This is a further unpublished booklet listing the potters' stamps which I recorded in 1991 during... more This is a further unpublished booklet listing the potters' stamps which I recorded in 1991 during a visit to the Centre de Documentation Archéologique Ch. Morel at La Canourge (F), housing the finds made by Ch. Morel and others at the terra sigillata kiln site of Banassac.
The stamps are illustrated by drawings which I made from rubbings which are no longer attached to the documentation (sorry for that). The booklet is accompanied by a scan of the notes which I made during recording, which occasionally offer additional details.
Please note that not all the stamped vessels listed here have been produced at Banassac. Quite a few of them were made at La Graufesenque. A provenance at Banassac may safely be assumed for those stamps which are represented with several examples.
Das Marschgebiet, das sich entlang der ganzen Wattenmeer-Küste der Niederlande und Deutschlands e... more Das Marschgebiet, das sich entlang der ganzen Wattenmeer-Küste der Niederlande und Deutschlands erstreckt, ist gekennzeichnet durch tausende Wohnhügel, die ab ca. 600 vor Christus als Schutz vor dem Meer aufgeworfen wurden. In Friesland werden diese Wohnhügel Terpen genannt. Die Erde wurde zur Bodenverbesserung für die nährstoffarmen Moore und Sandgebiete im Inland an Landwirte verkauft. Während dieser kommerziellen Abgrabungen entdeckte man die Überreste der alten Siedlungen. Wenn möglich wurden Funde gesammelt. Unter diesen Funden befanden sich Tausende von Gegenständen römischer Herkunft, meistens Terra Sigillata. In diesem Artikel wird vorerst nur die T.S. aus friesischen Terpen beschrieben, obwohl in archäologischer Hinsicht die Funde aus Friesland, Groningen und Norddeutschland zusammengehören. Für diese Studie wurden 2264 Fragmente untersucht nach Typ, Herkunft, Töpfer, Datierung und teils nach Benutzungsspuren. Die reliefverzierte Ware wird in einem Katalog präsentiert (Beilage 1; Abb. 4, 7-19). Die Information über die glatte Sigillata wird separat veröffentlicht (Volkers 2016). Die Stempel auf reliefverzierter und unverzierter Ware wurden beschrieben durch Dr. M. Polak (Radboud Universitet Nijmegen) und werden im Anhang präsentiert (Beilage 2).
This paper is a concise summary of parts of the first two chapters of Kloosterman/Polak/Zandstra ... more This paper is a concise summary of parts of the first two chapters of Kloosterman/Polak/Zandstra 2014, which is only available in the Dutch language. The paper presents two methods developed to analyse the more than 1 million fragments of pottery unearthed during an excavation in the western canabae legionis belonging to the fortress of Legio X Gemina at Nijmegen (NL): - Quantification in a 25x25 m grid - Aggregation in groups of features based on correspondence analysis
Dit rapport behelst de verslagen van vier kleine onderzoeken die in 1999 en 2000 in nauwe onderli... more Dit rapport behelst de verslagen van vier kleine onderzoeken die in 1999 en 2000 in nauwe onderlinge samenwerking zijn uitgevoerd door de Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek (ROB), RAAP Archeologisch Adviesbureau en de gemeente Leiden. Hoewel de afzonderlijke deelprojecten alle betrekkelijk gering van omvang waren, hebben ze geleid tot een aanzienlijke vermeerdering van de kennis over het archeologische monument Leiden-Roomburg, dat de resten herbergt van het Romeinse castellum Matilo en het laatmiddeleeuwse St. Margarethaklooster. Daarbij gaat het niet alleen om inhoudelijke kennis van deze archeologische ensembles, maar ook om inzicht in hun conservering. De resultaten van dit onderzoek zijn reeds eerder in beknopte vorm gepubliceerd als Van Doesburg 2000 en Van Kempen 2000.
This is the first of a series of three papers synthesising the results of an interdisciplinary st... more This is the first of a series of three papers synthesising the results of an interdisciplinary study of the chain of small forts built c. AD 40 on the southern bank of the Rhine between Vechten (prov. Utrecht / NL ) and the North Sea coast. The project focused on the reasons for the establishment of these military installations and on the efforts required to build and maintain them. These questions were addressed by a team of researchers from diverse backgrounds: archaeology, geomorphology, palaeobotany and zooarchaeology.
Whereas the project was formally restricted to the period c. AD 40-140 this first paper discusses the preceding era: the transition from the Late Iron Age into the early principate. The events from AD 40 onwards cannot be properly assessed without a basic understanding of what preceded: the pre-Roman landscape and habitation of the lower Rhine delta, Rome’s conquest of Gaul and its struggles with the Germanic peoples from the right bank of the Rhine.
