Nottingham Samian Research Workshops No. 1: Current and Future Research 6 th Feb 2008 Dr Steven Willis, University of Kent A review of some trends in Samian use in Britain

Past Recording (routine work) material so suitable for studies Past Synthesis work in Britain Evolution of my Studies Methodology (routine), assemblage or group based, integral, lists, and not straight forward Grouping data, looking at the chronology of forms, economic and social distribution, by site type, of forms and fabrics What you can get from applied studies - True of nature of archaeological studies generally

Quantities of samian in Britain through time Clarification of general picture Nature of the Groups one deals with – Excavation approaches, what is reported and how, ´internal circularity ´- Wider picture of dating framework Fuzziness is ok BUT NOT A DIFFICULTY in Outcomes

Dating of Forms through Time The English Heritage Funded Project Tested dating of samian types by looking at their Stratified Incidence Interactive Database is online – over 20,000 hits

A Data set with utility For comparison with specific site assemblages But who will use it

Where did it go to? Who were the Main Consumers? Military / Vici & Urban Sites All other sites (Small Towns, Villas, Rural Sites, Temples)

And some Surprises Vici have the largest percentages of samian and the highest proportions of decorated forms Consistent with other indicators

A further Surprise – Burial Discrepancies Cemeteries and Burials associated with Military and Urban sites yield only small numbers of samian vessels Yet at rural sites samian is prominent - In contrast to the ‘normal site deposits’ - Samian from settlement layers

This pattern is visible on the Continent too

This trend of interest in samian and special treatment of it in ‘rural’ contexts can also be seen in its ‘over representation’ amongst structured / votive deposits in the countryside Selected – often whole – for such use

Samian and Contextual, Spatial / Functional Studies Study of the Incidence of Samian Inkwells - A diagnostic indicator -Where were they occurring? - Faith in contexts - Decorated pieces and contexts – what does that tell us? - Site formation processes and field archaeology

A Trinovantian Drinking Tradition? Samian Cups in Essex Function and Usage Use-wear and Repair – what does this tell us

What is not known or little understood in terms of quantitative / distribution study? Samian from Villas Specific Sites The Northern Frontier - Framework Hadrianic Deposits (? dating and ‘Long Waves’)

Problem of Compatibility of study with Continental assemblages – a current aspect of my work Problem of Samian Curation – when does it pass out of use? - Some types curated longer than others -The Third Century

What Next from these perspectives? Time, money and commitment Quality Data Interest Personal & Technical Resources Timely Contribution to Research Agendas Integration with wider spheres of Study

Strength of the Platform Linkage with Typological and Stamp Indices Convincing our Colleagues of the need to invest and support publication The potential of ‘our mutual friend’ – heritage and gift, we are the ‘trustees’