Bartmann Jug

This jug was one of the many artefacts found during the Eastbourne Urban Medieval Excavation Project which ran from 1977 until 1984. This excavation was carried out by Eastbourne Natural History and Archaeology Society under the expert leadership of Lawrence Stevens. This excavation started due to the road widening scheme around High Street, Old Town and much property was to be demolished. The cellars of these buildings contained a variety of demolition material including Horsham slab like that found on the church porch, some medieval slate similar to that found at Michelham Priory, parts of a green-glazed medieval crested roof tile, and pieces of Caen stone, from which St Mary’s Church is built.  Lime Kilns used during the building alterations to St Mary’s Church in the 13th century were also discovered as well as thousands of artefacts.

Another of the pottery finds was an Albarello, an apothecary or medicine jar and it was made around 1420AD a long way from Old Town Eastbourne where it was excavated in 1977.  In fact it is of a type produced in Malaga, Spain at a time when that part of the Country was in the great Muslim Emirate of Granada.

The Islamic script on the jar reads as 'The Treatment' as you may expect from a jar that once contained medicinal drugs. It may have been used for this purpose in Eastbourne too, but more likely it was picked up as a curiosity by a merchant or trader in the distant past.

We don't know how or when it ended up in Sussex but as the jar was found in an infilled well in deposits dating to the 1700's it may have been here for more than 300 years.  Perhaps in that time it had become a treasured possession or heirloom passed down within a family. We can only wonder what stories were attached to it before it was finally broken beyond repair and thrown away.