Appendix 8.4

Incidence of Interior Wear on Samian Vessels

This catalogue lists the occurrence of items with wear to their interior surfaces, recorded by the author in the course of the study. Whilst cases of wear were not researched exhaustively it is hoped that this detailed list will be a useful resource. The nature of the evidence is discussed in the text (cf. Section 8.7).

CATALOGUE

By administrative region and site.

Cambridgeshire:

Godmanchester, London Road 1997

Jones, A.E. forthcoming. Roman Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire: Excavations at London Road (1997), The Parks (1998), and elsewhere, Birmingham Archaeology Monograph, BAR British Series.

Willis, S.H. forthcoming C. The samian pottery, in A.E. Jones, Roman Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire: Excavations at London Road (1997), The Parks (1998), and elsewhere, Birmingham Archaeology Monograph, BAR British Series.

Site type: Smaller civil centre.

One vessel from London Road shows wear, this being a small plain bowl in Central Gaulish (micaceous) Lezoux ware, from F133, context 1104, pit fill; 2 conjoining base sherds occur with a worn interior; Flavian - Trajanic. [Identification SHW].

Godmanchester, The Parks 1998

Jones, A.E. forthcoming. Roman Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire: Excavations at London Road (1997), The Parks (1998), and elsewhere, Birmingham Archaeology Monograph, BAR British Series.

Willis, S.H. forthcoming C. The samian pottery, in A.E. Jones, Roman Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire: Excavations at London Road (1997), The Parks (1998), and elsewhere, Birmingham Archaeology Monograph, BAR British Series.

Site type: Smaller civil centre.

A relatively high proportion of vessels display pronounced wear on their interiors implying they have been used as mortars or for mixing substances, presumably foodstuffs. In total there are fragments from 6 vessels with this wear, all Lezoux products and falling into a Hadrianic-Antonine date bracket:

Haddon, Haddon Lodge 1999

Hinman, M. forthcoming. A Late Iron Age Farmstead and Romano-British Site at Haddon, Peterborough, BAR British Series, AFU monograph number 2.

Willis, S.H. forthcoming H. The samian ware, in M. Hinman, A Late Iron Age Farmstead and Romano-British Site at Haddon, Peterborough, BAR British Series, AFU monograph number 2.

Site type: Rural.

Sherds from a Walters 81 bowl, CG Lezoux, c. AD 120-200, show a worn interior; Phase 5, context 748; phase 5 does not begin until the late third century and hence the samian present in that phase is residual. [Identification SHW].

Stonea Grange

Jackson, R.P.J. and Potter, T.W. 1996. Excavations at Stonea, Cambridgeshire 1980-85, Trustees of the British Museum, British Museum Press, London and Dorchester.

Johns, C. 1996. Samian ware, in R.P.J. Jackson and T.W. Potter, Excavations at Stonea, Cambridgeshire 1980-85, Trustees of the British Museum, British Museum Press, London and Dorchester, 409-21.

Site type: Temple.

Pit 10 at Stonea Grange, adjacent to the temple, and believed to lie within the temnos of the temple, contained a number of samian vessels, including complete and semi-complete examples. The fill of this feature appears to include a structured deposit. Some samian vessels showed little sign of use (Johns 1996, 409). However, a large portion from a small Drag. 38 occurs which was heavily worn and also broken and riveted before discarded (1996, 409). [Identification CJ].

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.

Mills notes: "Excessive wear within the base of three bowls from Tort Hill East was observed" (1998, 68).

1 item is a CG Lezoux Drag. 38 or 44, of Antonine date, from Period 3 (Fourth century phase); No further details. [Identification JMM].

Cumbria:

Birdoswald Spur

Wilmott, A.R. forthcoming. Excavations at the Field Study Centre site and on The Spur, at Birdoswald fort, Cumbria, Sites 585 and 590, in Excavation and Management along Hadrian's Wall, English Heritage Monograph.

Willis, S.H. forthcoming F. The samian pottery, in A.R. Wilmott, Excavations at the Field Study Centre site and on The Spur, at Birdoswald fort, Cumbria, Sites 585 and 590, in Excavation and Management along Hadrian's Wall, English Heritage Monograph.

Site type: Roman military fort.

Three vessels display protracted wear on their interior surfaces; all are cups of Drag. 27 form from Lezoux, dating to c. AD 120-160. Two were recovered from the Vallum (contexts 6 and 739) while the other came from context 1 (post-Roman topsoil). [Identification SHW]

Watercrook, E.T.W. Pipeline

Gibbons, P. 1988. Archaeological report on the Watercrook E.T.W. pipeline, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society 88, 71-86.

Wild, F. 1988. The samian ware, in P. Gibbons, Archaeological report on the Watercrook E.T.W. pipeline, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society 88, (71-86), 83-4.

Site type: Vicus.

A complete Drag. 33, believed to be East Gaulish and Antonine, is reported with: "the glaze worn, particularly in the interior", (Wild 1988, 83, Fig. 4 No. 1); "No associated finds or stratigraphy were observed" (Gibbons 1988, 73), but this item is thought, potentially, to derive from a funerary context. [Identification FW].

