What is it about?
The use of new stoppers made of local slate allowed imported wine amphorae to be reused in the making of mead (fermented honey water), using honey which would have come to the site as tribute paid to the regional rulers of Dumnonia.
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Why is it important?
This paper sheds light on the significance of honey in an early medieval economy. Honey was an important commodity but is not well-evidenced in the archaeology of Britain. It also considers the social hierarchy inherent in the various alcoholic drinks available in the post-Roman period and how those distinctions might also be observable in the archaeology of Tintagel Castle, a site well-known for the excavated evidence for feasting events which took place there in the 5th and 6th centuries AD.
Perspectives
It has been a source of great satisfaction to be able to extract such a depth of information from a humble and previously overlooked find-type, and it is particularly pleasing to be able to contribute to a greater understanding of such a significant site. Tintagel Castle is currently the subject of exciting new excavations undertaken by the CAU, so this paper has the potential to feed into a new and major phase of research into this unique site.
Cameron Moffett
Heritage English
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: SLATE DISCS AT TINTAGEL CASTLE: EVIDENCE FOR POST-ROMAN MEAD PRODUCTION?, The Antiquaries Journal, September 2017, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0003581517000233.
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