The narrative is embedded in the historical sources and therefore essentially chronological, but there are several digressions on the landscape and its use, with the Rhine and its delta as a prominent element, and on military supply, which is of vital importance in a period of conquest. It appears that the political rivalry of the late Roman Republic was the key factor in the expansion to the Northwest, but once set off there was no way back. Each conquest induced new threats demanding further actions, as far as the natural landscape and the military supply network allowed.
Eventually the Roman troops advanced to the Elbe, and there remains little doubt that Augustus intended to turn most of the annexed territory between the Rhine and Elbe into a Roman province. Although this goal came within reach once Tiberius subjected all Germanic peoples between Rhine and Elbe in 8 BC , its full achievement was time and again frustrated. It is generally assumed that the abortion of the Roman military campaigns after AD 16 marks the definite abandonment of the imperial dream of a German provincial territory east of the Rhine, but the continuing tributary status of the transrhenane Frisii and the potential of the area for military supply – including cereals, meat, leather, metal ore, stone and army recruits – shed doubt on that conclusion.
At the death of emperor Tiberius in AD 37 Germania was not necessarily considered lost, and it may not be a coincidence that his successor Caligula crossed the Rhine when he needed a quick military success to secure his grip on the imperial throne.
At least since the beginning of the 20th century Vechten (prov. Utrecht / NL) has been considered... more At least since the beginning of the 20th century Vechten (prov. Utrecht / NL) has been considered to be an early Roman
naval base, a »Flottenstation«. When Wynia and the present author reviewed the evidence in 1991 we stated that the
naval character of Vechten was anything but proven. This was contested by Konen in 2000 in his study of the classis
Germanica. In the present paper the relevant sources are discussed and supplemented with new evidence. A strong
case can be made for a function of Vechten as a supply base for naval operations in the first two decades of our era,
but there is no conclusive evidence for the permanent presence of a detachment of the Roman fleet.
"Samian ware is dated by the site on which it occurs, which are dated by the samian ware occurrin... more "Samian ware is dated by the site on which it occurs, which are dated by the samian ware occurring there ... a classical example of circular reasoning. In this paper the authors present a method to break out of this circle. It is based (exclusively) on the spatial distribution of potters' stamps on Samian ware, without turning to so-called dated sites.
"In this paper the South Gaulish terra sigillata from the 2001-2002 excavation of most of the Rom... more "In this paper the South Gaulish terra sigillata from the 2001-2002 excavation of most of the Roman auxiliary fort at Alphen aan den Rijn (cf. Polak, Kloosterman & Niemeijer 2004) is presented, including 91 decorated and 121 stamped vessels (illustrated with rubbings and photos resp.). The early sigillata from Alphen is compared with that from other forts in the Rhine delta.
The conclusions include:
"The analysis of the South Gaulish terra sigillata from the Roman fort at Alphen aan den Rijn has demonstrated that there are surprisingly few vessels which corroborate its building date of AD 40/41. When this scarcity is not due to systematic dating errors, perhaps resulting from the near absence of firmly dated Tiberian contexts, it might mean that the provisioning of terra sigillata was problematic at first." and
"A comparison of the pattern of the South Gaulish potters’ stamps from Alphen with those from nearby forts shows a slightly larger portion of early stamps here. On this evidence the forts at Woerden and Zwammerdam may have been built a few years later. Whereas at Alphen the erosion of the Flavian and later levels might explain the drop in the number of stamps from AD 70 onwards, this proves once more to be a general phenomenon, as Marsh already signalled in 1981. A satisfactory explanation is still standing out."
Literatuur 64 Bijlage I Leiden-Roomburg, resultaten van het macrorestenonderzoek 69 Bijlage II Le... more Literatuur 64 Bijlage I Leiden-Roomburg, resultaten van het macrorestenonderzoek 69 Bijlage II Leiden-Roomburg, resultaten van het pollenonderzoek 73 Kaartbijlage Afb. 2 Overzicht van de opgravingen die sinds 1994 hebben plaatsgevonden in Roomburg (Brandenburgh 2006, afb. 1.2). Afb. 3 Belangrijkste structuren uit de Romeinse tijd in de omgeving van het onderzoek, met verondersteld verloop van de verbindsingsweg tussen de castella Matilo-Roomburg en Albaniana-Alphen aan den Rijn (Brandenburgh 2006, afb. 6.3). 8 9 5 De onderzoeksvragen zijn overgenomen uit het Programma van Eisen d.d. 19 oktober 2005, opgesteld door C.R. Brandenburgh.
