New evidence for Romano-British pottery manufacture at Poppyfields Drive, Snettisham

CFA Archaeology is thrilled to announce the publication of our latest article, New evidence for Romano-British pottery manufacture at Poppyfields Drive, Snettisham, in Norfolk Archaeology. Written by Saskia Winslow and Jamie Walker, with contributions by Rebecca Hunt, Gwladys Monteil, Phil Mills, Elizabeth Foulds, Ann Clarke, Woody Musgrove, Matilda Holmes, and Diane Alldritt, and illustrations by Alan Braby, Sam Griffith, Sarah Bailie, and Woody Musgrove, the article presents the results of CFA’s excavations of Romano-British activity at Poppyfields Drive, Snettisham.

The excavations revealed a complex landscape of enclosures, trackways, pits, and ditches dating from the mid-1st to 4th centuries AD. These features appear to represent a peripheral area of an agrarian settlement, with activity changing over time.

One of the most significant discoveries was an extensive assemblage of Romano-British pottery, including numerous defective vessels and production 'seconds'. Although no kilns were identified within the excavation area, this material provides compelling evidence that pottery manufacture was taking place nearby.

Snettisham was well connected during the Romano-British period, being situated near multiple roads and trade routes, and previous excavations in the area have uncovered expansive settlements dating from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD. Immediately south of our site, earlier works uncovered two pottery kilns and evidence of metalworking. The findings from CFA's excavation are thought to represent part of the same wider manufacturing landscape, expanding our understanding of the extent and organisation of Romano-British industry at Snettisham.

The site was occupied and reorganised over several centuries, with three main phases of activity identified:

Phase 1: mid-1st to mid-2nd century AD

This was the least active phase of settlement, with only one confirmed enclosure and a second possible enclosure, with other ephemeral features included. Phase 1 was likely the remains of a small rural, agricultural settlement.

Phase 2: mid-2nd to mid-3rd century AD

The second phase represents the height of activity at the site. A series of ditches and enclosures, a large trackway, an ironstone quarry pit, and areas of discarded material suggest a more complex and active landscape.

The pottery assemblage from this phase included numerous wasters and production seconds - vessels that were damaged, poorly formed, or otherwise unsuitable for sale. Their deliberate deposition provides an important link to the pottery production taking place nearby and strengthens the connection with the kilns previously identified to the south.

The large trackway and quarry pit also suggest that this part of the site played an important role in facilitating movement and transport as well as supporting other nearby industrial activity. The quantity of pottery dating to this phase indicates that production was increasing, with vessels likely being manufactured close by before being transported elsewhere.

Phase 3: mid-3rd to 4th century AD

The final phase saw a reduction in industrial activity and a shift towards a more agricultural landscape.

This phase included a large enclosure and droveway, further enclosures and ditches, and a substantial waste pit. A field system comprising three to five rectangular enclosures formed a 'ladder settlement', reflecting a significant reorganisation of the landscape.

Overall, the character of the site appears to have changed from the more industrially focused activity of Phase 2 towards a predominantly agricultural settlement.

Pottery and Finds

The excavation produced an impressive 3,214 sherds of Roman pottery, weighing more than 47kg and representing a minimum of 586 individual vessels.

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A significant proportion of this assemblage comprised defective vessels and production seconds. These included vessels with poorly finished bases bearing wire-cut marks, overfiring resulting in hazing and cracking, uneven rims with finger impressions, exposed inclusions, spalling, and structural or size irregularities. Many vessels also displayed inconsistent firing, resulting in uneven colouration.

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Collectively, these characteristics provide valuable evidence for the challenges faced by Romano-British potters and suggest that pottery manufacture was taking place close to the site. The absence of kilns within the excavation area may indicate that better-quality vessels were removed for distribution elsewhere, while defective vessels remained close to the production area.

Particularly interesting are three vessels displaying varying degrees of glaze application, including different shades of green glaze. These rare examples add to our understanding of the range of pottery being produced in the area.

Other finds include Roman ceramic building material (CBM), some of which may have originated from the demolition of a nearby hypocaust structure; worked jet; the base of a pipeclay figurine which may have depicted a human bust; and a stone bearing marks suggesting it was used to sharpen a metal blade or point.

Conclusion

The excavations demonstrate that the Poppyfields Drive site was in use from the mid-1st to 4th centuries AD, with activity reaching its peak during the 2nd century, as seen in the ditches, enclosures, trackways and pits, and the intercutting of features and rearrangement of space over time.

Although no settlement or industrial buildings or structures were identified within the excavation area, the archaeological evidence demonstrates that agricultural and industrial activities were taking place nearby. The site appears to have occupied a peripheral position within a wider landscape, with waste from pottery production, as well as jet/shale and ironworking, finding its way into the fills of our archaeological features.

The artefactual and environmental evidence indicated a lower status rural settlement was nearby, which possibly included a high-status hypocaust in the late 1st to early 2nd century.

Most significantly, the pottery assemblage provides new evidence for pottery manufacture at Snettisham from the early Roman period through to the late 3rd century, with particularly strong evidence for production during the mid-2nd century. While the kilns themselves lay beyond the excavation area, the concentration of production seconds and defective vessels strongly suggests that pottery was being manufactured in the immediate vicinity.

The Poppyfields Drive excavations therefore provide an important addition to our understanding of Snettisham during the Romano-British period. The evidence sheds new light on pottery manufacture, agriculture, trade, industry, and the changing organisation of the landscape, helping to expand our knowledge of this well-connected and economically active settlement.

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