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Research partnerships with the British Museum: Samian ware from Pudding Pan

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

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Research partnerships with the British Museum: Samian ware from Pudding Pan

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

  2. 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

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

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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. ‘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?

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

  11. Comparison of forms recovered before 1885 and after 1950

  12. 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

  13. Pros and cons Cons • Responses can take a long time • Some museums allegedly with PP material didn’t respond • Can’t be too specific • Poor lighting conditions for photography without flash

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