Presentatie van enkele groepen opgravingsvondsten van opgravingen in Leiden-Roomburg en Valkenbur... more Presentatie van enkele groepen opgravingsvondsten van opgravingen in Leiden-Roomburg en Valkenburg-Veldzicht.
This is a further unpublished booklet listing the potters' stamps which I recorded in 1991 during... more This is a further unpublished booklet listing the potters' stamps which I recorded in 1991 during a visit to the Centre de Documentation Archéologique Ch. Morel at La Canourge (F), housing the finds made by Ch. Morel and others at the terra sigillata kiln site of Banassac.
The stamps are illustrated by drawings which I made from rubbings which are no longer attached to the documentation (sorry for that). The booklet is accompanied by a scan of the notes which I made during recording, which occasionally offer additional details.
Please note that not all the stamped vessels listed here have been produced at Banassac. Quite a few of them were made at La Graufesenque. A provenance at Banassac may safely be assumed for those stamps which are represented with several examples.
Das Marschgebiet, das sich entlang der ganzen Wattenmeer-Küste der Niederlande und Deutschlands e... more Das Marschgebiet, das sich entlang der ganzen Wattenmeer-Küste der Niederlande und Deutschlands erstreckt, ist gekennzeichnet durch tausende Wohnhügel, die ab ca. 600 vor Christus als Schutz vor dem Meer aufgeworfen wurden. In Friesland werden diese Wohnhügel Terpen genannt. Die Erde wurde zur Bodenverbesserung für die nährstoffarmen Moore und Sandgebiete im Inland an Landwirte verkauft. Während dieser kommerziellen Abgrabungen entdeckte man die Überreste der alten Siedlungen. Wenn möglich wurden Funde gesammelt. Unter diesen Funden befanden sich Tausende von Gegenständen römischer Herkunft, meistens Terra Sigillata. In diesem Artikel wird vorerst nur die T.S. aus friesischen Terpen beschrieben, obwohl in archäologischer Hinsicht die Funde aus Friesland, Groningen und Norddeutschland zusammengehören. Für diese Studie wurden 2264 Fragmente untersucht nach Typ, Herkunft, Töpfer, Datierung und teils nach Benutzungsspuren. Die reliefverzierte Ware wird in einem Katalog präsentiert (Beilage 1; Abb. 4, 7-19). Die Information über die glatte Sigillata wird separat veröffentlicht (Volkers 2016). Die Stempel auf reliefverzierter und unverzierter Ware wurden beschrieben durch Dr. M. Polak (Radboud Universitet Nijmegen) und werden im Anhang präsentiert (Beilage 2).
This paper is a concise summary of parts of the first two chapters of Kloosterman/Polak/Zandstra ... more This paper is a concise summary of parts of the first two chapters of Kloosterman/Polak/Zandstra 2014, which is only available in the Dutch language. The paper presents two methods developed to analyse the more than 1 million fragments of pottery unearthed during an excavation in the western canabae legionis belonging to the fortress of Legio X Gemina at Nijmegen (NL): - Quantification in a 25x25 m grid - Aggregation in groups of features based on correspondence analysis
Dit rapport behelst de verslagen van vier kleine onderzoeken die in 1999 en 2000 in nauwe onderli... more Dit rapport behelst de verslagen van vier kleine onderzoeken die in 1999 en 2000 in nauwe onderlinge samenwerking zijn uitgevoerd door de Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek (ROB), RAAP Archeologisch Adviesbureau en de gemeente Leiden. Hoewel de afzonderlijke deelprojecten alle betrekkelijk gering van omvang waren, hebben ze geleid tot een aanzienlijke vermeerdering van de kennis over het archeologische monument Leiden-Roomburg, dat de resten herbergt van het Romeinse castellum Matilo en het laatmiddeleeuwse St. Margarethaklooster. Daarbij gaat het niet alleen om inhoudelijke kennis van deze archeologische ensembles, maar ook om inzicht in hun conservering. De resultaten van dit onderzoek zijn reeds eerder in beknopte vorm gepubliceerd als Van Doesburg 2000 en Van Kempen 2000.
This is the first of a series of three papers synthesising the results of an interdisciplinary st... more This is the first of a series of three papers synthesising the results of an interdisciplinary study of the chain of small forts built c. AD 40 on the southern bank of the Rhine between Vechten (prov. Utrecht / NL ) and the North Sea coast. The project focused on the reasons for the establishment of these military installations and on the efforts required to build and maintain them. These questions were addressed by a team of researchers from diverse backgrounds: archaeology, geomorphology, palaeobotany and zooarchaeology.
