Made in the Nene Valley? Identifying the origins of mortaria using ICP analysis

Abstract

The Nene Valley, in eastern central England, was a major pottery production centre in the Roman period. Many kiln sites have been identified in the Lower Nene Valley region and, although comparatively less is known about production in the Upper Nene Valley, substantial amounts of mortaria and other coarse wares have been recovered during excavations at Roman sites in the area, and much of it is thought to be locally made. However mortaria made in the Upper and Lower Nene Valley can be difficult to tell apart, and many also have similar forms and fabrics to mortaria produced in Mancetter–Hartshill, Warwickshire. Therefore ICP analysis was used in an attempt to identify the products of different regions. The ICP data showed that the Nene Valley mortaria are compositionally distinct from the Mancetter–Hartshill mortaria in terms of major and trace elements, and the Upper and Lower Nene Valley mortaria could be differentiated from each other using trace elements. Some mortaria were stamped by the potters that made them and so the compositional data could be used to determine where each potter worked. The Nene Valley mortaria were made from the Upper Estuarine Series clay, in common with other types of Roman pottery produced in the Nene Valley, and so the data presented here have also proved useful for investigating the origins of other types of wares.