Late Roman Dorset Black-Burnished Ware (BB1): A Corpus of Forms and Their Distribution in Southern Britain, on the Continent and in the Channel Islands

Roman Dorset Black-Burnished Ware (BB1) was first recognized in the late 1960s, but most research has focused on the 1st to 3rd centuries. BB1 production declined in Britain in the 4th and early 5th centuries, while it increased in Northern France and the Netherlands. The industry continued to function on a reduced scale until the mid-5th century.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 10 March 2022
Publisher: Archaeopress

Since the late 1960s, when Farrar, Gillam, and Peacock first identified the Roman Dorset Black-Burnished Ware (BB1), there has been a significant amount of writing about its Late Iron Age Durotrigian origins. However, the majority of this research has concentrated on the shapes that were created and distributed between the first and third centuries.

Late Roman Dorset Black-Burnished Ware (BB1) spans the late third to early fifth centuries, encompassing the forms produced by the industry during this period. This ware has a corpus and phased distribution across South-Central and South-Eastern Britain, as well as the Channel Islands, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The different phases of BB1 production indicate that the distribution zone for the industry reached its maximum extent in Britain during the late third century before experiencing a decline in the fourth and early fifth centuries. On the Continent, however, there was a significant increase in supply to Northern French sites, particularly those in Normandy and down the Seine valley.

The mechanisms behind late BB1 production, supply, and the reasons for its disappearance are also discussed, with evidence presented for the industry continuing to function on a much-reduced scale after the Roman abandonment of Britannia until the mid-fifth century.

Weight: 723g
Dimension: 290 x 205 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789699555