Whereas the project was formally restricted to the period c. AD 40-140 this first paper discusses the preceding era: the transition from the Late Iron Age into the early principate. The events from AD 40 onwards cannot be properly assessed without a basic understanding of what preceded: the pre-Roman landscape and habitation of the lower Rhine delta, Rome’s conquest of Gaul and its struggles with the Germanic peoples from the right bank of the Rhine.
The narrative is embedded in the historical sources and therefore essentially chronological, but there are several digressions on the landscape and its use, with the Rhine and its delta as a prominent element, and on military supply, which is of vital importance in a period of conquest. It appears that the political rivalry of the late Roman Republic was the key factor in the expansion to the Northwest, but once set off there was no way back. Each conquest induced new threats demanding further actions, as far as the natural landscape and the military supply network allowed.
Eventually the Roman troops advanced to the Elbe, and there remains little doubt that Augustus intended to turn most of the annexed territory between the Rhine and Elbe into a Roman province. Although this goal came within reach once Tiberius subjected all Germanic peoples between Rhine and Elbe in 8 BC , its full achievement was time and again frustrated. It is generally assumed that the abortion of the Roman military campaigns after AD 16 marks the definite abandonment of the imperial dream of a German provincial territory east of the Rhine, but the continuing tributary status of the transrhenane Frisii and the potential of the area for military supply – including cereals, meat, leather, metal ore, stone and army recruits – shed doubt on that conclusion.
At the death of emperor Tiberius in AD 37 Germania was not necessarily considered lost, and it may not be a coincidence that his successor Caligula crossed the Rhine when he needed a quick military success to secure his grip on the imperial throne.
At least since the beginning of the 20th century Vechten (prov. Utrecht / NL) has been considered... more At least since the beginning of the 20th century Vechten (prov. Utrecht / NL) has been considered to be an early Roman
naval base, a »Flottenstation«. When Wynia and the present author reviewed the evidence in 1991 we stated that the
naval character of Vechten was anything but proven. This was contested by Konen in 2000 in his study of the classis
Germanica. In the present paper the relevant sources are discussed and supplemented with new evidence. A strong
case can be made for a function of Vechten as a supply base for naval operations in the first two decades of our era,
but there is no conclusive evidence for the permanent presence of a detachment of the Roman fleet.
"Samian ware is dated by the site on which it occurs, which are dated by the samian ware occurrin... more "Samian ware is dated by the site on which it occurs, which are dated by the samian ware occurring there ... a classical example of circular reasoning. In this paper the authors present a method to break out of this circle. It is based (exclusively) on the spatial distribution of potters' stamps on Samian ware, without turning to so-called dated sites.
"In this paper the South Gaulish terra sigillata from the 2001-2002 excavation of most of the Rom... more "In this paper the South Gaulish terra sigillata from the 2001-2002 excavation of most of the Roman auxiliary fort at Alphen aan den Rijn (cf. Polak, Kloosterman & Niemeijer 2004) is presented, including 91 decorated and 121 stamped vessels (illustrated with rubbings and photos resp.). The early sigillata from Alphen is compared with that from other forts in the Rhine delta.
The conclusions include:
"The analysis of the South Gaulish terra sigillata from the Roman fort at Alphen aan den Rijn has demonstrated that there are surprisingly few vessels which corroborate its building date of AD 40/41. When this scarcity is not due to systematic dating errors, perhaps resulting from the near absence of firmly dated Tiberian contexts, it might mean that the provisioning of terra sigillata was problematic at first." and
"A comparison of the pattern of the South Gaulish potters’ stamps from Alphen with those from nearby forts shows a slightly larger portion of early stamps here. On this evidence the forts at Woerden and Zwammerdam may have been built a few years later. Whereas at Alphen the erosion of the Flavian and later levels might explain the drop in the number of stamps from AD 70 onwards, this proves once more to be a general phenomenon, as Marsh already signalled in 1981. A satisfactory explanation is still standing out."
Literatuur 64 Bijlage I Leiden-Roomburg, resultaten van het macrorestenonderzoek 69 Bijlage II Le... more Literatuur 64 Bijlage I Leiden-Roomburg, resultaten van het macrorestenonderzoek 69 Bijlage II Leiden-Roomburg, resultaten van het pollenonderzoek 73 Kaartbijlage Afb. 2 Overzicht van de opgravingen die sinds 1994 hebben plaatsgevonden in Roomburg (Brandenburgh 2006, afb. 1.2). Afb. 3 Belangrijkste structuren uit de Romeinse tijd in de omgeving van het onderzoek, met verondersteld verloop van de verbindsingsweg tussen de castella Matilo-Roomburg en Albaniana-Alphen aan den Rijn (Brandenburgh 2006, afb. 6.3). 8 9 5 De onderzoeksvragen zijn overgenomen uit het Programma van Eisen d.d. 19 oktober 2005, opgesteld door C.R. Brandenburgh.