East Yorkshire:

Hayton, Burnby Lane 2000-1

Millett, M.J. and Halkon, P. forthcoming. Excavations and Fieldwork at Hayton, East Yorkshire.

Willis, S.H. forthcoming G. The samian pottery, in M.J. Millett and P. Halkon, Excavations and Fieldwork at Hayton, East Yorkshire.

Site type: Rural site developing into a villa, adjacent to a Roadside settlement.

Essex:

Braintree, College Road

Garwood, A. and Lavender, N.J. 2000. Late Iron Age and Roman sites at Grenville Road and College Road, Braintree, Essex Archaeology and History 31, 94-111.

Willis, S.H. 2000. The samian pottery, in A. Garwood and N.J. Lavender, Late Iron Age and Roman sites at Grenville Road and College Road, Braintree, Essex Archaeology and History 31, 107-8.

Site type: 'Small town'.

Drag. 38, CG Lezoux, c. AD 140-200; "interior worn"; from context 308, a ditch fill deposit from Ditch 307 (Willis 2000, 108). [Identification SHW].

Great Chesterford, Braybrooke Collection

Willis, S.H. 2003. Dated catalogue and assessment report on the samian pottery from Great Chesterford, Essex, Report for Essex County Council.

Site type: Smaller civil centre, fort/s and temple.

Three vessels with interior wear are recoded:

Great Chesterford 1879-80

Willis, S.H. 2003. Dated catalogue and assessment report on the samian pottery from Great Chesterford, Essex, Report for Essex County Council.

Approx. 50% of a Drag. 38, CG Lezoux, c. AD 130-170; no stamp; both the footring and the interior of the vessel are worn; the flange has been clipped off and, together with the wear pattern on the interior of the 'half-vessel', suggests that after it had broken this half had been used as a small hand-held mortar, fitting comfortably into the hand, or, altenatively, when the vessel was still 'whole' an area of differentially advanced wear had developed, perhaps through the tilting of the vessels down where the flange had been removed in order to achieve more pressure in grinding, or crushing, etc. Accession No. Z.28588. [Identification SHW].

Great Chesterford, found since 1879-80

Willis, S.H. 2003. Dated catalogue and assessment report on the samian pottery from Great Chesterford, Essex, Report for Essex County Council.

Great Chesterford, from 1948-9 excavations

Willis, S.H. 2003. Dated catalogue and assessment report on the samian pottery from Great Chesterford, Essex, Report for Essex County Council.

Drag. 36, CG Lezoux, c. AD 140-200; not stamped; worn footring; some wear on the interior floor. Accession No. 70.D.181 "46". [Identification SHW].

Great Chesterford, The Vintners, Site GC14

Willis, S.H. 2003. Dated catalogue and assessment report on the samian pottery from Great Chesterford, Essex, Report for Essex County Council.

Great Chesterford, Plumb's Yard

Willis, S.H. 2003. Dated catalogue and assessment report on the samian pottery from Great Chesterford, Essex, Report for Essex County Council.

Probable Drag. 36, CG Lezoux, c. AD 120-170; worn interior; from Trench I, 5. [Identification SHW].

Great Chesterford, Temple, Site GTC/6 1990.20

Willis, S.H. 2003. Dated catalogue and assessment report on the samian pottery from Great Chesterford, Essex, Report for Essex County Council.

Probable Drag. 38, CG Lezoux, c. AD 130-200; heavily worn interior; five 'drill' type holes are visible in the floor of the vessel on the interior not piercing the vessel; they are grouped around the centre of the base and there presence is unexplained; from Context 10. [Identification SHW].

Great Chesterford, Temple Precinct

Willis, S.H. 2003. Dated catalogue and assessment report on the samian pottery from Great Chesterford, Essex, Report for Essex County Council.

Great Dunmow, Chequers Lane 1970-2

Wickenden, N.P. 1988. Excavations at Great Dunmow, Essex: a Romano-British Small Town in the Trinovantian Civitas, East Anglian Archaeology, Report 41, Chelmsford Archaeological Trust Report 7, Essex County Council.

Site Type: 'Small town'.

Amongst a grave group (Cremation 2) from the Enclosure Cemetery, dating to the late Antonine period, two samian vessels occur, both heavily worn within:

Heybridge, Elms Farm 1993-5

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

Site type: Smaller civil centre.

Amongst the large samian assemblage from this site, a tendency for Drag. 27 and 33 cups to show interior wear has been noted by Ed Biddulph; in fact "many" of these vessels show use wear. Biddulph suggests that they may have been employed for the mixing and stirring of beverages including potentially honey (pers. comm.).

Gloucestershire:

Great Witcombe villa 1960-73

Leach, P. 1998. Great Witcombe Roman Villa, Gloucestershire. A Report on Excavations by Ernest Greenfield 1960-1973, BAR British Series 266, Archaeopress, Oxford.

Dickinson, B.M. 1998. Samian wares, in P. Leach, Great Witcombe Roman Villa, Gloucestershire. A Report on Excavations by Ernest Greenfield 1960-1973, BAR British Series 266, Archaeopress, Oxford, 62-3.

