Potsherd: Atlas of Roman Pottery

WareAbstractClassFromTo
Aoste mortaria

Mortaria manufactured at Aoste (Isère/FR) during 1st century AD; most common in western Switzerland and Rhône valley, but small numbers throughout Gaul, the Rhineland and Britain.

Mortaria5085
Argonne ware

Red-slipped wares, most characteristically bowls with roller-stamped decoration, produced in the Argonne region (Ardennes/FR) and widely distributed across north-east Gaul and Britain. 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

Fine wares320410
Central Gaulish black-slipped ware

A fine black-slipped ware, commonly beakers and cups with rouletted or barbotine decoration, produced in Central Gaul and widely distributed across Gaul and Britain during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

Fine wares150200
Central Gaulish coarse micaceous ware

Jars and bowls in coarse micaceous red-brown or dark-brown wares abundantly tempered with crushed granite, produced in Central France and with wide but thin distribution across central and northern Gaul and southern Britain during 1st century BC and early 1st century AD.

Coarse wares-1030
Central Gaulish colour-coated wares

Colour-coated cups and beakers with pale brown or white fabrics, darker red-brown or brown slips and barbotine or rough-cast decoration, produced in Central Gaul and widely distributed across Gaul and Britain during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

Fine wares40120
Central Gaulish fine micaceous wares

Platters, jars and flagons in fine textured micaceous wares, red, white or mica-slipped, produced in Central Gaul and distributed there and occasionally in northern Gaul and southern Britain during the late 1st century BC and early 1st century AD.

Fine wares-1530
Central Gaulish glazed ware

Green-glazed cups and beakers with pale brown or white fabrics, and barbotine or relief decoration, produced in Central Gaul and widely distributed across Gaul and Britain during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

Fine wares4080
Central Gaulish terra sigillata

Terra sigillata manufacture commenced in Central Gaul from the Augustan period and during the 1st century AD the distinctive micaceous products of Lezoux are distributed across central and western Gaul, and occasionally to southern Britain. The height of the industry was during the 2nd century AD. when the products of Les Martres-de-Veyre and Lezoux (Puy-de-Dôme/FR) had a wide distribution across Gaul, Germany, Britain and the Danube provinces.

Terra Sigillata40200
Céramique à l'éponge

A range of fine slipped wares decorated with darker marbled or sponged patterns, produced in western France and distributed across western and northern Gaul and southern Britain during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

Fine wares300410
Dressel 2-4 amphoras

A tall cylindrical amphora with angular shoulders, characteristic bifid handles and a beaded rim. This is the most important wine amphora of the early imperial period, both produced in many regions (notably Italy, Gaul, Spain and the Eastern Mediterranean, but also southern Britain) and exported widely.

Amphoras0100
Dressel 28 amphoras

Flat-based two-handled amphora with collared rim with prominent groove on the outer face. Principally from southern Spain, with some production in southern Gaul.

Amphoras00
E-ware

Jars, bowls and jugs in hard granular grey wares, probably produced in western or central France and distributed across Western Britain (including Wales, Ireland and Scotland) during the 6th and 7th centuries AD.

Coarse wares500550
East Gaulish terra sigillata

Terra sigillata kiln sites were founded in eastern Gaul from the mid-1st century AD, but production for a wider market is only significant during the 2nd and early-mid 3rd centuries AD. There is evidence from the study of stamps and moulds for the movement of potters between production centres, and craftsmen from Sinzig and Trier (Rheinland-Pfalz/DE) were probably responsible for the small Colchester (Essex/GB) sigillata industry during the mid-late 2nd century AD.

Terra Sigillata120260
Eggshell terra nigra

Beakers in very thin fine black-slipped wares produced in northern Gaul and distributed across north-east Gaul and south-east Britain during the 1st century AD.

Fine wares55100
Gallo-Belgic mortaria

Mortaria manufactured in Gallia Belgica, principally near Bavay (Nord/FR) during 1st and 2nd centuries AD; distributed across northern Gaul and southern Britain.

Mortaria00
Gauloise 12 amphoras

A flat-based two-handled amphora with a thick projecting rim with multiple grooves on the uppers surface. Produced in Normandy (FR) with a largely local distribution but some specimens in Britain.

Amphoras180300
Gauloise flat-based amphoras

Flat-based two-handled amphoras typically in a fine-textured micaceous fabric. Produced at a large number of sites across southern France (Languedoc and Provence/FR), and very common in the north-west provinces during the 2nd and 3rd centuries.

Amphoras50250
Italian-type (Arretine) sigillata

Classic terra sigillata (`arretine') production commenced at Arezzo (Toscana/IT) during the early Augustan period. Additional workshops were set up in Italy, at Pisa (IT) and elsewhere, and also in southern Gaul, particularly at Lyon (Rhône/FR). Study of stamps and moulds suggests the movement of potters between workshops.

Terra Sigillata-2030
Lyon ware

Cups and beakers in a fine pale colour-coated ware with darker colour-coated, decorated with barbotine or rough cast, produced at Lyon (Rhône/FR) and widely distributed across Gaul, the Rhineland and Britain during the 1st century AD.

Fine wares4070
North Gaulish grey wares

Jars, beakers, jugs and bowls in grey wares produced in the Picardy, Nord and Pas-de-Calais (FR) and distributed across northern Gaul and south and east England during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

Coarse wares70300
Pompeian-Red ware fabric 3

Platters (and accompanying lids) in a fine-textured brown micaceous fabric with red-slipped internal surface, produced in Central Gaul (FR) and widely distributed across Gaul and Britain during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

Coarse wares40130
Rhône valley mortaria

Mortaria manufactured in central France, probably in middle Rhône valley during 1st century AD; distributed in southern Britain.

Mortaria50100
South Gaulish (La Graufesenque) terra sigillata

Terra sigillata was manufactured at La Graufesenque (nr Millau, Aveyron/FR) from the Augustan period and the products achieved a wide distribution during the Tiberio-Claudian period. The height of the industry is reached during the mid-late 1st century AD, when the distribution covers most of the western Empire, the Mediterranean littoral, and beyond.

Terra Sigillata40120
South Gaulish (Montans) terra sigillata

Terra sigillata produced at Montans (Tarn/FR) and distributed across western Gaul, northern Spain and Britain during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

Terra Sigillata50180
South Gaulish colour-coated ware

Mould-made hemispherical cups in a fine buff or orange-brown fabric with a pale golden slip, produced at the South Gaulish sigillata factories at Millau (Aveyron/FR) and Montans (Tarn/FR) and distributed across Gaul and Britain during the 1st century AD.

Fine wares4070
Terra nigra

Plates, cups and beakers in fine black slipped wares produced in northern Gaul and distributed across north-east Gaul and south-east Britain during the late 1st century BC and 1st century AD.

Fine wares-2070
Terra rubra

Plates, cups and beakers in fine red-slipped wares produced in northern Gaul and distributed across north-east Gaul and south-east Britain during the late 1st century BC and 1st century AD.

Fine wares-2060
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