.
Alabaster figure was found at Caerleon in Monmouthshire.
Collection of monumental brass rubbings
Find out more about:
- Collection Highlights - Medieval Objects and Medieval Sites
- Medieval Tiles and Monumental Brass Rubbings
- British Collections Online - searchable database of the collection
Christine Edbury
January 2012
