Early Fine Wares in Roman Britain

Abstract

The majority of the papers in this book deal with varieties of fine pottery manufactured in Britain during the later first and early second centuries. The likely reasons for this apparently abrupt rise and decline in fine ware production are discussed in detail in the introduction and by several of the contributors. Most of these wares had a relatively local distribution, but the variety of small-scale production evident from Wiltshire, for example, has important implications for other areas. British glazed wares are discussed by Arthur: his introduction is sometimes careless (e.g. implying that Central Gaulish samian was important in the third century), but his arguments for likely production sites are convincing, and he shows a wide distribution and range of types. The first of Anderson's papers on Wiltshire wares describes an interesting series of moulded bowls imitating samian. There is not space here to discuss his use of individual samian motifs as dating evidence, but it is treacherous ground, and a later, Flavian-Trajanic, date might be more appropriate from their general style. His second contribution deals with a group of colour-coated wares; their decoration includes stamped figures and combed wavy lines. An appendix to Greene's first paper assesses the evidence for pre-Flavian colour-coat production at Colchester. Rodwell brings together the products of several eastern centres sharing similar forms and styles of stamped decoration. A preliminary catalogue of stamps is illustrated and he demonstrates the possibility of identifying the crude individual dies. Marsh deals with the wealth of fine wares in London, and sets out the arguments for local production-including a useful transcription of Conyers' diary references. There is a detailed typology and discussion of origins and related types. (Under marbled wares, Marsh mentions late types recently identified by Fulford as imports.) Two papers examine individual vessel types: Tyers traces the development of 'poppy-head' beakers to their Continental origins, and includes an interesting application of statistical method in discussing typology and date; Green uses thin-sectioning to suggest a source south of Verulamium for barbotine 'ring and dot' beakers. The remaining three papers are concerned with imports, and stand somewhat aside from the main theme of the book. Greene's account of imports to A.D. 250 will prove indispensable: it includes his 1972 typology and extends it to embrace 'hunt cups' (barbotine styles may be useful in distinguishing these from British versions) and 'rhenish' wares. His second paper describes British finds of Central Gaulish moulded and applique glazed vessels. Williams and Dannell give an interim account of their work on early arretine and samian wares, indicating a variety of sources at the conquest period. Using thin-sectioning, Williams has been able to distinguish several fabrics; his success with this relatively simple technique on samian wares is important for future analysis of fine pottery fabrics. Some of the papers ...