Rubbish and the Creation of Urban Landscape

Ben Jervis supervised by

I argue that our understanding and definition of ‘rubbish’ is far too limited. Analysis of several ceramic assemblages from sites in medieval Southampton of varying social status, demonstrates that the way waste was treated and perceived is contextual. It is influenced by socio-economic factors and changed in response to developments in the social and economic landscape of the town. I propose that as waste, pottery occupies a transient position and an umbrella classification of ‘rubbish’ is too generalised. My analysis shows that some pottery was open to reinterpretation, for example as a component of compost, and thus was perceived to have utility. Other pottery was permanently buried and this action can be interpreted as socially meaningful. My quantitative analysis of pottery assemblages demonstrates that the way pottery (and other waste) was disposed of led to the creation of managed space, both within the home and in the wider urban landscape. The spaces created are intimately linked to the practices carried out within them. Deposition is one such practice, which is both structured by and has a role in structuring and domesticating this space. The way pottery was classified in use influences its deposition, however this is more nuanced than a direct spatial link between use and depositional areas. Quantitative analysis of pottery highlights the challenges facing us in understanding rubbish deposits. For too long most material was perceived as rubbish. This research argues that pure rubbish deposits are comparatively rare and that deposition is more complex than previously understood.