Dickinson states that: "Some of the bowls of form 38 are heavily worn inside, as if they had been used as mortaria" (1998, 62).

Hampshire:

Silchester, Defences, 'South-West Angle' 1978

Fulford, M.G. 1984. Silchester. Excavations on the Defences 1974-80, Britannia Monograph Series 5, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London.

Bird, J. 1984. The samian, in M.G. Fulford, Silchester. Excavations on the Defences 1974-80, Britannia Monograph Series 5, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London, 129ff.

Site type: Major civil centre.

One vessel shows apparent use wear:

Drag. 18, South Gaulish fabric, "Flavian-Trajanic"; "worn inside"; from layer 14, dated to c. AD 175-200 (Bird 1984, 152). [Identification JB].

Lincolnshire:

Holbeach St Johns, Shell Bridge: Excavations by E. Greenfield 1961, Site B

Bell, A., Gurney, D. and Healey, H. 1999. Lincolnshire Salterns: Excavations at Helpringham, Holbeach St Johns and Bicker Haven, East Anglian Archaeology, Report 89, Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire.

Gurney, D. 1999. A Romano-British salt-making site at Shell Bridge, Holbeach St Johns: Excavations by Ernest Greenfield 1961, in A. Bell, et al. Lincolnshire Salterns: Excavations at Helpringham, Holbeach St Johns and Bicker Haven, East Anglian Archaeology, Report 89, Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire, 21-69.

Dickinson, B. 1999. The samian: Site B, in D. Gurney, A Romano-British salt-making site at Shell Bridge, Holbeach St Johns: Excavations by Ernest Greenfield, 1961, in A. Bell, et al. Lincolnshire Salterns: Excavations at Helpringham, Holbeach St Johns and Bicker Haven, East Anglian Archaeology, Report 89, Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire, 45-6.

Site type: Rural, salt-making site.

One vessel shows apparent use wear: Drag. 35, CG LMV, c. AD 100-130; "worn on inside". [Identification BMD].

Norfolk:

Snettisham Bypass, Site 1555

Flitcroft, M. 2001. Excavation of a Romano-British Settlement on the A149 Snettisham Bypass 1989, East Anglian Archaeology, Report 93, Archaeology and Environment Division, Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service.

Dickinson, B.M. 2001a. Samian, in M. Flitcroft, Excavation of a Romano-British Settlement on the A149 Snettisham Bypass 1989, East Anglian Archaeology, Report 93, Archaeology and Environment Division, Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service, 59.

Plus Site Archive.

Site type: Rural.

One vessel shows apparent use wear:

Drag. 38, EG Rheinzabern, "late 2nd century to early 3rd century"; "The internal glaze is slightly ground away"; from Phase 5, context 678, deposit associated with a well (Dickinson Archive Report, P. 11). [Identification BMD].

Northamptonshire:

Courteenhall, Grange Park

Willis, S.H. 2000d. Courteenhall, Grange Park, Northants: Dated catalogue and assessment of the samian pottery, Report for Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit.

Site type: Rural

One vessel shows apparent use wear:

Drag. 18/31, CG Lezoux, c. AD 110/120-135; worn interior; from Area 5, Feature 180, context 1283. [Identification SHW].

Oxfordshire:

Alchester, 1991

Booth, P.M., Evans, J. and Hiller, J. 2001. Excavations in the Extramural Settlement of Roman Alchester, Oxfordshire, 1991: A41 (formerly A421) Wendlebury-Biscester dualling, Oxford Archaeology Monograph No. 1, Oxford Archaeological Unit Ltd, Oxford.

Dickinson, B.M. 2001d. Samian ware, in P.M. Booth, J. Evans and J. Hiller, Excavations in the Extramural Settlement of Roman Alchester, Oxfordshire, 1991: A41 (formerly A421) Wendlebury-Biscester dualling, Oxford Archaeology Monograph No. 1, Oxford Archaeological Unit Ltd, Oxford, 277-85.

Site type: 'Small town'.

A minimum of 7 vessels show evidence of wear, amongst an overall stratified samian assemblage of 585 vessels from Sites B and C (Dickinson 2001d, 278).

(There are c. 38 vessels of form 38 or 44 represented). [Identification BMD].

Staffordshire:

Rocester, The Old Shops site, Mill Street 2000

Ferris, I.M. forthcoming. Excavations at The Old Shops site, Mill Street, Rocester, Staffordshire 2000, Birmingham Archaeology Monograph.

Willis, S.H. forthcoming E. The samian pottery, in I.M. Ferris, Excavations at The Old Shops site, Mill Street, Rocester, Staffordshire 2000, Birmingham Archaeology Monograph.

Site type: Roman military fort.

Large Drag. 27g, SG La Grauf., c. AD 70-100; wear on interior surface; stamped 'PATRI', being Patricius i of La Graufesenque (cf. Dickinson 1989, 60, Fig. 31 No. 42); from Phase 1, context 5057. [Identification SHW].

Worcestershire:

cf. 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. 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.

Dickinson and Hurst note: "It is ...not impossible that some, if not all, of the bowls of from 38 were used for grinding, either to supplement the more expensive gritted mortaria or in the period before these were made." (1998, 19).