Samian Pottery, a Resource for the Study of Roman Britain and Beyond: the results of the English Heritage funded Samian Project. An e-monograph

Steven Willis

Table of Contents

• Summary

• 1. The Project
  • 1.1 Samian: definition, archaeological value and international significance
  • 1.2 Introduction to the project
  • 1.3 The status of samian ware in the Roman era
  • 1.4 Project operation
  • 1.5 Acknowledgements
  • 1.6 Project archive
• 2. Outline of Project Aims and Objectives
  • 2.1 Creating a dataset of samian information
  • 2.2 Samian and chronology: dating site groups
  • 2.3 Samian and the exploration of economic and social aspects of the Roman era
  • 2.4 Samian and the broader context of research and fieldwork
• 3. Background and Evolution of the Project
• 4. The Project Aims
  • 4.1 Introduction to project aims
  • 4.2 The compilation of an accessible dataset
  • 4.3 A framework for dating samian groups
  • 4.4 Examining the chronology of samian forms
  • 4.5 Samian in the third century
  • 4.6 Exploring the archaeological distribution of samian
  • 4.7 Considering samian data within the wider context of study of the Roman era in Britain and Europe
• 5. Samian Dating and Chronology Explored
  • 5.1 Samian and chronology
    • 5.1.1 Developing approaches to dating samian groups: need and possibility
  • 5.2 The database of samian values
    • 5.2.1 Introduction
    • 5.2.2 How the database was constructed: methodology
    • 5.2.3 Representativeness in the sample
    • 5.2.4 Database: its composition considered
    • 5.2.5 Database: its uses
  • 5.3 Exploring the date of samian groups
    • 5.3.1 Dating groups of samian
    • 5.3.2 Considering ratios of samian form types as an index of the date of a group
      • 5.3.2.1 Introduction to the approach
      • 5.3.2.2 The subject group to be 'dated'
      • 5.3.2.3 Case Study 1: ratios between cup forms Drag. 27 and 33
      • 5.3.2.4 Case Study 2: ratios between Drag. 29 and Drag. 37 decorated bowls
      • 5.3.2.5 Case Study 3: ratios between platter forms Drag. 15/17 and 18
      • 5.3.2.6 Case Study 4: ratios between Drag. 18/31 or 18/31R dishes and Drag. 31 (dish) or 31R (bowl) in the second century
      • 5.3.2.7 Evaluation of the method
  • 5.4 Verifying the date of samian form types
    • 5.4.1 How ascribed dates for samian types have been deduced
    • 5.4.2 Examining ascribed dates: questions and potential
      • 5.4.2.1 Verifying the date of samian form types: Case Study 1, the Drag. 15/17 platter
      • 5.4.2.2 Verifying the date of samian form types: Case Study 2, the La Graufesenque Drag. 30 decorated bowl
      • 5.4.2.3 Verifying the date of samian form types: Case Study 3, the La Graufesenque Drag. 37 decorated bowl
      • 5.4.2.4 Verifying the date of samian form types: Case Study 4, the Les Martres Drag. 18/31 dish
      • 5.4.2.5 Verifying the date of samian form types: Case Study 5, the Lezoux Drag. 18/31 dish
      • 5.4.2.6 Verifying the date of samian form types: evaluation of the findings
  • 5.5 The replacement of the Drag. 29 bowl by the form 37
  • 5.6 Samian and the date of site deposits
  • 5.7 Samian and residuality
    • 5.7.1 Residual samian
    • 5.7.2 Residuality: site and context specific
    • 5.7.3 Samian: a good indicator of residuality?
    • 5.7.4 Samian: longevity of use and residuality
    • 5.7.5 Further aspects
  • 5.8 The 'Long Goodbye' of samian ware
    • 5.8.1 The longevity of samian vessels in use
    • 5.8.2 The longevity of South Gaulish samian vessels
    • 5.8.3 Samian in contexts of the later Roman period
    • 5.8.4 Resolutions?
    • 5.8.5 Lezoux samian in the third century?
• 6. Examining Samian and Supply
  • 6.1 Introduction; previous studies and theories concerning samian supply
  • 6.2 Exploring the supply of samian over time
  • 6.3 Samian supply to the Roman military
  • 6.4 Early Lezoux samian ware in Britain
    • 6.4.1 Introduction
    • 6.4.2 The chronology of early Lezoux samian ware in Britain
    • 6.4.3 The incidence of early Lezoux samian ware in Britain by site type
    • 6.4.4 The incidence of early Lezoux samian ware by form
    • 6.4.5 Frequency
    • 6.4.6 Summary and discussion
  • 6.5 Lezoux samian ware (c. AD 120+) in Britain
    • 6.5.1 The scale and importance of Lezoux samian (c. AD 120+) in Britain
    • 6.5.2 Lezoux samian of the Hadrianic and Antonine periods in Britain
    • 6.5.3 Black samian from Lezoux/Central Gaul in Britain
    • 6.5.4 Summary
  • 6.6 Montans samian ware in Britain
    • 6.6.1 Introduction
    • 6.6.2 The chronology of Montans ware in Britain
    • 6.6.3 The incidence of Montans ware in Britain by site type
    • 6.6.4 The incidence of Montans samian by form
    • 6.6.5 Frequency
    • 6.6.6 Summary and discussion
  • 6.7 East Gaulish samian in Britain
    • 6.7.1 Sources and chronology
    • 6.7.2 The distribution of East Gaulish samian in Britain
    • 6.7.3 East Gaulish ware among samian assemblages in Britain: frequency, supply and matters of dating
• 7. Samian in Society: Examining Samian and Site Status
  • 7.1 Introduction
  • 7.2 The frequency of samian at different site types
    • 7.2.1 Background, the sample and trends
    • 7.2.2 The frequency of samian at military sites
    • 7.2.3 The frequency of samian at extra-mural sites, outside military installations
    • 7.2.4 The frequency of samian at major civil sites
    • 7.2.5 The frequency of samian at smaller civil sites
