Samian ware dish base

A piece from the base of a samian ware dish. Samian ware was a high quality form of pottery imported from Gaul (Southern France). The potters who made samian ware often stamped their name onto the base of the pots. This pot was made by a potter called C. Valerius Albanus. These pottery stamps are a great help for archaeologists in dating pieces of pottery, this pot was made between AD 75-90.
The pot comes from a Roman supply depot found by archaeologists on the St Loyes site that lay between the port at Topsham and the fortress at Exeter. It dates from the period just after the Roman military had left Exeter.

Object Summary

Accession Loan No.
448/2009/3/2/23
Collection Class
Exeter archaeology
Collection Area Region
Northern Europe
Collector Excavator
Exeter Archaeology
Material
potterysamian ware
Common Name
samian ware dish base
Simple Name
vessel (sherd)
Period Classification
Roman (43-410)
Production Year Low
75
Production Year High
90

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stamped decorated samian