Presentatie van enkele groepen opgravingsvondsten van opgravingen in Leiden-Roomburg en Valkenbur... more Presentatie van enkele groepen opgravingsvondsten van opgravingen in Leiden-Roomburg en Valkenburg-Veldzicht.
Polak M./J. de Bruin, 2016. The Lower German Limes in the Netherlands. A scientific assessment of the site selection for the ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire’ Unesco World Heritage Site. Nijmegen: Auxilia., 2016
Assessing the contribution of Dutch sites to the Outstanding Universal Value of the Roman frontie... more Assessing the contribution of Dutch sites to the Outstanding Universal Value of the Roman frontier in the former province of Lower Germany demands insight into the accumulated efforts of former and present fellow archaeologists. Much of the results of their work is available in written publications or in digital datasets archived in the e-depot Dutch Archaeology (edna) accommodated in the dans-easy environment. Regrettably, many excavations carried out prior to the anchoring of the 1992 Malta convention in national legislation have not been analysed and published, but often bits and pieces of the information collected at that time are available in the heads of colleagues. The results of very recent excavations have not been disclosed either, as their analysis is still in progress, but various fellow archaeologists have very willingly replied to our questions.
The English edition of my PhD thesis (originally in Dutch, 1995) on the South Gaulish terra sigil... more The English edition of my PhD thesis (originally in Dutch, 1995) on the South Gaulish terra sigillata with potters' stamps from the site of the Roman fort at Bunnik-Vechten. In its final building phase from the late 2nd and 3rd centuries AD the fort measured c. 2.6 ha and presumably accommodated ala I Thracum. The fort(s) of the 1st and early 2nd centuries - when the South Gaulish terra sigillata arrived - may have been larger. The site has produced one of the largest collections of terra sigillata in the Northwest, as demonstrated by the 4797 stamped South Gaulish vessels discussed in this thesis. In a collection of this size chronological trends and other patterns may be distinguished which remain invisible in smaller samples. The study includes an extensive discussion of the evolution of the stamped forms and of the organization of their production. The stamp catalogue differs in three respects from the more recent corpus of Hartley and Dickinson (2008-2012): 1) all variants are discussed individually; 2) illiterate and otherwise unidentified stamps have been included; 3) the stamps are illustrated by photos (identified stamps) or rubbings (unidentified stamps) instead of drawings.
Van 1987 tot en met 1997 is in Nijmegen een groot deel van het terrein van het Sint Canisiuscolle... more Van 1987 tot en met 1997 is in Nijmegen een groot deel van het terrein van het Sint Canisiuscollege, een voormalig jongensinternaat aan de Berg en Dalseweg, opgegraven om woningbouw mogelijk te maken. Op grond van eerder onderzoek werden op het ruim drie hectare grote terrein resten verwacht van een groot legerkamp uit de tijd van Augustus, een grafveld uit de Julisch-Claudische tijd en het voornamelijk in de Flavische tijd bewoonde kampdorp bij de vesting van het Tiende Legioen. Alles bij elkaar zijn vele duizenden grondsporen opgetekend, vooral kuilen en greppels die deel hebben uitgemaakt van gebouwen en andere structuren. De meeste sporen behoren tot de canabae legionis, het kampdorp bij de legioensvesting uit de Flavische tijd en de 2de eeuw. Het onderzoek heeft ook een immense hoeveelheid voorwerpen uit de Romeinse tijd opgeleverd, waaronder alleen al bijna 470.000 scherven aardewerk. In deze bundel worden vijf vondstgroepen behandeld: geverfd en beschilderd aardewerk, lampen van aardewerk, wrijfschalen, keramisch bouwmateriaal en dierlijk bot. De presentatie van deze vondstgroepen wordt voorafgegaan door een beknopt overzicht van de aangetroffen sporen en vondsten en door een bespreking van enkele methoden voor kwantitatieve en ruimtelijke analyse, die zijn ontwikkeld om de potentie van dit bijzondere grote vondstcomplex optimaal te benutten.
"In 2009-2010 hebben studenten van hogeschool Saxion Next een oppervlaktekartering uitgevoerd op ... more "In 2009-2010 hebben studenten van hogeschool Saxion Next een oppervlaktekartering uitgevoerd op twee percelen die grenzen aan het jongste, stenen castellum Vechten-Fectio. In dit rapport wordt het vondstmateriaal gepresenteerd en de verspreiding over het terrein geanalyseerd.
