Find Spot record MDO28506 - Roman pottery and tile, Upton Country Park, Poole

A small quantity of 3rd - 4th century Roman pottery and tile was found in mole hills in Upton Country Park. These may be associated with salt manufactuing sites in the vicinity.

Nine sherds of 3rd-4th century Romano-British pottery and a fragment of Roman tile were recovered from mole hills in Upton Country Park. Some of the sherds have evidence of refiring and could suggest they belong to an industrial site, perhaps for pottery manufacture, but more probably for brine boiling for salt production. There is evidence for Roman salt manufacture in the vicinity. (1) (2) (3)

<1> Poole Museum Service Archaeological Unit, 1995, Archaeological Observations at: Upton Country Park, Creekmoor, Poole (Unpublished document). SWX8322.

<2> Anderson L, 1995, Upton Country Park, Creekmoor, Poole., p125 (Article in serial). SWX3242.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1996, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1995, 125 (Serial). SDO95.

<3> Lyne, M, 1995, Roman pottery from Upton House, PMA 329 (Artifact). SDO12574.

Nine small potsherds and an imbrex fragment were found in molehills. The pottery includes fragments from two BB1 straight-sided dishes of 3rd-4th century type. Of which the larges piece appears to lack external burnished decoration and has been re-fired brown. The smaller piece is black and has the top part of a burnished loop on its exterior surface. Ther is also a tiny chip from an everted cooking-pot rim of similar date, but the other six fratgments of pottery are very small and non-diagnostic as regards forms. They are all probably BB1, with four pieces showing signs of reoxidisation.
The three 3rd-4th century sherds and the imprex fragment are indicative of late Roman occupation and the re-fired nature of five of the sherds suggests the possibility of either pottery manufacture or brine boiling. More material is, however, needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Record last edited

Jan 30 2013 10:52AM