The National Roman Fabric Reference Collection: a Handbook

Cliffe Black-burnished ware 2 (CLI BB 2)

Five samples

A wide variety of wares was apparently produced in the area, but only BB2 is included here.

General appearance

The colour of the break ranges from mid grey (6/0) to black, very often with paler grey or sometimes red-brown (10R 5/8) margins. Surfaces are similarly medium grey to black, and are burnished to an even metallic lustre. The fabric is hard, the fracture irregular and the feel smooth. A range of black-burnished forms were made in the fabric.

Hand specimen

Inclusions are generally better sorted (usually 0.3–0.4mm) than for Colchester and Cooling BB2: quartz (0.1–0.5mm) is less dominant, being common rather than abundant and more rounded. Silver mica is also common, measuring up to 0.2mm; black iron-rich grains (0.1–0.2mm) and black clay pellets (0.4–07mm) are sparse.

Thin section

This fabric contains abundant well-sorted angular silt-sized quartz, with fewer and frequently rounded larger inclusions measuring c 0.3–0.5mm, occasionally to 1.0mm. Muscovite mica is commonly identified, with rare biotite present. Also visible, normally in the larger size range, are common flint and polycrystalline quartz; sparse quartzite and feldspar. As for Cooling BB2, glauconitic pellets are common in both the silt grade and larger size.

Source

Production of BB2 at Cliffe is confirmed by a large quantity of material in association with production debris, but no kilns are known (Monaghan 1987, 33).

Donor

Museum of London

Museum

Rochester Museum

References

Monaghan, J, 1987 Upchurch and Thameside Roman pottery. A ceramic typology for northern Kent, first to third centuries AD, BAR 173

Plate 136: Fresh sherd break of CLI BB 2 (width of field 24 mm)

Plate 136.1: Photomicrograph of CLI BB 2 (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm)

Plate 136.2: Photomicrograph of CLI BB 2 (PPL) (width of field 1.74 mm)

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