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The National Roman Fabric Reference Collection: a Handbook

Hand specimen picture panel
Thin section picture panel

References

Appendix 1: Keywords and Definitions
Appendix 2: Physical Layout of Sherds Housed in the NRFRC

 

Gallia-Belgica Terra Rubra Fabrics

These wares from Gallia-Belgica are all described by Rigby (1989a, 121-6), with much of the fabric detail based on scientific analysis undertaken by Ian Freestone (Freestone & Rigby 1986). In summarising the terra rubra fabrics, Rigby follows the well-established system based on that devised by Hawkes and Hull for Camulodunum (1947, 202–5), who used clay texture, colour and surface treatment as their main criteria. She adds that the fabric classification for terra rubra ‘does group together fabrics which may eventually prove to be from a number of different sources. A limited programme of neutron activation and thin section analysis has as yet failed to distinguish any meaningful groupings in the fine-grained, non-micaceous, and difficult to characterise fabric range.’ (Rigby 1989a, 121) When reading the petrological descriptions below, one should bear in mind that the fabric parameters would certainly be widened should more samples be included.

For terra rubra production sites, see Chossenot and Chossenot (1987) and Tuffreau-Libre (1981).

References

Chossenot, M, & Chossenot, D, 1987 Introduction à l’étude de la céramique gallo-belge dans la vallée de la Vesle (Marne), Revue Archéologique de l’Est et du Centre-Est 38, 113–24

Freestone, I C, & Rigby, V, 1986 The petrology and typology of the earliest identified central Gaulish imports, J Roman Pottery Stud 1, 6–21

Hawkes, C F C, & Hull, M R, 1947 Camulodunum. First report on the excavations at Colchester 1930–1939, Rep Res Comm Soc Antiq London 14

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

Tuffreau-Libre, M, 1981 L’industrie de la céramique gallo-belge dans la vallée de la Vesle, Bulletin de la Société Archéologique Champenoise 2, 81–94


Gallia-Belgica Terra Rubra 1A (GAB TR 1A)

Two samples

General appearance

Our samples are hard, pink to pale pink (5YR 7/4, 5YR 8/3), occasionally with a whitish (2.5Y 7/1) core, although the group is variable in colour and known to be white throughout. Surfaces may have a good quality red-brown (10R 5/8) matt slip, described by Rigby (1989a, 121) as coral, who also notes that the slip is confined to visible surfaces of shallow cups and platters and the outer surfaces of taller, pedestal cups, few of which are stamped. An irregular fracture with smooth surfaces where slipped, or harsh where unslipped, is typical of GAB TR 1A.

Hand specimen

This fabric is dominated by well-sorted common quartz, normally <0.2mm, with varying quantities of silt and occasional grains up to 0.5mm. Other inclusions, in the same size range, are sparse feldspar and black and red iron-rich inclusions, some of which occur as streaks of unmixed iron-rich clay, as well as white clay pellets. The sample illustrated in Plate 7 has a fairly clean clay matrix with few silt-sized inclusions. Red grog is often present in the fabric (Rigby 1989a, 121), although not in our samples.

Thin section

Abundant well-sorted and densely packed silt-sized inclusions, primarily quartz but sparse opaque matter, occur. Sparse larger ill-sorted inclusions (average to c 0.3mm), frequently angular, consist of quartz, feldspar and opaques. Rare flecks of mica and colourless ferromagnesian minerals are also present, as is a single siltstone (0.5mm).

Source

A origin in or near Reims in the Marne-Vesle valley is possible (Rigby 1989, 121).

Museums

Colchester Museums (earliest forms and fabrics); Ipswich Museum (earliest forms and fabrics); Department of Prehistoric & Romano-British Antiquities, The British Museum (earliest forms and fabrics)

References

Hawkes, C F C, & Hull, M R, 1947 Camulodunum. First report on the excavations at Colchester 1930–1939, Rep Res Comm Soc Antiq London 14(earliest forms and fabrics)

Rigby, V, 1981 The Gallo-Belgic wares, in Skeleton Green. A late Iron Age and Romano-British site (C Partridge), Britannia Monogr Ser 2, 159–95 (earliest forms and fabrics)

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

Plate 7: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 1A (width of field 24 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 7: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 1A (width of field 24 mm)

Plate 7.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 1A (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 7.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 1A (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm)


Gallia-Belgica Terra Rubra 1B (GAB TR 1B)

Single sample

General appearance

Our sherd is pale pink (5YR 6/4) with a matt red-brown (10R 5/6) slip, although others may be as light coloured as buff, with orange to coral-pink slip (Rigby 1989a, 126). The sample is hard with a hackly break and smooth surfaces. Forms comprise platters and cups, frequently stamped with the maker’s mark (Rigby 1989a, 126).

