Future Research and Collaboration in Samian Studies: new directions for curators and researchers.

The quintessential tableware of the Roman world was a fine red gloss mould-made pottery known today as terra sigillata or (in the UK) samian ware. In Western Europe, the earliest terra sigillata pottery was produced in northern Italy (around Arezzo). The Italian products were supplanted by those of Gaul, which were themselves superseded by North Africa wares. The easily recognisable characteristics of the pottery, coupled with the discovery of samian in a number of closely dated contexts (such as the destruction layers associated with the Boudican revolt in London and Colchester in AD 60-61), have meant that samian ware has become a primary source of dating evidence for archaeologists studying the Roman Empire.

Despite its importance to the understanding and appreciation of Roman archaeology, a critical appraisal of key reference works is long overdue (Willis 1997). Much of the standard reference material predates the Second World War and has not been reassessed in the light of post-war advances in samian chronology, typology and in Roman archaeology as a whole. Instead samian studies have fragmented and become increasingly compartmentalised within wider archaeological reporting (Willis 1998). Coupled with this is a recognised decline in the number of specialists in samian studies, which is leading to a distinct skills shortage for the future.

Key collections of samian exist in a number of museums and universities across the UK. These represent the personal reference collections of samian study pioneers, such as Felix Oswald (collection split between the Universities of Durham and Nottingham) and Alfred-Edward Plicque (collection split between the University of Nottingham, the British Museum, and the Musée d'Antiquités Nationales (Paris), Clermont Ferrand, Leiden and Montpellier) and collections formed from more recent excavations (e.g. the collection held at the Museum of London). To date little cross-institutional work is done to maximise the research potential of these shared collections.

This Research Workshop proposal aims to explore the research potential of the UK collections by facilitating discussion between institutions that have research interests in, or hold key collections of, samian pottery. The target outcomes are i) the establishment of a research framework for samian studies for the next decade, ii) the identification of potential research and training opportunities to enable a new generation of samian experts to emerge, iii) the exploration of potential future research partnerships between institutions and individuals and iv) the establishment of a standardised and digitally accessible curation and archival system which enables a greater degree of analysis and synthesis across collections.

This project is timely in that it acknowledges a growing international and national interest in revitalising and advancing samian studies. The Mainz Institute has led the field by establishing a GIS-based mapping tool for the investigation of production and distribution sites. This tool draws on database records of samian collections from a variety of institutions (http://www.rgzm.de/samian/home/frames.htm). In the UK, Steve Willis (University of Kent), with support from English Heritage, has launched an online samian resource using data retrieved from archaeological sites. Professor Michael Fulford (Reading University) has recently initiated a British Academy-funded project to publish the Leeds Collection following the death of Brian Hartley - the Leeds Index of Samian Potters' Stamps. The proposed Research Workshop aims to bring this new expertise together with the intention of sharing knowledge, disseminating best practice and highlighting future opportunities for both research partnerships and the training of new specialists.