The Supply and Distribution of Ceramic Building Material in Roman Britain

Abstract

This paper outlines the introduction and development of the use of ceramic building materials in Britain. CBM was introduced as part of the A.D. 43 Roman invasion, and was used initially by the military, retiring veterans and elite members of allied indigenous groups. There was a clear expansion of demand by urban centres in the mid to later 2nd c., a demand that was satisfied by itinerant groups of building specialists. In the later Roman period urban development all but ceased, but there was still abundant civilian demand for high status rural buildings. This coincided with the development of static tile production centres feeding wide regional networks, mainly overland. However, even though tile makers became sedentary, there was still a need for itinerant building specialists.