    • 7.2.6 The frequency of samian at religious/ritual sites
    • 7.2.7 The frequency of samian at rural sites (including villas)
    • 7.2.8 Summary and discussion
  • 7.3 Patterns in the distribution of decorated samian vessels
    • 7.3.1 Introduction
    • 7.3.2 Summary of the trends in the distribution of decorated samian vessels identified by Phase 1 of the project
    • 7.3.3 Trends identified in the distribution of decorated samian vessels in Phase 2 of the project: the sample and general patterning
    • 7.3.4 The manufacture of decorated samian vessels: chronological trends identified
    • 7.3.5 The relative frequency of decorated samian vessels at military sites
    • 7.3.6 The relative frequency of decorated samian vessels at extra-mural settlements at military sites
    • 7.3.7 The relative frequency of decorated samian vessels at major civil centres
    • 7.3.8 The relative frequency of decorated samian vessels at smaller civil centres
    • 7.3.9 The relative frequency of decorated samian vessels at rural sites
    • 7.3.10 Summary and discussion
• 8. Samian in Use: Samian Forms, Usage and Practice
  • 8.1 Introduction: samian forms and functional use
  • 8.2 The composition of samian groups at different categories of site by form
    • 8.2.1 Introduction
    • 8.2.2 Samian forms at Roman military sites
    • 8.2.3 Samian forms at extra-mural settlements outside military installations
    • 8.2.4 Samian forms at major civil centres
    • 8.2.5 Samian forms at smaller civil centres
    • 8.2.6 Samian forms at rural sites
    • 8.2.7 The representation of samian forms and the use of EVE data: the future
    • 8.2.8 Summary
  • 8.3 Samian cups in Essex: a distinctive regional trend?
  • 8.4 Samian mortaria
    • 8.4.1 Introduction
    • 8.4.2 The samian mortaria types
    • 8.4.3 Chronology
    • 8.4.4 The potential function/s of samian mortaria types; the potential significance of the archaeology of the form
    • 8.4.5 The occurrence of samian mortaria by site-type
    • 8.4.6 The relative frequency of mortaria among samian assemblages
    • 8.4.7 The frequency of different samian mortaria types
    • 8.4.8 Summary
  • 8.5 Samian lamps and lighting
    • 8.5.1 The incidence of samian lamps
    • 8.5.2 Lamps 'improvised' from samian vessels
    • 8.5.3 Samian candlestick
    • 8.5.4 Discussion
  • 8.6 The incidence of the samian flagon, Stanfield 67
  • 8.7 Wear patterns on samian vessels: use and function
    • 8.7.1 Introduction
    • 8.7.2 Samian forms and wear patterns
    • 8.7.3 Samian forms with few instances of wear (decorated bowls, plain bowls and platters)
    • 8.7.4 Samian forms with more instances of wear (cups and small plain bowls)
    • 8.7.5 Summary
  • 8.8 The social context of changing samian forms?
• 9. Samian and Human Burials
  • 9.1 Introduction
  • 9.2 The chronology of samian as an inclusion within graves
  • 9.3 The role of ceramic vessels as grave goods
  • 9.4 The frequency of samian vessels in burials
  • 9.5 Samian vessels in graves: forms selected for inclusion
    • 9.5.1 Form types in graves
    • 9.5.2 Form types in graves associated with major civil centres
    • 9.5.3 Form types in graves associated with smaller civil centres
    • 9.5.4 Form types in graves associated with rural sites/locations
    • 9.5.5 Discussion
  • 9.6 Samian vessels in graves: the 'condition' of samian vessels found in graves
  • 9.7 The absence of samian from the eastern cemetery, London
  • 9.8 Interpreting samian forms in graves
  • 9.9 Samian accompanying burials in Britain and on the Continent: comparison
  • 9.10 Summary of trends
• 10. Samian and Spatial Analysis
  • 10.1 Introduction
  • 10.2 Samian and intra-site analysis: approaches to the distribution of samian in and around buildings
  • 10.3 Samian and intra-site analysis: examining the distribution of samian across townscapes
  • 10. 4 Conclusions
• 11. Samian Repaired
  • 11.1 The repair of samian vessels
  • 11.2 Samian typology and repair
  • 11.3 Chronology and repair
  • 11.4 The repair of samian compared to that of other pottery types
  • 11.5 The frequency of repair among samian assemblages, by site
  • 11.6 Repaired samian: forms selected for repair
  • 11.7 Summary and Discussion
• 12. Samian, Religious Sites, Structured Deposition and Ritual
  • 12.1 Introduction
  • 12.2 Samian and formal/monumental religious sites
    • 12.2.1 The presence of samian at formal/monumental religious sites
    • 12.2.2 The rarity of samian at some formal/monumental religious sites?
    • 12.2.3 Samian at formal/monumental religious sites: discussion
  • 12.3 Samian and shafts/wells and other watery environments
  • 12.4 Samian and structured deposits in 'secular' locations: discussion and examples
  • 12.5 Termination deposits of samian at Roman military sites
• 13. Discussion and Conclusions
  • 13.1 The incidence of samian ware in Roman Britain
    • 13.1.1 Trends in samian supply, distribution, and consumption
    • 13.1.2 Guide to the 'Normal Patterns' per site type identified by the project, with which specific site assemblages and groups may be compared
  • 13.2 Project findings in terms of other classes of evidence for society in Roman Britain
  • 13.3 Samian and the study of site finds assemblages
  • 13.4 The relevance of the results of the project to the broader context of the archaeology of Roman Britain, the North-West Provinces and beyond
  • 13.5 Future directions for research

