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Appendix 1: Keywords and Definitions
Appendix 2: Physical Layout of Sherds Housed in the NRFRC
Three samples
An orange-brown or pale orange-brown (2.5YR 6/6–6/8, 5YR 7/6) fabric, with pale brown to pink brown (5YR 6/4, 5YR 7/6–6/6) surfaces, sometimes with cream (10YR 8/3–8/4) slip. Hard to very hard, it has rough or harsh surfaces and a hackly fracture. The form is the most distinctive feature of FIS AM 148, with an enlarged, lipped rim. In fabric it is similar to Peacock & Williams Class 12 and Peacock & Williams No 66, although the clay may be denser. Typologically the vessel rim bears similarities to Peacock & Williams Class 36 (Tripolitanian I).
Well-sorted quartz set in a dense, clean clay matrix containing abundant quartz, normally measuring 0.2–0.5mm, rarely to 1.2mm, characterise the fabric. Limestone is either common or sparse and occurs in the same size range as quartz. Sparse shell fragments also visible, as are red-brown iron-rich inclusions, and in some samples clay pellets (to 1.2mm). The latter two inclusions can give a somewhat multi-coloured appearance to the fresh break.
This fabric contains ill-sorted common quartz and less limestone, set in a clean calcareous matrix of sparse silt-grade quartz and limestone. Quartz is rounded to angular and frequently measures 0.2–0.4mm, but ranges between 0.07–0.7mm, as does limestone. Also common are clay pellets (both quartz free and quartz rich), generally sized as the quartz, and opaques, most <1.0mm but occasionally up to 1.0mm. Other sparse inclusions comprise rare feldspar and ferromagnesian accessory minerals.
The type is best known from Britain, although a single unpublished vessel has been identified from Carthage. Fabric and its westerly distribution allies it to Peacock & Williams Class 12, but no suggestion as to source can be made at present.
Leicestershire Museums
Colchester Museums; Jewry Wall Museum of Archaeology (Humberstone Drive Annexe), Leicester; York Archaeological Trust
Cunliffe, B, 1971 Excavations at Fishbourne 1961–1969. 2: The finds, Rep Res Comm Soc Antiq London 27
Monaghan, J, 1993 Roman pottery from the fortress, The Archaeology of York. The Pottery 16/7
Pollard, R J, 1994 The Iron Age and Roman pottery, in Iron Age and Roman occupation in the West Bridge area, Leicester. Excavations 1962–1971 (P Clay & R J Pollard), 51–114
Symonds, R P, & Wade, S, 1999 Roman pottery from excavations in Colchester, Colchester Archaeol Rep 10
Williams, D F, 1994b A note on the petrology of examples of amphora type Fishbourne 148.3 from Leicester, in Iron Age and Roman occupation in the West Bridge area, Leicester. Excavations 1962–1971 (P Clay & R J Pollard), 66
Plate 68: Fresh sherd break of FIS AM 148 (width of field 24 mm)
Plate 68.1: Photomicrograph of FIS AM 148 (XPL) (width of field 1.74 mm)
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