POTTERY relics thought to date from the 13th to 18th centuries have been uncovered in Wednesbury during a housing development project.
The discovery of pottery shards and pots is providing archaeologists with valuable evidence of industry and domestic life in the town in medieval and post-medieval times.
A development of two apartments at a plot of land to the rear of Lower High Street required archaeological work.
The owner and developer Jaswinder Singh, a local businessman who runs Mann Fashion next to the site, commissioned Ironbridge Archaeology to undertake an evaluation on the recommendation of Sandwell Council's archaeologist Graham Eyre-Morgan.
The excellent quality of the artefacts found prompted an open area excavation of the site.
Among the discoveries was a large amount of saggars and wasters, which suggested the close proximity to a late medieval pottery kiln.
The site contains a number of pits, ditches and other features.
Graham Eyre-Morgan said: "This site is the most exciting bit of archaeology we have seen in Wednesbury and it provides us with a fascinating glimpse of the town from medieval times.
"Ironbridge Archaeology and our department are amazed at the amount of artefacts discovered."
Paul Belford, director of Ironbridge Archaeology, said: " Wednesbury was an
important pottery manufacturing centre in the late medieval and early post-medieval periods, and ware made here is found throughout the West Midlands region.
"This discovery, which has expanded both our historic and archaeological knowledge of Wednesbury, will form a solid foundation for all further archaeological work in this historic town."
The dig finished on Wednesday and the development of the two apartments will proceed in due course.
