30 Gard :
Journal of Roman Pottery Studies  Vol 5, 1992 page 146
1192  Borgard, P & Gateau, F, with Chedru, B & Knowles, K, 'Des amphores cannelées à Cavaillon (Vaucluse) à la fin du Ier siécle avant notre ére; nouveaux éléments pour 1'étude des "Richborough 527"', SFECAG, Actes du Congrès de Cognac, 1991, 311-328. See also entry no. 1180.
syn.exc/---/lst-2nd/---
r527
The amphora-type known as Richborough 527 is clearly enigmatic, occurring all the way from southern Italy and Sicily to Britain, but mostly occurring either as single examples or as considerable groups. This paper announces the discovery of such a considerable group at Cavaillon; a second such group, not yet published, has recently been found at Frejus (pers comm, F Laubenheimer - this group post-dates the first paper in Laubenheimer 1992, entry no. 1222); the writers mention other unpublished groups at Nîmes and in southern Italy (Williams & Arthur 1991). The vessels from Cavaillon are initially called 'rilled' amphorae (amphores cannelées), and it is clear that the form is not especially homogeneous. Indeed, the writers divide the type into two main categories, each with two sub-groups, plus a further group of variants. The differences are quite substantial, with some examples in their Group la having a neck and handles bearing some resemblance to a Dr 2-4, while at another extremity a variant from Vannes clearly has some affinity with a Dr 21-22 (such an affinity is also discussed in terms of possible contents). There is an appendix by K Knowles (Dept of Archaeology, University of Southampton), which reports on three Cavaillon samples submitted for petrological analysis: "In conclusion, the evidence suggests that the first sherd... originates from the same area as Richborough 527 amphorae. The two other sherds... appear to be Italian. However, all three sherds examined in thin section are different from one another and all seem to be from a different source". The third analysed sample was from a Dr 2-4 found at Cavaillon, which had a circular stamp, PVBL, apparently identical to a stamp found on a Richborough 527 from the same site. Whilst recognising that this first attempt at a global typology for the latter form must be somewhat tentative for the moment, the writers conclude that the amphorae in question, whatever their differences in fabric and form, constitute a "family" of vessels with a number of aspects in common.