Hand specimen

The fabric contains abundant well-sorted quartz, both subrounded and angular, ranging to <0.3mm but normally not exceeding 0.2mm, set in a very loosely constructed clay matrix. Other inclusions are sparse, but include black and red iron-rich fragments in the same size range as the quartz.

Thin section

Common well-sorted quartz inclusions, frequently angular and normally measuring 0.1–0.2mm, are set in clean groundmass containing sparse silt-sized quartz. Chert and polycrystalline quartz are fairly common in the upper size range, while sparse opaques occur in the entire range and up to 0.6mm. A single siltstone (0.7mm) and rare muscovite mica can also be identified.

Source

Maker’s marks suggest a major source in the Marne-Vesle potteries (Rigby 1989a, 126).

Museums

Colchester Museums (earliest forms and fabrics); Ipswich Museum (earliest forms and fabrics); Department of Prehistoric & Romano-British Antiquities, The British Museum (earliest forms and fabrics)

References

Hawkes, C F C, & Hull, M R, 1947 Camulodunum. First report on the excavations at Colchester 1930–1939, Rep Res Comm Soc Antiq London 14(earliest forms and fabrics)

Rigby, V, 1981 The Gallo-Belgic wares, in Skeleton Green. A late Iron Age and Romano-British site (C Partridge), Britannia Monogr Ser 2, 159–95 (earliest forms and fabrics)

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

Plate 8: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 1B (width of field 24 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 8: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 1B (width of field 24 mm)

Plate 8.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 1B (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 8.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 1B (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm)


Gallia-Belgica Terra Rubra 1C (GAB TR 1C)

Three samples

General appearance

The fabric is typically red, red-orange or pale orange (10R 6/8–4/8, 2.5YR 6/8–5/8) with surfaces covered in polished slip of the same range, but usually darker than the matrix. Both cups and platters, frequently stamped, were produced in GAB TR 1C. A hard fabric, it has an irregular to smooth fracture with smooth surfaces where slipped, or rough where unslipped.

Hand specimen

Like other GAB TR fabrics, a wide variety is seen in the texture. It is however characterised by common well-sorted quartz, usually <0.2mm, rarely to 0.4mm, with differing amounts of silt-sized grains set in a fairly dense clay matrix. Other visible inclusions comprise sparse red iron-rich fragments to 1.3mm; in one sample white quartz-rich clay pellets to 4.5mm can be seen.

Thin section

Two samples were examined, and they are similar in texture to GAB TR 1B, containing common to abundant well-sorted quartz. The quartz, sometimes angular and normally measuring 0.1–0.2mm (average 0.1mm in one sample), is set in a clean matrix with rare silt-grade quartz and opaques. Other inclusions in this size range are sparse to rare, but include chert, opaques, clay pellets, polycrystalline quartz and feldspar; rare larger clay pellets and opaques (sometimes quartz rich) occur up to c 1.0mm. Rare muscovite mica is visible in one sample.

Source

The Marne-Vesle Valley is a major source, although a heavily grogged version (not represented amongst our samples) was made in or near Trier in the Mosel Valley (Rigby 1989a, 126).

Museums

Royal Museum and Art Gallery, Canterbury (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics); Chichester District Museum (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics); Colchester Museums; Ipswich Museum; Department of Prehistoric & Romano-British Antiquities, The British Museum

References

Holwerda, J H, 1941 De Belgische Waar in Nijmegen, Beschrijuing van de verzameling van het Museum G M Kam te Nijmegen 2, Nijmegen (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics)

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 (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics)

See the related record on the Atlas of Roman Pottery on the Potsherd website

Plate 9: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 1C (width of field 24 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 9: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 1C (width of field 24 mm)

Plate 9.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 1C (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 9.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 1C (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm)


Gallia-Belgica Terra Rubra 2 (GAB TR 2)

Single sample

General appearance

Our sample is red-brown (10R 5/8) with well-polished silky slipped surfaces, either slightly lighter (10R 5/6) or of the same colour as the matrix. Both cups and platters, normally stamped, were made in GAB TR 2. Our sherd is hard with an irregular fracture.

