by Christopher St. John Breen
Following the first meeting at Dartford District Archaeological Group's centre at Lowfield Street, Dartford, in March 1984, the second meeting took place at Christ Church College, Canterbury on Saturday 23rd March. Again, a very well-attended and highly successful meeting with an emphasis on informality brought together a wide representative attendance of "pot" and "small finds" workers, full and part-time, from the units, groups, societies, and museums in Kent and some from Essex.
The talks, individually introduced by Jason Monaghan, were:
Richard Pollard - Canterbury Kilns: types - location - products and dating.
Chris Going - Mortarium: an informative outline of type (Kay Hartley's groups I and II) - their source - stamps and distribution. Then aspects of South East England production at Brockley Hill - St. Albans area - Colchester with types, stamps, and distribution.
Nigel McPherson-Grant - Late Roman Finewares from Canterbury: a Canterbury Archaeological Trust study by Marion Green showing, for instance, that Oxford color-coated wares alone accounted for over 40% in the later period at Canterbury.
Margaret Taylor - spoke of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust's Samian ware Study Project and of the importance of studying the types and stamps etc. as a vital aid in dating.
Jason Monaghan & Nigel McPherson-Grant - opened a discussion on some of the proposed guidelines that a "Kent" Ceramics Study Group" could adopt such as:
1. A county fabric collection - based at Maidstone.
2. "Common" and "specific" ware/fabric nomenclature standards.
3. Keep the group informal.
4. Encourage, at all times, the individual approach to studies by each member of the group.
An interesting and encouraging discussion then took place with common consent on many valid and salient points. A summary on this important matter is now in draft and will be circulated later this year.
Displays of pottery by members of Canterbury Archaeological Trust from recent and past excavations included fine wares and certain kiln site products. Jason Monaghan brought along the Cliffe and Upchurch fabrics that form the subject matter of his pending Ph.D thesis. Cliff Ward brought along a "Black Sarnian" handled bowl from Otford and Keith Parfitt brought a Much Hadham flagon found in a recent excavation in Deal. The Thanet Archaeological Trust displayed a "pipe-line" excavated burial group which was most interesting, together with a copy of the interim report.
A "surface" finds collection, of Samian, from two areas at Wye in Kent were displayed alongside the Samian and Finewares from an Alec Miles excavation at Cooling, and on an adjoining table the Fine Sarnian wares etc. from Ash Villa two. Rosemary Jeffries brought along some kiln material from Mucking, Essex, which struck horror into those of us who think we can differentiate between the Roman grey wares of the Cliffe Peninsula and the Alice Holt/Farnham group! The Dartford District Archaeological Group displayed some teaching material from their Fabric Study Project and an interesting Oxford imitation of Dr.45 Samian Mortarium with lion spout and hole recently identified by Joanna Bird and Christopher Young. Much interest was also shown in the display staged by Ian Gerrard of the Fawkham & Ash Archaeological Group of the finds from Ash Villa one being shown plotted on a visual display unit when Ian's computer program was being run.
Chris Going chaired the brief summing-up talk and stressed the vital importance of this county study group meeting and his thanks were echoed by all to, firstly, Sharon Mitchell of the D.D.A.G. for running the tea/coffee bar, and secondly, warm thanks to Ted Connell of the K.A.S. and the F.A.A.G. and D.D.A.G. for organizing this meeting. The venue and nature of the Third Annual Workshop is to be announced in a future issue of the K.A.S. Newsletter.