Bij de analyse is gebleken dat het vondstmateriaal van het oostelijke perceel overwegend afkomstig is van een in 1946-1947 uitgevoerde opgraving; daarbij is een groot deel van de bovengrond ongezien over het aangrenzende terrein uitgespreid. Hierbij is dus nauwelijks sprake van een verband tussen de oppervlaktevondsten en de sporen in de ondergrond.
Hoewel het zuidelijke perceel veel vondsten heeft opgeleverd, lijkt dit niet te betekenen dat het bodemarchief hier diep is verstoord. Materiaal uit de 2de en 3de eeuw overheerst; een grote verrassing was een kleine maar betekenisvolle component laat-Romeins aardewerk, die aansluit bij oudere muntvondsten. Een bescheiden hoeveelheid vroegmiddeleeuwse scherven zou kunnen dateren uit de tijd van de sloop van het jongste, stenen castellum.
De digitale versie bevat een postscriptum van M. Polak en L.C.M. Verlinden, dat in de (zeer beperkte) papieren uitgave ontbreekt."
"In dit boek worden de resultaten gepresenteerd van het archeologisch onderzoek dat in 1946-1947 ... more "In dit boek worden de resultaten gepresenteerd van het archeologisch onderzoek dat in 1946-1947 in Vechten is uitgevoerd onder supervisie van A.E. van Giffen. In een aaneengesloten zone van 90x30 m en enkele losse putten en sleuven werden de resten onderzocht van minstens zeven opeenvolgende versterkingen. De datering loopt uiteen van de tijd van Augustus tot na het midden van de 3de eeuw. De ruim 7000 aangetroffen voorwerpen worden uitvoerig gepresenteerd en geïllustreerd.
In this book (in Dutch) the results are presented of the excavations carried out at Vechten in 1946-1947 under supervision of A.E. van Giffen. In a continuous zone of 90x30 m and several trenches the remains were uncovered of at least seven consecutive military camps. Their dates range from the Augustan period until after the middle of the 3rd century. The over 7000 objects found are presented and illustrated in detail.
The relevance of the Vechten military camps in the context of the Roman military occupation of the Rhineland will be discussed in a separate paper (in English)."
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Papers by Rien Polak
The stamps are illustrated by drawings which I made from rubbings which are no longer attached to the documentation (sorry for that). The booklet is accompanied by a scan of the notes which I made during recording, which occasionally offer additional details.
Please note that not all the stamped vessels listed here have been produced at Banassac. Quite a few of them were made at La Graufesenque. A provenance at Banassac may safely be assumed for those stamps which are represented with several examples.
Die Erde wurde zur Bodenverbesserung für die nährstoffarmen Moore und Sandgebiete im Inland an Landwirte verkauft. Während dieser kommerziellen Abgrabungen entdeckte man die Überreste der alten Siedlungen. Wenn möglich wurden Funde gesammelt. Unter diesen Funden befanden sich Tausende von Gegenständen römischer Herkunft, meistens Terra Sigillata.
In diesem Artikel wird vorerst nur die T.S. aus friesischen Terpen beschrieben, obwohl in archäologischer Hinsicht die Funde aus Friesland, Groningen und Norddeutschland zusammengehören.
Für diese Studie wurden 2264 Fragmente untersucht nach Typ, Herkunft, Töpfer, Datierung und teils nach Benutzungsspuren. Die reliefverzierte Ware wird in einem Katalog präsentiert (Beilage 1; Abb. 4, 7-19). Die Information über die glatte Sigillata wird separat veröffentlicht (Volkers 2016). Die Stempel auf reliefverzierter und unverzierter Ware wurden beschrieben durch Dr. M. Polak (Radboud Universitet Nijmegen) und werden im Anhang präsentiert (Beilage 2).
The paper presents two methods developed to analyse the more than 1 million fragments of pottery unearthed during an excavation in the western canabae legionis belonging to the fortress of Legio X Gemina at Nijmegen (NL):
- Quantification in a 25x25 m grid
- Aggregation in groups of features based on correspondence analysis
Whereas the project was formally restricted to the period c. AD 40-140 this first paper discusses the preceding era: the transition from the Late Iron Age into the early principate. The events from AD 40 onwards cannot be properly assessed without a basic understanding of what preceded: the pre-Roman landscape and habitation of the lower Rhine delta, Rome’s conquest of Gaul and its struggles with the Germanic peoples from the right bank of the Rhine.
The narrative is embedded in the historical sources and therefore essentially chronological, but there are several digressions on the landscape and its use, with the Rhine and its delta as a prominent element, and on military supply, which is of vital importance in a period of conquest. It appears that the political rivalry of the late Roman Republic was the key factor in the expansion to the Northwest, but once set off there was no way back. Each conquest induced new threats demanding further actions, as far as the natural landscape and the military supply network allowed.
