Internet Archaeol. 17. Willis. Frequency of Montans samian

Tables 14 and 15 document the relative frequency of Montans samian at various sites in Britain. Table 14 uses number of vessels present as the measure, whereas in Table 15 the method is by number of sherds. On the whole the data show a consistent picture: where it occurs it typically forms only a very small proportion of the site samian assemblage. From the extra-mural occupation at Caerleon, 1984-90, for example, an aggregate of three examples of Montans samian are documented among an overall samian assemblage of 3218 vessels, from all contexts (Hartley 2000, 179-81); hence Montans samian accounts for 0.1% of the assemblage.

An exception is Strageath. This site is unusual among 2nd century military sites in Scotland in so far as (commendably) a full list of the samian recovered from the 1973-86 work has been published (Frere and Hartley 1989). Approximately ten Montans vessels (all of 2nd century date) from various contexts are represented among the samian from the 1973-86 excavations, comprising c. 10% of the 2nd century samian from the excavations. This is a comparatively high proportion of what is a relatively modest-sized 2nd century samian assemblage. Data of this kind from other sites in Antonine Scotland should help to establish whether this pattern at Strageath is in any way representative of the proportions formed by this ware in this domain.

Finally, quantitative data published from London (Davies et al. 1994) can be used to establish the frequency of Montans ware at that site through time, based on large samples. This information is presented in Tables 16 and 17 below. They show that Montans ware is more or less consistently represented through the sequence, albeit at very low levels of frequency. In the early Antonine period the frequency is much stronger and this is of course also the time of notable supply to Scotland. This might suggest a greater level of Montans supply to and consumption at London though the total of a full EVE (i.e. of 100, see Table 17) may mean that the figures are distorted in the case of this period by the presence of a single whole vessel.

Ceramic Phase	Date	Phase Sample Size	Montans Samian Total	% of Phase Total Formed by Montans Samian	Montans ware as a Proportion of all Samian per Phase (%)
1a	c. AD 50/55-60/61	50 183g	64g	0.13	1.9
1b	c. AD 60/61-75	112 152g	19g	0.02	0.4
2	c. AD 70-100	202 540g	0g	0.0	0.0
3	c. AD 100-120	200 461g	126g	0.06	1.1
4	c. AD 120-140	89 673g	10g	0.01	0.3
5	c. AD 140-160	132 377g	807g	0.61	14.8

Table 16: The relative frequency of Montans samian among ceramic phase assemblages from London by weight (excluding amphorae)

Source of raw data: Davies et al. 1994.

Ceramic Phase	Date	Phase Sample Size	Montans Samian Total	% of Phase Total formed by Montans Samian	Montans ware as a Proportion of all Samian per Phase (%)
1a	c. AD 50/55-60/61	52.81	15	0.28	1.6
1b	c. AD 60/61-75	133.42	7	0.05	0.4
2	c. AD 70-100	244.26	0	0.0	0.0
3	c. AD 100-120	259.37	12	0.05	0.4
4	c. AD 120-140	95.31	8	0.08	0.9
5	c. AD 140-160	176.35	1.00	0.57	8.9

Table 17: The relative frequency of Montans samian among ceramic phase assemblages from London by EVE (excluding amphorae)

Source of raw data: Davies et al. 1994.

6.6.5 Frequency of Montans samian