Appendix 8.1

The Incidence of Samian Mortaria: Amongst a Sample of 30 Site Assemblages

Mortaria, for the purposes of this survey, are taken to be the familiar gritted types, specifically forms Curle 21, and Drag. 43 and 45

Part I. Presence

The Channel Islands - Guernsey:

Grandes Rocques

Sebire, H.R. 1985. A Roman samian mortarium from Grandes Rocques, La Société Guernesiaise Report and Transactions 21, Part 5, 720-2.

Site type: Not known; the sherds comprising this item were recovered from a modern ground make-up dump, and the source of this matter could not be established, though there is no doubt that it was from somewhere on Guernsey.

The vessel is a Drag. 45 represented by 3 sherds; the source seems fairly certainly CG Lezoux; no other Roman pottery or other finds were, seemingly, recovered. This item is illustrated (Sebire 1985, Fig. 2). [Identification CJ].

St. Peter Port, Cow Bay

Burns, R.B. and Burns, A.G. 1985. Gallo-Roman finds from Guernsey and Herm, La Société Guernesiaise Report and Transactions 21, Part 5, 652-66.

A Curle 21 in CG Lezoux fabric, dated as Antonine occurs, though it is miss-identified in the report as a Drag. 38 (Burns and Burns 1985, 657, Fig. 3 No. 3).

County Durham:

Old Durham

Richmond, I.A., Romans, T. and Wright, R.P. 1944. A civilian bath-house of the Roman period at Old Durham, Archaeologia Aeliana, fourth series 22, 1-21.

Site type: 'Villa'.

A Drag. 45 is represented, though the fabric/source is not stated. It occurs along with other samian in what is a modest sized pottery sample from this site; a detailed catalogue is not presented; the date range of the pottery is c. AD 130-400 (cf. Richmond et al. 1944, 12, Fig. 5 No. 3).

Cumbria:

Biglands Milefortlet

Potter, T.W. 1977. The Biglands milefortlet and the Cumberland coast defences, Britannia 8, 1977, 149-83.

Hartley, B.R. and Dickinson, B.M. 1977. The samian, in T.W. Potter, The Biglands milefortlet and the Cumberland coast defences, Britannia 8, 1977, 172-3.

Site type: Roman military milefort.

A Drag. 45 mortarium occurs in Lezoux fabric (Hartley and Dickinson 1977, 173), amongst a small assemblage of second century samian. [Identification BRH and BMD].

Devon:

Pomeroy Wood

Fitzpatrick, A.P., Butterworth, C.A. and Grove, J. 1999. Prehistoric and Roman Sites in East Devon: The A30 Honiton to Exeter Improvement DBFO Scheme, 1996-9. Volume 2: Romano-British Sites, Wessex Archaeology, Salisbury.

Mills, J.M. 1999. Samian, in A.P. Fitzpatrick et al., Prehistoric and Roman Sites in East Devon: The A30 Honiton to Exeter Improvement DBFO Scheme, 1996-9. Volume 2: Romano-British Sites, Wessex Archaeology, Salisbury, 292-7.

Site type: (At this stage a) Roadside settlement.

Two Drag. 45 mortaria occur in Lezoux fabric (Mills 1999, 293). They are present amongst a max. of 254 CG Lezoux vessels of which 70 are not identified to form, and 184 are identified to form. (East Gaulish samian is absent). [Identification JMM].

East Yorkshire:

Brough-on-Humber 1958-61

Wacher, J.S. 1969. Excavations at Brough-on-Humber 1958-61, Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London, Report 25, The Society of Antiquaries, London.

Hartley, B.R. 1969. The samian pottery, in J.S. Wacher, Excavations at Brough-on-Humber 1958-61, Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London, Report 25, The Society of Antiquaries, London, 107-32.

Site type: Roman military fort / depot; civil settlement/civitas capital.

From stratified Roman period deposits:

The catalogue of samian from Roman period stratified deposits, comprises 150 CGSW, and 10 EGSW vessels.

From post-Roman deposits or unstratified:

The number of samian vessels from such deposits is not given. [Identification BRH].

