Severn valley ware
Click ^ for larger image.
As its name suggests, this sort of Roman pottery was made in the Severn basin, to the north of Bristol. It usually has a fine-grained fabric like this exhibit, and was manufactured in numerous separate sites - at least four kilns have been identified and all are associated geologically with deposits of Keuper marl (which also occurs in Brislington). It was produced from the 1st to the 4th centuries, and was abundant during the time of Brislington villa.
Found at Brislington Roman villa site during the development of what is now Winchester Road in December 1899. The villa is contemporary with several others in the region, built about AD 270 as a working farm with workshops until destroyed by fire about AD 370.
Photographs exhibited with kind permission of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, which has this in its collection (reference number Fb6914).
Material: ceramic
Period: Romano-British
Find spot: Winchester Road, Brislington. ST 616709
Exhibit contributed by Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
Text written by Dawn Witherspoon (2012) & Ken Taylor (2017)
Photographer: Ken Taylor
Acquisition number: 120316b9