Eventually the Roman troops advanced to the Elbe, and there remains little doubt that Augustus intended to turn most of the annexed territory between the Rhine and Elbe into a Roman province. Although this goal came within reach once Tiberius subjected all Germanic peoples between Rhine and Elbe in 8 BC , its full achievement was time and again frustrated. It is generally assumed that the abortion of the Roman military campaigns after AD 16 marks the definite abandonment of the imperial dream of a German provincial territory east of the Rhine, but the continuing tributary status of the transrhenane Frisii and the potential of the area for military supply – including cereals, meat, leather, metal ore, stone and army recruits – shed doubt on that conclusion.
At the death of emperor Tiberius in AD 37 Germania was not necessarily considered lost, and it may not be a coincidence that his successor Caligula crossed the Rhine when he needed a quick military success to secure his grip on the imperial throne.
naval base, a »Flottenstation«. When Wynia and the present author reviewed the evidence in 1991 we stated that the
naval character of Vechten was anything but proven. This was contested by Konen in 2000 in his study of the classis
Germanica. In the present paper the relevant sources are discussed and supplemented with new evidence. A strong
case can be made for a function of Vechten as a supply base for naval operations in the first two decades of our era,
but there is no conclusive evidence for the permanent presence of a detachment of the Roman fleet.
This is an electronic version of an article published as 'Scattered pots: Exploring spatial and chronological aspects of Samian ware' in 'Seeing Red', edited by Michael Fulford and Emma Durham, first published as BICS Supplement 102 by the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London 2013. © Institute of Classical Studies, University of London 2013.
ISBN 9781905670475 for the entire volume"
The conclusions include:
"The analysis of the South Gaulish terra sigillata from the Roman fort at Alphen aan den Rijn has demonstrated that there are surprisingly few vessels which corroborate its building date of AD 40/41. When this scarcity is not due to systematic dating errors, perhaps resulting from the near absence of firmly dated Tiberian contexts, it might mean that the provisioning of terra sigillata was problematic at first." and
"A comparison of the pattern of the South Gaulish potters’ stamps from Alphen with those from nearby forts shows a slightly larger portion of early stamps here. On this evidence the forts at Woerden and Zwammerdam may have been built a few years later. Whereas at Alphen the erosion of the Flavian and later levels might explain the drop in the number of stamps from AD 70 onwards, this proves once more to be a general phenomenon, as Marsh already signalled in 1981. A satisfactory explanation is still standing out."
ISBN 978-1-84217-443-2 for the entire volume."
The stamps are illustrated by drawings which I made from rubbings which are no longer attached to the documentation (sorry for that). The booklet is accompanied by a scan of the notes which I made during recording, which occasionally offer additional details.
Please note that not all the stamped vessels listed here have been produced at Banassac. Quite a few of them were made at La Graufesenque. A provenance at Banassac may safely be assumed for those stamps which are represented with several examples.
Die Erde wurde zur Bodenverbesserung für die nährstoffarmen Moore und Sandgebiete im Inland an Landwirte verkauft. Während dieser kommerziellen Abgrabungen entdeckte man die Überreste der alten Siedlungen. Wenn möglich wurden Funde gesammelt. Unter diesen Funden befanden sich Tausende von Gegenständen römischer Herkunft, meistens Terra Sigillata.
In diesem Artikel wird vorerst nur die T.S. aus friesischen Terpen beschrieben, obwohl in archäologischer Hinsicht die Funde aus Friesland, Groningen und Norddeutschland zusammengehören.
Für diese Studie wurden 2264 Fragmente untersucht nach Typ, Herkunft, Töpfer, Datierung und teils nach Benutzungsspuren. Die reliefverzierte Ware wird in einem Katalog präsentiert (Beilage 1; Abb. 4, 7-19). Die Information über die glatte Sigillata wird separat veröffentlicht (Volkers 2016). Die Stempel auf reliefverzierter und unverzierter Ware wurden beschrieben durch Dr. M. Polak (Radboud Universitet Nijmegen) und werden im Anhang präsentiert (Beilage 2).
The paper presents two methods developed to analyse the more than 1 million fragments of pottery unearthed during an excavation in the western canabae legionis belonging to the fortress of Legio X Gemina at Nijmegen (NL):
- Quantification in a 25x25 m grid
- Aggregation in groups of features based on correspondence analysis
Whereas the project was formally restricted to the period c. AD 40-140 this first paper discusses the preceding era: the transition from the Late Iron Age into the early principate. The events from AD 40 onwards cannot be properly assessed without a basic understanding of what preceded: the pre-Roman landscape and habitation of the lower Rhine delta, Rome’s conquest of Gaul and its struggles with the Germanic peoples from the right bank of the Rhine.
