A Turkish Import in County Meath: Mediterranean Pottery on the M3

Analysis of a pottery fragment discovered on the M3 has revealed evidence of ancient trade between Ireland and the eastern Mediterranean. A sherd from the rim of an imported pottery vessel recovered from an early medieval cemetery at Collierstown 1, Co. Meath (excavated by Robert O’Hara of Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd), has been identified recently as Phocaean Red Slip Ware (PRSW) Form 3. The type is named after a major production centre at Phocaea, in western Turkey. The Collierstown sherd comes from a vessel manufactured there some 1,500 years ago.