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Class : Coarse wares
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Source : Germany
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Distribution in Britain
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| Distribution summary |
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Illustration
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Source of ware
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Roman Pottery in Britain (Tyers 1996)
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This ware is discussed on p.151-152 of Roman Pottery in Britain (1996).
Fabric code : MAYN
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National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (Tomber & Dore 1998)
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Cross-reference from this group to fabric descriptions published in
The National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (1998):
- MAY CO
- Mayen Coarse ware p.70
Illustrations of these fabrics are available only in the printed catalogue: R. Tomber & J. Dore,
The national Roman fabric reference collection. A handbook
Museum of London Archaeology Service, London. MOLAS monograph 2. (1998). |
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| Summary |
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Jars, jugs and bowls in a hard coarse ware produced in the Eifel
region (Rheinland-Pfalz/DE) and widely distributed in north-east Gaul,
the lower Rhine and south-east Britain during the 3rd and 4th
centuries AD. |
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Introduction
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Coarse pottery was produced at a number of sites in Eifel mountain
region of Germany including Trier, Speicher and Mayen. These
wares share certain typological characteristics and are referred
to collectively as Eifelkeramik/ Of these, Mayen ware is
the most readily identified due to its distinctive mineral suite,
and the only ware exported to Britain in any quantity.
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Fabric and technology
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A very hard, dense, yellow, brown or purple fabric with a coarse
irregular hackly fracture; wheel thrown, often with heavy rilling
on the outer surface and a whorl pattern on the base. Abundant
temper of irregular and angular glassy quartz, with occasional
black angular (volcanic) inclusions (Fulford and Bird 1975, fabric
1). Sanidine, plagioclase, green augite, barkevitic hornblende,
apatite, magnetite and pumice grains can be idenified in thin-section.
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Forms
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Jars, bowls and dishes, and occasional jugs and plates. Unverzagt's
typology from Kastel Alzei (Unverzagt 1916) remains a standard
reference:
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Alzei
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Redknap
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Description
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form
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form
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1
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30
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R29
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One-handled jug
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2
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27
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R1
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Lid-seated jar
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3
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Bowl with internal flange
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4
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34
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R6
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Plate with angled rim
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5
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28
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R2
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Bowl with beaded rim
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Table 1. Classification of Late Roman Mayen
ware forms (after Unverzagt and Redknap)
The distinctive jars with lid-seated rims (the commonest and most
widespread form) may have served as containers.
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Chronology
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From c. AD 300 to 450. In Britain, most are from mid- or late
4th cent. contexts. Production at Mayen -- and typological tradition
-- continues through into the Frankish and Carolingian period
(Redknap 1988, fig.3, fig.18).
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Source
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Mayen, in the Eifel mountain.
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Distribution
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Mayen ware is widespread on the continent across Belgium and eastern
France, through the Rhineland and south into Switzerland. Versions
of some of the standard Eifelkeramik forms were also produced
in the upper Rhineland, and to the east in the Paris basin. In
Britain, concentrated in south-east England, with c. 90% from
Canterbury, Richborough, Colchester and London.
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Aliases
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Redknap (1987) fabric R.
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Aliases
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Caister-on-sea fabric EIFL-501. Chelmsford fabric
54. Gestingthorpe fabric I. JRPS bibliography fabric
mek. Kent coarse fabric 12.
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Bibliography
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Redknap 1987; Redknap 1988. For British distribution: Fulford
and Bird 1975.
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References
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Fulford and Bird 1975.
Fulford, M. G. and Bird, J., 'Imported Pottery from Germany in
Late Roman Britain', Britannia, 6, (1975), pp. 171-81.
Redknap 1987.
Redknap, M., 'Mayenerware and Eifelkeramik: The Roman and Medieval
pottery industries of the West German Eifel', Ph.D. Thesis, Institute
of Archaeology, University of London, London, (1987).
Redknap 1988.
Redknap, M., 'Medieval pottery production at Mayen: recent advances,
current problems' in Zur Keramik des Mittelalters und der beginnenden
Neuzeit im Rheinland, ed. D. R. M. Gaimster, M. Redknap and
H.-H. Wegner, British archaeological reports. International series,
440, BAR, Oxford, (1988), pp. 3-37.
Unverzagt 1916.
Unverzagt, W., Die Keramik des Kastells Alzey, Materialien
zur römisch-germanischen Keramik, 2, J. Baer, Frankfurt
a. Main,, (1916).
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