For more than 300 years, fishermen working in the outer Thames estuary have recovered Roman artefacts from an area known as Pudding Pan, the only sea area believed to have been named after archaeological discoveries. Numerous attempts have been, and are being, made to locate the source of the material, yet this elusive site remains undiscovered. Despite this, the stamped samian assemblage has been a central reference point for dating late 2nd century AD samian groups and thereby sites throughout the Empire over the past 100 years.
The assemblage, comprising more than 600 artefacts (mostly complete plain samian vessels), has been thoroughly re-assessed to determine the nature and location of the site. Samian, transported in huge quantities throughout the Empire, is one of the key indicators of the widespread cultural reception of Rome. The assemblage appears to represent part of a cargo from a Roman trading ship, either jettisoned or wrecked en route from France to Britain between AD 180 and 200. This site-type is extremely rare throughout the Roman Empire and its discovery could contribute a new perspective on the organisation of trade.
Find out more on Friday April 26th at 6.30pm at our talk, to be held at the Junior School, King’s Road, Herne Bay.