Essex:

Harlow, Church Langley, Old House 1991-4

Medlycott, M. 2000. Prehistoric, Roman and post-medieval material from Harlow: investigations at Church Langley 1989-1994, Essex Archaeology and History 31, 33-93.

Martin, T.S. 2000a. The late Iron Age and Roman pottery, in M. Medlycott, Prehistoric, Roman and post-medieval material from Harlow: investigations at Church Langley 1989-1994, Essex Archaeology and History 31, 50-9.

Site type: Rural, farmstead.

A Drag. 45 in East Gaulish Trier fabric is reported (Martin 2000a, 53, Table 7) amongst a phase group dated to the mid-3rd century. Overall, the excavations produced a modest sized sample of samian, with a little other EG samian present.

Heybridge, Elms Farm 1993-5

Atkinson, M. forthcoming. Excavations at Heybridge, Elms Farm 1993-5.

Site type: Smaller civil centre.

  1. Mortaria in Central Gaulish Lezoux fabric:
  1. Mortaria in East Gaulish fabrics:
  1. Mortaria in Colchester fabric:

Note:

Gloucestershire:

Kingscote, Site 2

Timby, J.R. 1998. Excavations at Kingscote and Wycomb, Gloucestershire: a Roman Estate centre and Small Town in the Cotswolds, with notes on related settlements, Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd, Cirencester.

Site type: Rural; enigmatic at this date; a villa-estate?

A Drag. 45, fabric/source not stated, is recorded as present, along with other samian in what is a large sample; a detailed catalogue is not presented, though forms present are listed (cf. 1998, 241).

Wycomb, Syreford Mill 1973-7

Timby, J.R. 1998. Excavations at Kingscote and Wycomb, Gloucestershire: a Roman Estate centre and Small Town in the Cotswolds, with notes on related settlements, Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd, Cirencester.

Site type: 'Small town'.

A Drag. 45, fabric/source not stated, is recorded as present, along with other samian of which, details not given (cf. Timby 1998, 330). [Identification J. Timby].

Hertfordshire:

Baldock 1968-72

Stead, I.M. and Rigby, V. 1986. Baldock: The Excavation of a Roman and Pre-Roman Settlement 1968-72, Britannia Monograph Series 7, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London.

Dickinson, B.M. 1986. The samian potters' stamps, in I.M. Stead and V. Rigby, Baldock: The Excavation of a Roman and Pre-Roman Settlement 1968-72, Britannia Monograph Series 7, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London, 202-12.

Site type: Smaller centre / Religious focus?

A Drag. 45 in CG Lezoux fabric is recorded, stamped by Geminus vi, c. AD 170-200 (Dickinson 1986, 206). [Identification BMD]

Northumberland:

Carrawburgh, Mithraeum

Richmond, I.A. and Gillam, J.P. 1951. The temple of Mithras at Carrawburgh, Archaeologia Aeliana, fourth series 29, 1-92.

Site type: Military, extra-mural / Religious.

Drag. 45 is represented; 2 vessels occur; the fabric/source not certain from the statements: "in a good red glaze comparable with Lezoux products" and "probably made in Central Gaul" (1951, 70). Both are broken, though sherds re-assemble to produce near complete vessels. The suggestion in the report is that these 2 vessels were in use in the mithraeum.

"Both vessels are in excellent condition and had received very little wear, either before or after they were broken. ... Fragments of both vessels were found in each of two separate deposits: some came from just inside and to west of the door ... and others came from the board level of the apse. ... The use to which they were put was probably ceremonial rather than domestic, and it may be remarked that their lion-head spouts no doubt gave them a special attraction in the eyes of Mithraists" [amongst whom lion-symbolism will have been significant] (1951, 70-1; see Fig. 10 No. 26). Other evidence of ritual deposits / structured deposition, is recorded. [Identification presumably John Gillam].

Oxfordshire:

Dorchester-on-Thames, Beech House Hotel 1972

Rowley, T. and Brown, L. 1981. Excavations at Beech House Hotel, Dorchester-on-Thames 1972, Oxoniensia 46, 1981, 1-55. [Published 1982].

