Medieval Archaeology: Tiles and Floor Designs

The first tile to appear in medieval times was the ceramic floor tile in the thirteenth century. Such tiles were exclusively used to decorate the religious institutions and homes of the royalty and nobility. Some of the common patterns of ceramic tiles included geometric designs, decorative mosaics, family crests, and depictions of Christian scenes and symbols. During the middle ages, the tile production cost was quite high and only the church and a few wealthy people could afford it. However, with the passage of time, the cost of producing tiles reduced due to the manufacturing process becoming more affordable and common. This increased the accessibility and affordability of the medieval floor tiles. Inlaid tiles or encaustic tiles were the most common tiles in the medieval period. Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles which are composed of the pattern or figure on the surface. These patterns are created using different colors of clay. This book studies the design, manufacture and use of floor tiles in the medieval period. It is a vital tool for all researching or studying medieval archaeology.