Five samples
A distinctive buff to pale brown (10YR 7/3, 7.5YR 6/4–6/6) clay with pale pink or brown-pink (10R 5/3, 10R 6/4–6/6) external wash and internal red-brown (10R 4/4–4/6, 10R 5/6) slip (thinner than that seen on CAM PR 1). Sherds are frequently soft with an irregular fracture and smooth surfaces where slipped, occasionally rough where unslipped. In some cases the slip may be burnished. Like other Pompeian Red ware fabrics, a limited repertoire of lids and dishes (here with small footrings) can be identified, but in this fabric the interiors of the dishes are distinctively rouletted.
This is a fine fabric with well-sorted inclusions of common quartz, usually <0.1mm, and variable amounts – normally sparse – of larger grains to 0.6mm. It is distinguished by common to abundant silver and gold mica, particularly on the surface (<1.0mm, usually <0.3mm). Other inclusions are sparse and fall within the same size range, but only red-brown or occasionally black iron-rich grains occur with any consistency. Other non-diagnostic inclusions are sparse limestone and white or red clay pellets. The underside of one of our dishes is gritted with quartz, measuring between c 0.5–1.0mm.
Abundant muscovite and less biotite mica are visible in a well-sorted clay matrix, comprised primarily of silt-grade quartz and rare feldspar. Rare inclusions of quartz (some polycrystalline) and feldspar measure between 0.1–0.4mm. Opaques are also visible, mostly silt sized, and sparse glauconitic pellets.
Lezoux has long been considered a potential source area on petrological grounds (Peacock 1977b, 154; Rigby 1989a, 120). The fabric is similar to Central Gaulish Terra Nigra and Central Gaulish Glazed ware 2 (Freestone 1989, 265).
City Museum and Art Gallery, Gloucester; Department of Prehistoric & Romano-British Antiquities, The British Museum; Museum of London
National Museum of Wales; Colchester Museums; City Museum and Art Gallery, Gloucester; Museum of London
Boon, G C, 1967 Micaceous sigillata from Lezoux at Silchester, Caerleon, and other sites, Antiq J 47, 27–42
Davies, B J, Richardson, B, & Tomber, R S, 1994 The archaeology of Roman London 5. A dated corpus of early Roman pottery from the City of London, CBA Res Rep 98
Freestone, I C, 1989 The petrology of the pottery from the Iron Age cemetery, in Verulamium. The King Harry Lane site (I M Stead & V Rigby), Engl Heritage Archaeol Rep 12, 264–6
Peacock, D P S, 1977b Pompeian red ware, in Pottery and commerce. Characterization and trade in Roman and later ceramics (ed D P S Peacock), 147–62
Peacock, D P S, 1979 Origins of Pompeian Red ware, in The pre-Flavian fine wares. Report on the excavations at Usk 1965–1976 (K Greene), 130–3
Rigby, V, 1989a Pottery from the Iron Age cemetery, in Verulamium. The King Harry Lane site (I M Stead & V Rigby), Engl Heritage Archaeol Rep 12, 112–210
See the related record on the Atlas of Roman Pottery on the Potsherd website
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