This fine bowl was found in a ditch on the Mill Hill Park Estate in Acton
in the 1980s. The style of the bowl is that of a known potter named
Donnaucus. He worked in Gaul (France) around ad 100-125. He specialised in
decorated samian ware.
What is samian?
Samian was a fine tableware used in the Roman empire. It was mass-produced
in many shapes. The manufacturer's stamp on the base provided information
about the maker, the origin of the piece and when it was made.
Roman presence
The Mill Hall Park Estate is known to have been the site of an earlier
Bronze Age cemetery. The presence of the samian bowl suggests that a Roman
settlement may have been situated somewhere close by.
