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Queries/Research (Pictures)
Mystery cylinder
A solid fired cylinder of clay weighing 10oz (300 gm), 5.5cm in width, and 8 cm long. It is wheel made, with what appears to be an inserted plug of clay hinted at in the solid base. There are also clear indications of a foot to the vessel, and of an opening out at the top to form a dish?
The fabric is Pauline Marney's fabric 9xy (Roman and Belgic Pottery from Excavations in Milton Keynes, 1972-82). Inclusions are quartz and occasional clay pellets. It has a grey/black surface with a distinctive red margin or underskin, the darker outer surface having a tendency to flake.
The usual forms in this fabric are lid-seated jars, lids and Gallo-Belgic platter copies. Date: Late 1st to 2nd century. It was found field walking on a development site, near where the recent Bronze Age hoard of torcs and arm bands was discovered, with IA and C1-C4 Roman pot. It seems likely that this is some sort of lamp. Any information on parallels would be very welcome.
Charmian Woodfield
A possible parallel from Rachael Seager Smith 1st March 2002
An unusual vessel (no. 393) from the (recently published!) Roman ‘small town’ of Wanborough, Wiltshire made in an undistinctive sandy grey ware. The vessel is circular in plan but the rim of the bowl has been flattened at four regularly spaced intervals around its circumference (as in a modern ashtray). There is a small (5 mm diameter) sub-circular pre-firing perforation set slightly off-centre extending down through the base of the bowl and the stem (which itself looks like a flagon neck stuffed with a cylinder of clay), presumably continuing to the base. Possibly a strange sort of tazza or a chafing dish although we used to joke about it being a birdbath or part of a fountain too! Found in a layer that sealed the all Period 2 contexts (which can be dated to c. AD 80-230).
The reference is: A.S. Anderson, J.S. Watcher and A.P. Fitzpatrick, 2001, The Romano-British ‘Small Town’ at Wanborough, Wiltshire, Britannia Monograph 19.Please e-mail your suggestions and observations to
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