About the PCRG
History
The PCRG was formed in 1988 by combining the memberships of the Iron Age Pottery Research Group (which had been active in eastern England since 1976) and the First Millennium BC Ceramics Research Group (which had been active in central-southern England since 1985). In 1994 the scope of the PCRG was widened to include ceramics from the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods.
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Who we are
We currently have around 100 members, mostly in the UK but also internationally. Many of our members work as pottery specialists in commercial and academic archaeology. Others are potters, experimental archaeologists, or work with heritage and archaeology in the public sector and in museums. We also welcome members without a background in archaeology but with an enthusiasm for all things ceramic.
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What we do
We hold annual conferences and are frequently involved in consultations on how to analyse and curate prehistoric pottery. We have published a number of guides and edited volumes, both on our own and in collaboration with our sister societies the Study Group for Roman Pottery, the Medieval Pottery Research Group, and the Ceramic Petrology Group. Many of our publications can be downloaded here.
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Committee
Grace Jones (President), Elina Brook (Secretary), Sarah Percival (Treasurer), Elaine Morris, Matt Brudenell, David Knight, Isobel Thompson, Alistair Barclay, and Nigel Brown
Our Privacy Policy
This privacy policy covers the personal information that the Prehistoric Ceramic Research Group (PCRG) collects and holds about its UK and European (EU) members, the ways in which the Group uses that information, and the rights of its members regarding their personal information. This policy is designed to demonstrate compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), in force from 25 May 2018.
The PCRG holds certain personal information about its members, and this information is supplied by the members on joining the group. It may be reiterated on membership renewal, and in application to attend PCRG events. As a minimum this information comprises name and email address; it may also include phone number(s) and postal address(es).
All matters of membership are dealt with by the Secretary, a fixed-term committee post. Membership applications are supplied by members via the PCRG website or via email. Members’ personal data are then entered digitally into a spreadsheet format, and the spreadsheet also includes details of subscription payments.
The Secretary updates and maintains the membership database; a second copy of the database is held by the Treasurer (an ex-officio committee post) in order to deal with mailings (newsletter and event bookings). Members’ personal data are held digitally for the period of membership, and for up to two years following lapsed membership. Data for cancelled memberships, and for deceased members, are removed from the records immediately on notification.
Every effort is made to ensure that all personal data held by the PCRG is accurate; any errors reported are immediately corrected.
Personal data is only ever used by the PCRG, and is never passed to any other person or organisation. The PCRG holds this information in order to fulfil its obligations to its members. The PCRG has a legitimate interest in being able to receive members’ subscriptions, contact members and inform them of activities, as well as to re-engage members whose membership has recently lapsed.
Under the provisions of the GDPR, PCRG members have the right to object to the group holding their personal data, and can apply at any time to have some or all of their data removed from the group’s records.