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Research partnerships with the British Museum: Samian ware from Pudding Pan Michael Walsh University of Southampton

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Thomas Pownall in 1778 Reported: a very peculiar kind of red earthenware found amidst the cottage furniture of the fishermen of the Kentish coast At Pan Speck : His brother recovered, through trawling, half a hundredweight of brickwork cemented together, some small pieces of broken pans and then three entire pans

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Aims To identify the extent of the recovered assemblage To establish what the assemblage represents? To establish what, if anything, remains buried?

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Various theories Submerged Pharos or navigation marker Submerged pottery manufactory Stamps of Atillianus Submerged town Jettisoned cargo Shipwreck Votive deposit

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Public institutions 83 institutions contacted 22 museums did not respond (11 overseas) Visited 21 museums 5 other museums provided details Also identified 9 private collectors and recorded 7 collections

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Largest collections Whitstable Museum 119 samian vessels including 2 lamps, 2 mortaria British Museum 103 samian vessels, 1 African RS, 2 roof tiles Maidstone Museum 41 samian vessels, 1 terra rubra cup, 2 roof tiles Swansea Museum 29 samian vessels Liverpool Museum 27 samian vessels, coarse ware fragments

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British Museum collection Prehistoric and Europe have two samian collections: A sherd collection from their own excavations at Stonea (published) and Mucking (soon to be published) a haphazard but broad national coverage A complete vessel collection - comprising Pudding Pan and Colchester, which is one of the largest collections of complete vessels in the country

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Analysis To identify and record vessel type and potter To record vessel dimensions To identify pre- and post-manufacturing marks To analyse wear, damage and marine growth

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Biographies of the vessels When did current owners acquire pots? How many collections had vessels passed through? When were vessels originally recovered? Has recovery decreased or altered since perceived peak? Is there a cyclical recovery?

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Dates at which pots first entered museum collections and dates of publications (Red columns denote known recovery dates)

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Comparison of forms recovered before 1885 and after 1950

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Pros and cons Pros Friendly, helpful staff Access to display material Access to accession records Funding from Friends of the British Museum particularly the Townley group

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Pros and cons Cons Responses can take a long time Some museums allegedly with PP material didnt respond Cant be too specific Poor lighting conditions for photography without flash