Bird, J. 1981. Samian ware, in T. Rowley and L. Brown, Excavations at Beech House Hotel, Dorchester-on-Thames 1972, Oxoniensia 46, 1981, 25-6. [Published 1982].

Site type: 'Small Town'.

1 example of a Drag. 45 is reported amongst a small assemblage of samian covering a wide date range of c. AD 65-250. The fabric/source of the Drag. 45 is given as Central or East Gaulish (Bird 1981, 25). [Identification JB].

Shropshire:

Meole Brace 1989-90

Dickinson, B.M. 1994a. Samian, in P. Ellis, Jane Evans, H. Hanaford, G. Hughes and A. Jones, Excavations in the Wroxeter hinterland 1988-1990: the archaeology of the Shrewsbury bypass, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society 69, 85-7.

Site type: Roadside settlement.

1 example of a Drag. 45 is present amongst an overall samian assemblage of c. 174 vessels identifiable to form, both stratified and unstratified, covering a potential date range of c. AD 155-200/250, very largely CG Lezoux, but including some EG vessels.

The fabric / source of the Drag. 45 is not given. [Identification BMD].

Whitchurch 1965-6

Jones, G.D.B. and Webster, P.V. 1969. Mediolanium: excavations at Whitchurch 1965-6, The Archaeological Journal 125, 193-254.

Wild, F. 1969. The samian pottery, in G.D.B. Jones and P.V. Webster, Mediolanium: excavations at Whitchurch 1965-6, The Archaeological Journal 125, 215-21.

Site type: Initially a Roman military fort; later developing into a 'Small Town'

2 CG Lezoux Drag. 45 mortaria are recorded amongst a second century CG Lezoux total of 60 catalogued vessels.

There are only 2 EG samian vessels represented, neither of which is a mortarium. [Identification FW].

Somerset:

Ilchester, Castle Farm 1985

Leach, P. and Ellis, P. 1991. Ilchester archaeology: excavations on the western defences and suburbs, 1985, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, 135, 1991, 11-84.

Site type: Initially a Roman military fort; later developing into a 'Small Town'.

One mortarium is present being a Drag. 45 in Trier fabric. This item occurs in an overall CG Lezoux and EG samian assemblage from all stratified layers of 28 identifiable vessels (ie. identifiable vessel forms) covering period c. AD 120-200+.

Mortaria are absent from an overall CG Lezoux stratified samian assemblage of 24 vessels covering the period c. AD 120-200.

There are 2 other EG samian vessels represented and 1 vessel that is either CG or EG. [Identification BMD]

Ilchester, Pill Bridge Lane 1985

Leach, P. and Ellis, P. 1991. Ilchester archaeology: excavations on the western defences and suburbs, 1985, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society 135, 1991, 11-84.

Site type: Initially a Roman military fort; later developing into a 'Small Town'.

One mortarium is present in an overall CG Lezoux samian assemblage from all stratified layers of 15 identifiable vessels (ie. vessels identifiable to form) covering the period c. AD 120-200+. The 1 vessel is a Drag. 45 (from Lezoux).

There are no EG samian vessels represented. [Identification BMD].

Staffordshire:

Wall

Ball, F. and Ball, N. 1985. 'Rescue' excavations at Wall (Staffordshire), 1980-81 (Wall Excavations Report No. 13), Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society 25, for 1983-4, 1-30.

Hartley, B.R. 1985b. Samian pottery, in F. Ball, and N. Ball, 'Rescue' excavations at Wall (Staffordshire), 1980-81 (Wall Excavations Report No. 13), Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society 25, for 1983-4, 17-20.

Site type: by this time the site is a 'Small Town'.

Site: Area/trench WT/1 - A "gritted mortarium" frag. and a Drag. 45 rim, both Central Gaulish are noted (Hartley 1985b, 18), together with a Drag. 45 from East Gaul (Hartley, 1985b, 20), amongst an apparently modest size assemblage of samian. The Drag. 45 rim comes from a vessel "heavily worn inside" (Hartley 1985b, 18). [Identification BRH].

