Ceramics home: Roman coarseware.

Roman coarseware

Earthenware jars, flagons, dishes and mortaria (mixing-bowls) were produced in their thousands. These coarsewares were used primarily for cooking, storing and transporting food. The Museum collection is large, but biased towards the early Roman period.

Coarsewares were generally wheel-thrown, and the surfaces were usually left unpolished. The vessels used in Londinium were nearly all made in Britain. Some suppliers served just the local area, whereas others distributed wares throughout the country. And while some industries looked back to native British potting traditions, others concentrated on new shapes and techniques introduced by the Romans.

Two London industries are especially well represented. The Highgate potters mainly served local needs. Their grey jars resembled Iron Age types but were of better quality. Their Verulamium Region counterparts, however, produced Continental-style flagons and mortaria that were traded much further afield.

As these two industries declined, more distant suppliers became important. These included the Alice Holt/Farnham potteries of Hampshire and Surrey, and the Black-burnished ware industry of Dorset. Mortaria gave way to flanged bowls as the most important utensils for preparing food. By AD 200 hardly any pottery was being produced near London.

Featured types

Verulamium Region wares (43 - 410)

Highgate wares (43 - 410)

Alice Holt/Farnham wares (43 - 410)

Black-burnished wares (43 - 410)

Related objects

There are 115 related objects.

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11307b jar. Roman	11673e jar. Roman	12068b jar. Roman	12085b jar. Roman
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57.10/5 jar. Roman	57.10/3 jar. Roman	95.4 jar. Roman	95.275 jar. Roman

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