A selection of Roman pottery from Cambourne

A selection of Roman pottery from the site

1-2 Small drinking vessels (cups)

The grey one (2) was probably made locally to the north of Peterborough while the red "samian" cup was imported from Gaul (France).

3-7 Kitchen vessels

5&6 were probably storage vessels for dry goods such as flour or pulses although 5 may also have been used over a fire as a saucepan. 3&7 were also cooking vessels. Vessels of this type may have been used together, the shallow dish (7) being inverted and used as a lid over the deeper bowl (3) as a casserole. (4) is of slightly higher quality and represents a medium-quality vessel between the range of coarse cooking/storage pots and the fine table-wares such as (1).

Metalwork

Metalwork

Items of personal jewelery and personal adornment

All are made of copper alloy. The brooches (2, 3, 4 & 9) are all of 1st century AD date while items such as the tweezers (1), hair pins (5) and finger rings (6 & 7) were used throughout the Roman period.

The girdle hanger (8) was a symbol of the status of a Saxon lady. It would have hung from her belt, a symbol of her position as a wife and mistress of a household.

Pottery head of a Roman lady

Roman Flagon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This head forms part of the spout of a Roman flagon. It dates from about the 4th century AD, and it was made in the Nene Valley, north of Peterborough. It was found at the Jeavons Lane site at Cambourne.

It is not certain who the head is meant to represent.

Roman Pewter

Roman Pewter

These two pewter plates and the smaller, deeper dish are likely to have been deliberately buried as a "hoard", for safety and later retrieval.

They date to the later 3rd or more probably 4th century AD and are relatively rare and unusual finds because pewter (and other metal) vessels would generally be melted down and the metal reused when they became damaged or their owners did not want them any more.

Roman glass

Roman Glass

Pieces from one of five complete glass vessels (this jug, 3 cylindrical bottles and 1 hexagonal bottle) found inside a very large pottery jar at Lower Cambourne Green. The glass and pottery are all of a very late 3rd or 4th century date.

Although found in pieces, the glass vessels were probably complete when buried, presumably for safe-keeping but never collected, although it is possible that they were offered to the gods.