Warwickshire:

Salford Priors

Palmer, S.C. 1999. Archaeological excavations in the Arrow Valley, Warwickshire, Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society 103, for 1999 [Published 2000], 1-230.

Dickinson, B.M. 1999c. Fabric Class S, Samian, in S.C. Palmer, Archaeological excavations in the Arrow Valley, Warwickshire, Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society 103, for 1999 [Published 2000], 106-7.

Site type: Rural.

The presence of: a single "mortarium" in EG Argonne fabric is recorded (Dickinson 1999c, 107, Table 21), amongst an assemblage of 105 sherds (c. AD 50-250) from 85 vessels. [Identification BMD].

West Sussex:

Boxgrove, Ounces Barn

Bedwin, O. and Place, C. 1995. Late Iron Age and Romano-British occupation at Ounces Barn, Boxgrove, West Sussex: excavations 1982-83, Sussex Archaeological Collections 133, for 1995, 45-101.

Middleton, H.R. and Rudling, D. 1995. The pottery, in O. Bedwin and C. Place, Late Iron Age and Romano-British occupation at Ounces Barn, Boxgrove, West Sussex: excavations 1982-83, Sussex Archaeological Collections 133, for 1995, 65-89.

Site type: Rural.

Drag form "43 or 45" is recorded as present and dated as "Antonine" (Middleton and Rudling 1995, 66), amongst an assemblage of c. 77 identifiable sherds of Central Gaulish samian. [Identification GBD].

Bullock Down

Drewett, P.L. 1982. The Archaeology of Bullock Down, Eastbourne, East Sussex: The Development of a Landscape, Sussex Archaeological Society Monograph 1, The Sussex Archaeological Society, Lewes, microfiche.

Site type: Rural/agricultural landscape.

Curle 21 in Central Gaulish fabric, and Drag form 45 in East Gaulish fabric are recorded as present (List of forms present in Microfiche, F1.30) [Identification: probably Dave Rudling].

Fishbourne, Fishbourne Channel

Rudkin, D.J. 1986. The excavation of a Romano-British site by Chichester Harbour, Fishbourne, Sussex Archaeological Collections 124, 51-77.

Dannell, G.B. 1986b. Samian pottery, in D.J. Rudkin, The excavation of a Romano-British site by Chichester Harbour, Fishbourne, Sussex Archaeological Collections 124, 65.

Site type: Rural.

The forms Drag. 43 and 45 occur, amongst a small group of samian sherds (in addition to some South Gaulish sherds and some LMV items, c. 56 sherds are from Lezoux, 2 from East Gaul and 2 perhaps the work of the Pulborough potter); the fabrics in which the samian mortaria occur, and the number of examples represented, are not stated. [Identification GBD].

Shoreham, Slonk Hill 1969-74

Hartridge, R. 1978. Excavations at the prehistoric and Romano-British site on Slonk Hill, Shoreham, Sussex, Sussex Archaeological Collections 116, 69-141.

Fulford, M.G. 1978. The Romano-British pottery, in R. Hartridge, Excavations at the prehistoric and Romano-British site on Slonk Hill, Shoreham, Sussex, Sussex Archaeological Collections 116, 119-131.

Site type: Rural.

5 items of samian mortaria are present amongst an overall assemblage of c. 47 samian vessels (c. AD 50-250). These 5 items are all of Drag. 45 form and catalogued as "CG Antonine". [Identification MGF].

Worcestershire:

Droitwich, Upwich 1983-4

Hurst, J.D. (ed.) 1997. A Multi-Period Salt Production Site at Droitwich: Excavations at Upwich, CBA Research Report 107, Council for British Archaeology, York.

Dickinson, B.M. 1997d. Note on samian ware, in J.D. Hurst (ed.), A Multi-Period Salt Production Site at Droitwich: Excavations at Upwich, CBA Research Report 107, Council for British Archaeology, York, 72 and Microfiche 62-7.

Site type: Smaller centre / industrial complex.

Dickinson notes the presence of: "three Lezoux gritted mortaria" dating to after c. AD 170 (1997d, 72). [Identification BMD].

