This probable tankard fragment was recovered from the Buried A horizon of an archaeological excavation. Buried A soil horizons may be indicative of a buried living surface (one on which historic people might have walked!) in archaeological terms, and sometimes contain within them dateable and unexpected artifacts! You can learn more about buried soil horizons here: https://www.sassa.org.uk/index.php/Tutorial:Buried_Soils.
This grey-bodied salt glazed stoneware fragment is stylized similarly to German Westerwald stonewares, but lacks the quality typically expected from them. It is believed to be a fragment of what is known as “debased” Westerwald, identifiable by its comparatively crude hand-painted design and generally poorer quality. Likely locally produced, the production of this fragment may range from about 1714 to 1760.
📸: Michael Brown