Reflections on creating a knowledgeable Roman pottery specialist Amy Thorp Museum of London Archaeology Service (MoLAS)

What is needed to train a Roman pottery specialist? 1.Expertise/Resources 2.Budget 3.Timescale

Expertise/Resources Value of having a mentor Fabric reference collections Vessel reference collections

Fabric Reference - Polstore

Vessel reference – Ceramics and Glass store

Budget & Timescale Budget & Timescale firmly interlinked Considerable commercial investment in training Six stage process used to structure training: -Stage 1 – introduction -Stages 2 to 4 Spot dating training -Stage 5 Assessment report writing -Stage 6 Publication report writing

And in addition … Trainee’s background can make crucial difference to: Speed at which they progress (and hence budget needed)

Implications for training samian specialists Working alongside expert Variety of resources Strong structure but still fluid Broad knowledge of Roman pottery Inspiration and enthusiasm