Hand specimen

The fabric is similar to GAB TR 1C. Our sample contains common well-sorted quartz and less feldspar, normally 0.1–0.3mm, rarely to 0.5mm, in a slightly silty matrix.

Thin section

This sample is similar in texture to GAB TR 1B and 1C, although the clay has low birefringence in part. The matrix contains common quartz belonging to silt grade and common ill-sorted grains (angular to subrounded) measuring between c 0.1–0.2mm, occasionally to 0.5mm. Opaques, in a similar size range, are also common, with chert, polycrystalline quartz, feldspar and quartzite ranging from sparse to rare. Muscovite mica is common in part of the slide.

Source

This fabric probably shares a source with GAB TR 1C in the Marne-Vesle Valley (Rigby 1989s, 126).

Museums

Royal Museum and Art Gallery, Canterbury (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics); Colchester Museums; Chichester District Museum (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics); Ipswich Museum; Department of Prehistoric & Romano-British Antiquities, The British Museum

References

Holwerda, J H, 1941 De Belgische Waar in Nijmegen, Beschrijuing van de verzameling van het Museum G M Kam te Nijmegen 2, Nijmegen (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics)

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 (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics)

See the related record on the Atlas of Roman Pottery on the Potsherd website

Plate 10: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 2 (width of field 24 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 10: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 2 (width of field 24 mm)

Plate 10.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 2 (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 10.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 2 (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm)


Gallia-Belgica Terra Rubra 3 (GAB TR 3)

Three samples

General appearance

Rigby (1989a, 126) notes a variety in colour, from iron-free white to iron-rich dark red, and texture for this fabric. Samples represented here are united by a typically pink (10YR 6/8) break with slightly lighter surfaces, pale orange (2.5YR 7/8, 5YR 7/6) to pink (2.5YR 7/6) or cream (7.5YR 8/6), unless fumed. Fumed surfaces, present on a range of unstamped beaker forms, are here light (2/5YR 7/8-6/8, 5YR 5.2–4/2) to darker (10R 3/1) brown, although other products vary from glossy black on dark red fabrics to a pearly grey haze on all matrix colours. Our samples are hard with a smooth break and surface.

Hand specimen

This fabric has well-sorted inclusions set in a dense, clean clay matrix, containing common well-sorted quartz, usually between 0.1–0.2mm, occasionally to 0.4mm. In some sherds sparse red iron-rich inclusions of a similar size and white ?clay pellets to 0.5mm are also present. It is this fabric variant which is illustrated on Plate 11, although the coarser inclusions are not visible. Another sample (BM registration no. P1976.5-1.846) has a silty matrix.

Thin section

Two samples of GAB TR 3 were available for examination and, although slightly different from each other, both are fine textured with well-sorted inclusions that rarely exceed 0.1 or 0.2mm. They are dominated by quartz, with a similar range of other inclusions, in order of decreasing frequency as common to sparse, comprising opaques, chert, polycrystalline quartz and feldspar. Occasionally opaques and clay pellets measure between 0.3–0.5mm. Muscovite mica ranges between sparse and common.

Source

A source in Gallia-Belgica is assumed, despite the lack of kiln evidence (V Rigby, pers comm).

Museums

Royal Museum and Art Gallery, Canterbury (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics); Chichester District Museum (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics); Colchester Museums; Ipswich Museum; Department of Prehistoric & Romano-British Antiquities, The British Museum

References

Holwerda, J H, 1941 De Belgische Waar in Nijmegen, Beschrijuing van de verzameling van het Museum G M Kam te Nijmegen 2, Nijmegen (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics)

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 (Tiberio-Claudian forms and fabrics)

See the related record on the Atlas of Roman Pottery on the Potsherd website

Plate 11: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 3 (width of field 24 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 11: Fresh sherd break of GAB TR 3 (width of field 24 mm)

Plate 11.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 3 (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm). Click to see a larger version

Plate 11.1: Photomicrograph of GAB TR 3 (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm)


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