Handcrafted Neolithic Mortlake Bowl – Peterborough Impressed Ware Style
Details
Made by some of the first people to settle and farm in the British Isles, Mortlake bowls like this would have been used by Neolithic communities to cook and store food. The curved base allows the pot to sit securely in the embers of an open fire, just as the original vessels would have done over 5,000 years ago.
Created in the Peterborough Impressed Ware style, this early decorative technique produces a distinctive and tactile surface that is as beautiful to handle as it is to admire. The decoration has been applied using tools made from bone, in keeping with Neolithic traditions.
This bowl is based on examples excavated from the greater Stonehenge landscape, particularly at Wilsford Down, though similar vessels have been found across much of the UK. These Mortlake bowls represent one of the earliest forms of pottery made in Britain, dating back to around 3500 BCE.
Please note: This bowl has been made in a small batch, and while you may not receive the exact bowl photographed, any variations will be minimal. Each piece carries its own individual character due to the handmade and smoke-firing process.
Materials
Smoke-fired terracotta
Dimensions
Height: Approx. 140 mm
Diameter: Approx. 215 mm
Firing
This pot has been fired to emulate ancient firing conditions. The original vessels would have been fired in open wood fires, in direct contact with the fuel—a method that leaves natural surface variations and mottling on the clay.
To increase durability, this replica has been fired to a somewhat higher temperature, in a carefully managed process that achieves an authentic Neolithic appearance while strengthening the pot for long-term handling and display.
Production
As with all of our museum-quality replicas, this bowl has been handmade in Northumberland from natural clay, using replica tools based on archaeological finds. The decoration has been applied using a bone, just as Neolithic potters would have done over five millennia ago.
Health & Safety
Museum-Quality Replica: Made using the tools and techniques that would have been used during the Neolithic era.
Not food safe: As this is an unglazed earthenware pot with a porous surface, it will absorb the flavours of any food or liquid used in it. While this could enhance the flavour of future dishes, it also means that this pot does not meet modern health and safety standards and is not recommended for cooking or food storage.
For display purposes only: Some enthusiasts choose to use replicas like this in experimental archaeology, but this is done at their own risk.
Neolithic cooks ensured hygiene by heating pots and their contents to over 70°C for at least 10 minutes to kill harmful bacteria, with 100°C or more offering additional protection.
Ordering Information
'Add to Basket' Items: Ready to ship immediately.
'Pre-order' Items: Handmade to order within 90 days (longer for international orders). If your order includes both 'Add to Basket' and 'Pre-order' items, they will be shipped together once all items are ready.
Shipping
All items are sent via second-class postal service as standard.
If you require first-class shipping, please contact us for a custom quote.
Postage Note: All items are carefully packaged to ensure they arrive in perfect condition.
A timeless reminder of the resilience and creativity of Neolithic life, this Mortlake bowl brings the ancient past into the present—one handmade impression at a time.
