Archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology have discovered evidence of a substantial Roman settlement on land near Poole Harbour in Dorset, England. Finds come from “The Moors at Arne” project, a compensatory habitat scheme aiming to transform 150 hectares of grassland into wetlands. Excavations so far, in partnership with the Environment Agency, have identified over 17,000 pieces of pottery, two kilns, and evidence of Roman buildings.
Most of the broken pottery belongs to a type of Romano-British pottery known as Black Burnished ware, named for its dark, charcoal-like appearance. This pottery was highly valued by the Roman army and later became fairly common in civilian life. Examples of jars, bowls, and dishes have been discovered, with several pots found almost intact. Oddly, many of the pots were orange instead of black, probably because of a chemical reaction error during the firing process in the kilns.
Phil Trim, Fieldwork Supervisor at Wessex Archaeology, said: “We’re gaining fantastic insight into the inner workings of a Roman pottery production site, operating on a significant scale on The Moors at Arne. From the sheer number and variety of the fragments we’ve uncovered and the kilns themselves we’re able to start understanding the processes and the challenges they might have faced achieving that specific Black Burnished ware finish. ”
Greg Chuter, the Environment Agency Archaeologist overseeing the project, added: “This pottery was incredibly popular with the Roman Army and eventually made its way into everyday use and we are looking forward to exploring this site’s role in supplying Roman Britain. As we know from recent experimental archaeology work with the Digging for Britain team, it is a very technical process that highlights the level of skill and control of fire the potters must have had.”
The latest series of Digging for Britain on BBC Two, presented by Professor Alice Roberts, further explores the significance of the site. Experiments by Professor Stuart Prior, with Wessex Archaeology experts and Dorset potter Bill Crumbleholme at the Ancient Technology Centre, involved building a kiln based on examples found at the site to replicate Black Burnished ware—and to understand how ancient potters did it.
The results not only provide evidence of the technical ability of Roman potters but also offer a window into how such massive-scale industrial production was achieved in Roman Britain. The immediate surroundings, kilns, and pottery have been further analyzed to enhance understanding of how Dorset produced its Black Burnished ware.
More information: Wessex Archaeology
