1. Romano-british pottery
Amber Kreiensieck
CLCV 340
March 30, 2017

2. POTTERY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
It’s a dateable material
Super tough and doesn’t decay (as much)
Can use it to form connections between regions
Trade and cultural

3. VOCABULARY
KILN GROUP
Kiln groups provide fixed points where pottery was made in Britain. Determines the domestic production assemblage (the range of forms and fabrics).

4. KILN GROUPS AND CONTEXT: PAUL TYERS
Geographical location: fixed point to relate to marketing centers and supply routes
Date of deposition: monitoring change in supply over time
Function: The shapes produced reflect the activities of the site
Social factors: differences in social/economic standings result in differing supply

5. VOCABULARY
AMPHORA Vessel used for the storage and transport of (primarily) liquids such as olive oil, wine, and fish sauce

6. IMPORTATION OF AMPHORAE
Pretty much all luxury items, like wine and olive oil
Imported from Gaul, Italy, Spain, and more!
Virtually stopped in the 3rd century
Advertisements/labels were sometimes impressed into the amphora
“Lucius Tettius Africanus’ excellent fish-sauce from Antipolis” (RIB, II, 6, )
In the 1st century BC, British exports are archaeologically invisible
Strabo is our source that Britain was exporting

7. IMPORTED CERAMICS 100 BC-43 AD 43 AD-100 AD 100 AD-180AD 180 AD-250AD

8. BRITISH POTTERY Native pottery tended to have no or minimal decoration
Coarse ware
No figural decoration
However, interactions with the continent heavily influenced production
Pot from Ipplepen, likely from 3rd-5th c. AD

9. TERRA SIGILLATA (AKA SAMIAN WARE)
VOCABULARY
TERRA SIGILLATA (AKA SAMIAN WARE)
Ceramics from continental Europe (particularly Gaul). Very hard and glossy orange; Britain imported this fabric and tried to emulate it in some workshops.

10. ROMANO-BRITISH POTTERY
Tried to imitate terra sigillata; but not very successful
Wide range of forms
Adopted Roman and Western Mediterranean forms by the 1st c. AD
Adaption to the military market & specialization in the economy

11. ROMAN EFFECT ON BRITISH POTTERY
Higher proportion were wheel-spun and fired in specialized kilns
Coarse wares were more consistently gray in color
Before Roman occupation, irregular firing much more common
Increased use of finer clays for a creamier color
Used for higher quality Roman vessels such as mortaria (mixing bowls)
Mortarium from Verulamium, 1st c. AD

12. MORTARIA STAMPS
Primarily in the 1st & 2nd century AD, potters in Britain stamped their name into mortaria
Freedmen citizens
Romano-British family(?) business
Albinus Matugenus

13. DISCUSSION
Why do you think that fine wares continued to be imported into Britain, even as Romano-British potters developed techniques to produce higher quality pottery?
What does the presence of Romano-British “family” run kilns indicate about civilian, rather than military, enculturation during Roman occupation?

14. SOURCES
Davey, John. “Reconstructed Romano-British Pot.” Ipplepen Archaeological Project. Wordpress, 22 November Web. 30 March Fulford, Michael. “Economic Structures.” A Companion to Roman Britain. Malcolm Todd. Malden: Blackwell, Print. Ireland, Stanley. Roman Britain: A Sourcebook, 3rd Edition. London: Routledge, Print. Mattingly, David. An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire. London: Penguin, Print. McKeown, James. “The Romano-British Amphora Trade to 43 A.D.” Roman History. McKeown, Web. 30 March Mortarium. Digital image. British Museum. British Museum, n.d. Web. 30 Mar “Romano-British Gallery.” Under the Uplands. Digventures, Web. 30 March “Samian Ware.” Pottery in the Roman Period. University College London, Web. 30 March Tyers, Paul. Roman Pottery in Britain. London: Routledge, Print. Tyers, Paul. “Romano-British Pottery Production Sites.” Potsherd Web. 30 March Ward, John. “Pottery.” Roman Era in Britain. London: Methuen, University of Chicago. Web. 30 March