c. 140-165 AD
Graffito on Roman Samian Tableware
My Story
Only officers had decorated samian, which had to be imported from Gaul (France). At the time that the Antonine Wall was occupied, samian was in short supply and broken items were mended using lead rivets. To prevent stealing, owners put their names on the vessels. Three finds from Mumrills fort are inscribed with a woman’s name. It is likely that she would have been the wife of the commanding officer and it looks like a large part of her dinner service was discarded when the unit moved back down to Hadrian’s Wall.
There is also an unusually high proportion of graffiti on pots from the Antonine Wall forts, suggesting that the educational standards of these soldiers was high – or simply that the men were very very bored.
Only officers had decorated samian, which had to be imported from Gaul (France). At the time that the Antonine Wall was occupied, samian was in short supply and broken items were mended using lead rivets. To prevent stealing, owners put their names on the vessels. Three finds from Mumrills fort are inscribed with a woman’s name. It is likely that she would have been the wife of the commanding officer and it looks like a large part of her dinner service was discarded when the unit moved back down to Hadrian’s Wall.
There is also an unusually high proportion of graffiti on pots from the Antonine Wall forts, suggesting that the educational standards of these soldiers was high – or simply that the men were very very bored.
