Internet Archaeol. 17. Willis. Verifying the date of samian form types: Case Study 3, the La Graufesenque Drag. 37 decorated bowl

5.4.2.3 Verifying the date of samian form types: Case Study 3, the La Graufesenque Drag. 37 decorated bowl

Chart 4
Chart 4: The Frequency of Samian Forms over Time: the 'Currency' of the Decorated Bowl Drag. 37 from La Graufesenque in Britain as a Percentage within Samian Assemblages by Calendar Year (Source: database).

Chart 4 shows the relative frequency of the La Graufesenque Drag. 37 over time. The plot shows a clear bell-shaped profile. The earliest records of the type within the database date from the Claudio-Neronian period. The normally recognised debut of the type in any quantity is c. AD 70 (Webster 1996, 47-8), so these records therefore seem unusually early. In this case they may reflect the fact that the 'values' of types represented in site groups are spread by this method across the duration of the site phase, while in fact some types may really belong, as possibly in this case, in the latter part of a fairly lengthy phase; the database also shows that these early records for Drag. 37 derive from the Period 1 group from Fishbourne ('Fishb1'), which does have a long span (c. AD 43-74), and Metchley 1963-97 ('Metch1', c. AD 46-74). This is not necessarily the answer though: these vessels might include early arrivals of the form. Oswald and Pryce date its appearance from the Neronian period via its occurrence at Hofheim (1920, 95); similarly Millett's data relating to Boudiccan deposits demonstrate its occurrence in some quantity in Britain by c. AD 60 (1993b). Chart 4 shows a rapid rise in the frequency of the type from around that time. Certainly, on the basis of this dataset the great majority of examples of the type will date to after c. AD 70. By the mid Flavian period it accounts for 10% or more of all samian from site deposits. The type continues to form 10-12% of all samian into the early 2nd century, only beginning to decline c. AD 120. By c. AD 135 it still accounts for some 6% of all samian. According to these data it is not until the Antonine period that the type ceased to occur regularly among groups (cf. Chart 4 above). So again South Gaulish examples of this form still evidently formed part of the suite of decorated bowls in use in the first quarter of the 2nd century. The evidence of the dated incidence of La Graufesenque Drag. 37 vessels therefore suggests that they are as frequent among samian groups in deposits of c. AD 100-125 as they are c. AD 70-100. Hence a conventional ascription of a date for the type as being of c. AD 70-100/110 may need review or qualification, though, significantly, the absolute number of vessels being deposited in the period c. AD 100-125 was probably less than during the Flavian era.

Chart 5 plots the data for both the La Graufesenque Drag. 30 and the 37. This demonstrates the greater frequency of the latter and its later emphasis. Both types would seem to have continued in currency into the 2nd century. Both show a marked 'drop-off' in frequency after c. AD 125, a time when the samian products of the Lezoux industry become more prominent in Britain.

Chart 5
Chart 5: The Frequency of Samian Forms over Time: the 'Currency' of Decorated Bowls Drag. 30 and Drag. 37 from La Graufesenque as a Percentage within Samian Assemblages by Calendar Year (Source: database).

5.4.2.4 Verifying the date of samian form types: Case Study 4, the Les Martres Drag. 18/31 dish

The relative frequency of this form over time is plotted in Chart 6. The graph shows the floruit of the type during the early 2nd century, essentially c. AD 100-135, with a low 'tail' thereafter. This is consistent with the conventional dating of the form. Significantly, the database shows that this is the most frequent Les Martres form among the sample. Even so it forms only a very modest proportion of the samian in the sample, as Chart 6 clearly demonstrates. This tallies with the known infrequency of Les Martres ware in Britain compared with La Graufesenque and Lezoux samian (cf. Marsh 1981).

Chart 6
Chart 6: The Frequency of Samian Forms over Time: the 'Currency' of Dishes of form Drag. 18/31 from Les Martres in Britain as a Percentage within Samian Assemblages by Calendar Year (Source: database).