fine Roman samian ware from the Flagstaff House complex

Today (10th October), Trust volunteer Chris was here at our HQ – the Roman circus centre – processing pottery from the historic Flagstaff House complex. This complex of listed and locally-listed buildings was formerly an important part of the old Colchester garrison – the commanding officers’ HQ and offices – and it is just round the corner from the Roman circus centre. We have previously undertaken archaeological evaluation and excavation projects on the site. The complex is currently being redeveloped, with the construction of new residential buildings and the conversion of the surviving original buildings for residential use. The complex is now called ‘Arena Place’. Previous evidence from the site includes painted wall-plaster deriving from a Roman house to the north of the Roman circus; Roman material from a large domestic rubbish-pit; foundations of part of the precinct wall of St John’s abbey; and modern military buildings. We have also been able to investigate more of the site of the Roman circus itself here.

Today, Chris was processing pottery which included fragments from three different vessels of Roman samian ware, and these derive from two features, ie a medieval ditch and a probable Roman pit. Two fragments represent one vessel (a decorated bowl), four joining fragments represent a second vessel (a dish), and one fragment represents a third vessel (a larger dish). Fine Roman table wares were produced in samian ware which was a luxury import into Britain.

These vessels are very interesting. The fragment of a larger dish shows rouletting and we think that it was manufactured in Central Gaul in the AD 2nd century. The four joining fragments represent a dish and include the stamp of a potter or pottery workshop, which is fascinating. Unfortunately, the stamp is not very clear: we will publish our research on it in the forthcoming site report. We think that this dish was manufactured at Les Martres-de-Veyres in about AD 100-120. One of the fragments of the decorated bowl shows a pair of gladiators separated from another figure by a vertical border. One gladiator is holding a large rectangular shield (a scutum) and may be a secutor or a murmillo, while the figure seems to be wearing a loincloth and holding some fabric over his left arm: this may be a victorious gladiator after combat, or a god. We think that this bowl was also manufactured in Central Gaul during the 2nd century.

There are other representations of gladiators and gladiatorial combat from Roman Colchester, including the famous pottery ‘Colchester vase’ which is on display at the Colchester Castle Museum, and over 20 samian fragments showing gladiators. Gladiatorial combat was a popular spectator sport in the Roman empire. It may even have been presented at the Colchester Roman circus in between chariot races, so it is very interesting to find gladiators represented on a samian bowl from just round the corner!

Trust excavator Alec Wade is conducting the watching brief. All the Trust’s archaeological fieldwork at the Flagstaff House complex is funded by Taylor Wimpey. (We have provided a small temporary display of finds in Taylor Wimpey’s sales suite at Arena Place.)

Read more about the site in CAT Report 412. We have a replica of the ‘Colchester vase’ on display here at the Roman circus centre.

The images show: one of the fragments of decorated bowl, with the two gladiators and the third figure; the four joining fragments of dish; and the potters’ stamp in close-up, as well as a drawing of two fragments from a samian bowl excavated at the Nurses’ Quarters of Essex County Hospital in Colchester, dated to the early 2nd century, and showing gladiators in combat (acquired by Colchester Castle Museum in 1931-2).

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