Inside the Museum of London

Pot Idol is a contest to find the ceramic star of tomorrow! The winner will be given its time to shine and brought out from the archives at the Museum of London’s Festival of British Archaeology event, Hands-on pots. Over the next six weeks we will be presenting 6 hopeful pots for your consideration – it’s down to you to decide which will win the coveted title of Pot Idol. Once all of the hopefuls have been given a chance to win your hearts, we will ask you to cast your vote and change the life of one lucky pot. The chosen ceramic will appear at the Museum of London’s Festival of British Archaeology event, Hands-on pots on 21 and 22 July, where you can meet the winning pot face to, er, pot.

> Find out about contestant one, Imbrex
> Find out about contestant two, Amphora

Curator, Meriel Jeater, introduces our third contender, Loomweight…

This is a Saxon loomweight which was used on a warp-weighted weaving loom. Donut-shaped weights were attached to the warp (vertical) threads and kept them taut on the loom. The threads were tied through the central hole in the weight (which is why it is slightly oval in shape). The weaver would stand when using this type of loom. Many loomweights have been recovered from the Saxon town of Lundenwic in the area around modern Covent Garden, showing that there was a thriving textile industry there.

The Festival of British Archaeology runs from 14-29 July 2012. Join staff at the Museum of London for an exploration into the vital role that ceramics have played in the history of the capital. Discover how pots were made and why, and try crafting your own. A special weekend of family activities will take place on 21 and 22 July.