About this site ..

Why do many (most?) of the Atlas pages lack [images|drawings|maps] ?

Because I either do not have any suitable drawings, suitable sample sherds to scan, or suitable data to build a map. The Atlas pages incoporate whatever data is available on the server when they are viewed, so new elements will appear on the pages as they available.

How do I identify the points on the distribution maps ?

An interface to the databases used for the preparation of the maps is under development.

Why is there no information on pottery type XX ?

The Atlas concentrates on wares that circulate in a limited geographical (Britain and the western Roman Empire) and chronological (1st cent BC - 5th cent. AD) space. Even within these limits, many minor wares are not yet covered, due to lack of samples, data, time and space.

About Roman pottery in general ..

I have [found|bought|been given] a pot that somebody told me was Roman. Is it ?

It is usually best to take this sort of enquiry to a local or national museum. Please do not send photographic images by email without prior negotiation.

Other questions ..

What is a potsherd ?

potsherd A broken piece of ceramic material, especially one found on an archaeological site. (The New Oxford Dictionary of English, 1998).

The online dictionaries give:

 > dict potsherd
2 definitions found

From Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:

  Potsherd \Pot"sherd‘\, n. [Pot + sherd or shard.]
     A piece or fragment of a broken pot. --Job ii. 8.

From WordNet (r) 1.6 [wn]:

  potsherd
       n : a broken piece of pottery

Are these really all FAQs ?

No, but some of them reflect the questions typed into the search engines that bring users to the site.