• Database - showing samian values and the composition of the dated samian groups and assemblages, listing by source/fabric, form, functional category, number of examples and manufacturer
  • Query online
  • Data is available for download from the Archaeology Data Service who hold the data archive.
• Notes
• List of Abbreviations
• List of Tables
• List of Charts
• Bibliography
• Appendices
  • Appendix 2.1: The inclusion of samian data from Wales and Scotland in the analyses
  • Appendix 4.1: Reporting samian: the impact of practices old and new
  • Appendix 5.1: The relative proportions of Drag. 29 and Drag. 37 decorated samian bowls among stratified groups: a calibration
  • Appendices 6.1-6.9: Fabric distributions
    • 6.1 The incidence of Banassac samian in Britain
    • 6.2 The incidence of 'black samian' in Britain
    • 6.3 The incidence of Blickweiler samian in Britain
    • 6.4 The incidence of Colchester samian in Britain
    • 6.5 The incidence of 1st century/Trajanic (c. AD 20-120) Central Gaulish Lezoux samian in Britain
    • 6.6 The incidence of 'Early' Gaulish samian, mainly from the Lyons region, in Britain
    • 6.7 The incidence of Italian Sigillata in Britain
    • 6.8 The incidence of Montans samian in Britain
    • 6.9 The incidence of 'Aldgate-Pulborough' samian in Britain
  • Appendices 8.1-8.4: Samian forms and usage
    • 8.1 The incidence of samian mortaria: among a sample of 30 site assemblages
    • 8.2 Incidence of samian lamps
    • 8.3 The incidence of the samian flagon, Stanfield (1929) Form 67 in Britain
    • 8.4 Incidence of interior wear on samian vessels
  • Appendix 9.1 List of burials with samian present at 30 cemetery environments in Roman Britain
  • Appendix 11.1 Incidence of repaired samian in Roman Britain: repair via cleats (dovetail cuts) and riveting
  • For Illustrations of Samian Forms and standard typological details see Paul Tyers' 'Potsherd' website: http://www.potsherd.uklinux.net/atlas/types/sigillata/index.php

© Internet Archaeology URL: http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue17/1/toc.html
Last updated: Mon Mar 7 2005