Transnational material culture: the case of ceramics in the North of France

Résumé En

Northern France, due to is geographical position, clearly belongs to the North Sea dynamics. The number of ‘transnational’ importations can vary according to the archaeological context and whether they are found in rural or urban settlements, ‘poorer’ or ‘richer’ contexts, etc. The 14th century is marked by highly decorated ceramic that, despite the existence of some local productions, can come from other countries such as Great Britain, Flanders or the Netherlands. The arrival of stoneware, gradually replacing previous pottery types, is a sign of new trade roads. The German stoneware knows a large success in our region but Belgian and French productions like stoneware from the Beauvaisis area can be present too. The end of the 15th century sees the first importations of majolica. The biggest part seems to be produced in the Netherlands, nevertheless some examples can be associated with Italian objects too. Finally, the 17th century with the new technique of white slip decoration, which is mostly produced in France, also yields items that seem to come from Werra ware productions.The small area of Northern France is a good example to help understanding the movements of artefacts through medieval Europe.