Un atelier de potiers du Ier s. ap. J.‑C. dans le quartier antique de Villa Roma à Nîmes (Gard).

Abstract

The ancient area of Villa Roma, in Nîmes (Gard), widely excavated in 1991-1992, revealed several domus and an original place where several pottery kilns succeed one another or coexist all along the 1st c. AD. However, one cluster of three kilns, in use during the years 20 to 40 AD, can be connected to a ceramic production, where we could distinguish two different fabrics whose dominant feature is limestone, and 20 vessels types. Most of them can be found in a domestic context, but a few have some features, supported by several comparisons, that engage to link them with an utilization in cult context. An overview of the global evolution of the urban area, with chronological arguments, allows us an estimation of its uniqueness – here, the residential function seems almost absent – then follows a precise description of the workshop and the vessels it produced. This example finally allows us an assessment of our knowledge on pottery craft at the scale of the town of Nemausus, the Arecomici civitas-capital.