North Claines, Linacres Farm 1994

Dalwood, H., Buteux, V. and Pearson, E. 1998. Archaeology on the Astley to Worcester Aqueduct, Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society 16, 1998, 1-35.

Dickinson, B.M. and Hurst, D. 1998. Roman imported wares: samian, in H. Dalwood, et al. Archaeology on the Astley to Worcester Aqueduct, Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society 16, 1998, 18-9.

Site type: Rural, farmstead, small scale industrial (iron smithing).

4 mortaria occur, present in an overall CG Lezoux and EG recovered samian assemblage of 66 vessels. Of the 66 different vessels present 58 are CG Lezoux (41 identifiable to form or generic type; 17 indeterminate) the remaining 8 vessels are EG (6 identifiable to form or generic type; 2 indeterminate). The overall potential date range is c. AD 120/140-260.

All 4 mortaria are CG Lezoux items: 2 are Drag. 45; the other 2 can only be classified as "gritted mortaria". [Identification BMD & DH].

Wales:

Caerleon, The Canabae 1984-90

Evans, E. 2000. The Caerleon Canabae: Excavations in the Civil Settlement 1984-90, Britannia Monograph Series 16, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London.

Hartley, B.R. 2000. The samian, in E. Evans, The Caerleon Canabae: Excavations in the Civil Settlement 1984-90, Britannia Monograph Series 16, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London, 178-97.

Site type: Vicus at Roman military site.

  1. Mortaria in Central Gaulish Lezoux fabric:
  1. Mortaria in East Gaulish fabrics:

Notes:

Part II. Absence

Cambridgeshire:

Tort Hill East

Ellis, P., Hughes, G., Leach, P., Mould, C. and Sterenberg, J. 1998. Excavations alongside Roman Ermine Street, Cambridgeshire 1996, Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit Monograph 1, BAR British Series 276, Archaeopress, Oxford.

Mills, J.M. 1998. Samian, in P. Ellis, G. Hughes, P. Leach, C. Mould, and J. Sterenberg, Excavations alongside Roman Ermine Street, Cambridgeshire 1996, Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit Monograph 1, BAR British Series 276, Archaeopress, Oxford, 68-71.

Site type: Rural.

Cumbria:

Stanwix, Miles MacInnes Hall

Caruana, I. 2000. Observations in the vicus of Stanwix Roman fort on the site of the Miles MacInnes Hall, 1986, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society 100, 56-78.

Dickinson, B.M. 2000b. Samian ware, in I. Caruana, Observations in the vicus of Stanwix Roman fort on the site of the Miles MacInnes Hall, 1986, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society 100, 62-6.

Site type: Vicus at Roman military site.

Note: Finds derive from systematic recovery of material during a 'watching brief' and spoil scanning; finds were all essentially unstratified; the approach, however, seems to have been to gather all Roman finds and bone systematically and was professionally undertaken. Coins recovered alongside pottery are strongly c. AD 69-180.

Dorset:

Dorchester, Merchant's Garage

Bellamy, P.S. 1991. Observations at Merchant's Garage, High West Street, Dorchester 1983, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 113, 41-54.

Site type: ? Roman military site; subsequently a Major civil centre.

Mortaria are absent from an overall CG and EG samian assemblage of 56 vessels covering the period c. AD 120-200+.

They are absent from an overall CG stratified samian assemblage of 12 vessels covering period c. 100-200, and absent from an overall CG unstratified samian assemblage of 41 vessels covering period c. 100-200. They are absent too from an overall EG unstratified samian assemblage of 3 vessels. [Identification HP].

Gillingham, Common Mead Lane

Moore, W.F. and Ross, M.S. 1989. The Romano-British settlement, Common Mead Lane, Gillingham, Dorset, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 111, 57-70.

Site type: (apparently) Rural.

All of the samian recovered was unstratified.

Mortaria are absent from an overall CG Lezoux samian assemblage of c. 60 vessels covering the period c. AD 120-200, and an EG samian assemblage of c. 8 vessels of the period c. AD 130/150-260. [Identification BRH].