The narrative is embedded in the historical sources and therefore essentially chronological, but there are several digressions on the landscape and its use, with the Rhine and its delta as a prominent element, and on military supply, which is of vital importance in a period of conquest. It appears that the political rivalry of the late Roman Republic was the key factor in the expansion to the Northwest, but once set off there was no way back. Each conquest induced new threats demanding further actions, as far as the natural landscape and the military supply network allowed.
Eventually the Roman troops advanced to the Elbe, and there remains little doubt that Augustus intended to turn most of the annexed territory between the Rhine and Elbe into a Roman province. Although this goal came within reach once Tiberius subjected all Germanic peoples between Rhine and Elbe in 8 BC , its full achievement was time and again frustrated. It is generally assumed that the abortion of the Roman military campaigns after AD 16 marks the definite abandonment of the imperial dream of a German provincial territory east of the Rhine, but the continuing tributary status of the transrhenane Frisii and the potential of the area for military supply – including cereals, meat, leather, metal ore, stone and army recruits – shed doubt on that conclusion.
At the death of emperor Tiberius in AD 37 Germania was not necessarily considered lost, and it may not be a coincidence that his successor Caligula crossed the Rhine when he needed a quick military success to secure his grip on the imperial throne.
naval base, a »Flottenstation«. When Wynia and the present author reviewed the evidence in 1991 we stated that the
naval character of Vechten was anything but proven. This was contested by Konen in 2000 in his study of the classis
Germanica. In the present paper the relevant sources are discussed and supplemented with new evidence. A strong
case can be made for a function of Vechten as a supply base for naval operations in the first two decades of our era,
but there is no conclusive evidence for the permanent presence of a detachment of the Roman fleet.
This is an electronic version of an article published as 'Scattered pots: Exploring spatial and chronological aspects of Samian ware' in 'Seeing Red', edited by Michael Fulford and Emma Durham, first published as BICS Supplement 102 by the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London 2013. © Institute of Classical Studies, University of London 2013.
ISBN 9781905670475 for the entire volume"
The conclusions include:
"The analysis of the South Gaulish terra sigillata from the Roman fort at Alphen aan den Rijn has demonstrated that there are surprisingly few vessels which corroborate its building date of AD 40/41. When this scarcity is not due to systematic dating errors, perhaps resulting from the near absence of firmly dated Tiberian contexts, it might mean that the provisioning of terra sigillata was problematic at first." and
"A comparison of the pattern of the South Gaulish potters’ stamps from Alphen with those from nearby forts shows a slightly larger portion of early stamps here. On this evidence the forts at Woerden and Zwammerdam may have been built a few years later. Whereas at Alphen the erosion of the Flavian and later levels might explain the drop in the number of stamps from AD 70 onwards, this proves once more to be a general phenomenon, as Marsh already signalled in 1981. A satisfactory explanation is still standing out."
ISBN 978-1-84217-443-2 for the entire volume."
Bij de analyse is gebleken dat het vondstmateriaal van het oostelijke perceel overwegend afkomstig is van een in 1946-1947 uitgevoerde opgraving; daarbij is een groot deel van de bovengrond ongezien over het aangrenzende terrein uitgespreid. Hierbij is dus nauwelijks sprake van een verband tussen de oppervlaktevondsten en de sporen in de ondergrond.
Hoewel het zuidelijke perceel veel vondsten heeft opgeleverd, lijkt dit niet te betekenen dat het bodemarchief hier diep is verstoord. Materiaal uit de 2de en 3de eeuw overheerst; een grote verrassing was een kleine maar betekenisvolle component laat-Romeins aardewerk, die aansluit bij oudere muntvondsten. Een bescheiden hoeveelheid vroegmiddeleeuwse scherven zou kunnen dateren uit de tijd van de sloop van het jongste, stenen castellum.
De digitale versie bevat een postscriptum van M. Polak en L.C.M. Verlinden, dat in de (zeer beperkte) papieren uitgave ontbreekt."
In this book (in Dutch) the results are presented of the excavations carried out at Vechten in 1946-1947 under supervision of A.E. van Giffen. In a continuous zone of 90x30 m and several trenches the remains were uncovered of at least seven consecutive military camps. Their dates range from the Augustan period until after the middle of the 3rd century. The over 7000 objects found are presented and illustrated in detail.
The relevance of the Vechten military camps in the context of the Roman military occupation of the Rhineland will be discussed in a separate paper (in English)."