( 123 )
THE EOMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPBINGKE.
DESCRIPTION OE FINDS CONCLUDED.
BY W. WHITING.
IN continuing the report on objects found in these interments,
a few groups will be seen to contain some interestingglass
relies. The first unbroken glass phial was met with
on the 15th Eebruary 1923 and is numbered 141, and to
distinguish them from the pottery all the pieces of glass are
illustrated against a dark back-ground.
They are all small examples of their class, and no similar
vessels large enough for use as cinerary urns have been
found. This feature is worthy of remark in view of the
large number of beautiful glass jars that can be seen in
other Kentish museums, as well as those in the national
collections from this county, that have been used for this
purpose; and it has given rise to the opinion that probably
the only people buried here were the poorer folk who could
not afford the more expensive glass urns.
GROUP XL.
No. 136. URN, containing calcined bones; 10£ in. diameter;
fumed grey clay, reddish core, black varnish
above middle.
No. 137. BUTT-SHAPED BEAKER, 6$ in. high, 5 in. diameter;
bright red smooth clay.
No. 138. BEAKER, with five irregular indentations, 4£ in.
high, 4 | in. diameter; clay as last.
No. 139. CUP, imitating form 33 Dragendorff, 8£ in.
high,. 5'4 in. diameter; with central stamp (?)
MASCULI F.; warm yellowish buff clay.
PLATE XVI
140
n
143 /
/
i
14a
THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE. 125
No. 140. CUP, form 33 Drag., Terra Sigillata ware, 2& in.
high, 4 | in. diameter; the central stamp illegible
owing to the erosion of the glaze.
No. 141. GLASS UNGTTEN-TARITTM, globular shaped, If in.
high, 2 in. diameter.
Glass bottles of this shape are common. An
identical example found at Shoebury is in Colchester
Museum, and a Samian cup found with
its group parallels No. 140 and bears the potter's
stamp MATERNIANUS. A larger one,
found at Kennington near Ashford, can be
seen in Maidstone Museum.
In this group the glass bottle and the four red-ware pots
were neatly arranged around and resting on the shoulder of
the urn.
GROUP XLI.
No. 142. FLAGON, 8 in. high, 6| in. diameter; stopper
mouth ; bright red clay, polished surface partly
eroded; third century.
The stopper-mouth flagon occurs at Niederbieber,
A.D. 190—260, but not in the New
Forest fabric with nipple mouth, and should be
distinguished therefrom, being of earlier date,
early third century.
No. 143. BEAKER, 3£ in. high, 2 | in. diameter; thin white
clay wall, reddish at core. See No. 86 ante.
No. 144. GLASS BOTTLE, 3f in. high, 2f in. diameter; six
sided with peaked and reeded handle.
These three pieces were buried alongside a body lyingnorth-
east to south-west, of which faint traces of the bones
only remained; the head could not be distinguished. A
metal vessel, presumably lead or pewter, was also observed,
and the complete bronze fibula or brooch illustrated was
recovered from close beside the flagon.
1 2 6 THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE.
Near to the last burial, at a depth of 6^ feet, was found
the skeleton of a young girl lying head to the north. The
remains had obviously been disturbed before, and on the
wrists were two small bracelets with ingenious expanding
BROOCH, GROUP XLI, AND CHILD'S BRACELET (£).
joints. The one which is here illustrated was found on
analysis to be made of 82'9 per cent, of copper, 12*4 per
cent, of tin, and 1*4 per cent, of lead.
GROUP XLII.
No. 145. FLASK, 84 in. high, 5 in. diameter; fumed grey
hard clay.
No. 146. GLASS UNGHJENTARIUM, 3 in. high, 2 | in. diameter;
spirally wound with fine glass thread, with two
moulded handles joining body and neck (Filigrano).
This was restored from over 100 pieces,
and took three months to mend.
Group dated by parallel example of flagon, British Museum
Guide to Britain, p. 121, pi. xii, No. 15, A.D. 300.
GROUP XLIII.
In this group a WINE AMPHORA was used as a cist or
container. Its opening had been covered by a quern stone
of Andernach Lava, measuring 14£ in. diameter, If in.
THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE. 127
thick, dished and scored latticewise to a hole 3 in. diameter
in the centre. When first uncovered this lid was complete,
"but on exposure to the air and in removal it crumbled,
unfortunately, into many fragments. Innumerable similar
•stones of this material have been preserved with other
things found along Hadrian's Wall. Those examples, however,
are still hard, and it is assumed that the brick earth in
which this one was buried had exercised a deleterious effect
upon it. A fragment of a similar millstone found in Syndale
Park on the opposite side of the road is but little harder
than these fragments. The cinerary urn within appeai'ed
to have been placed intentionally so that moisture entering
through the 3-inch aperture could not flow into it, consequently
the bones inside were exceptionally free from earthy
matter and were poured out of the pot practically dry.
Among them were the glass disc, the phial No. 151, the
fragments of another one, apparently a replica, but such
that had unfortunately been nearly all melted by fire,
probably on the funeral pyre, and also a few indistinguishable
fragments of bone, iron, and thin bronze.
No. 147. WINE AMPHORA, used as holder or cist.
No. 148. URN, containing dry calcined bones, 12J in. high,
11£ in. diameter ; hand-made, brownish clay
with soapy surface.
No. 149. FLASK, 5f in. high, 4£ in. diameter; form 65
Dechelette, fumed grey clay; beside the last.
No. 150. PLATE or FLAT BOWL, 1£ in. high, 8 in. diameter;
imitating form 36 Drag., in Belgic terra-nigra
ware with eroded surface. Found inverted and
placed in the Amphora with Urn on top of it.
No. 151. GLASS UNCttrENTARiirM, M iu. high, 1 in. diameter;
with square body.
GLASS DISC, 2£ in. diameter. (See Group XXVII.)
PLATE XVII
li
ill
A
THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE. 129
GROUP XLIV.
Also an Amphora burial, but in this case the only object
found inside it was the Flagon illustrated.
No. 152. WINE AMPHORA, used as urn.
No. 153. FLAGON, 6$ in. high, 5f in. diameter; of red ware
white coated.
Dated by parallels at Niederbieber, A.D. 190
— 260.
No. 154. GLASS DECANTER, 4 | in. high, 3 | in. diameter;
globular bodied with trumpet mouth, round
curved handle joining the lip, with hook for
thumb rest. This delicate vessel was recovered
empty and practically intact, with nothing but
a few pottery fragments near it.
The next three burials to record were inhumations at a
depth of 8£ ft. from the present surface, Nos. 155 and 156
being about 3 ft. apart. They were met with in the trench
being driven northwards, as mentioned in the remarks preceding
Group No. XX. No. 155 had with it a mixed lot of
human bones, among which part of a pelvis and some femora
were identified; this burial had certainly been disturbed.
About 1 foot from No. 156 was a skull, the body appearing
to lie with its feet eastwards at right angles to the trenchj
and consequently inaccessible at this time.
!
No. 155. FLAGON, 8 | in. high, 5| in. diameter; decorated
with a roulette row bordered zone of scroll
pattern ending in three berries, painted in white
slip j dark buff clay coated with black slip or
varnish.
VOL. XXXVIII. K
130 THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE.
No. 156. JUG, 9£ in. high, 5£ in. diameter; decorated on
shoulder with a zone of S-shaped and vitruvian
scrolls between zig-zag borders in white slip.
Smith, British Museum Guide, p. 121, pi. xii,
No. 15.
Sengistbury Head Report, p. 49, pi. xxv,
No. 7.
GROUP XLV.
/
-7™**%.
lo.cm.
i i—i, 1 „ i., i »
In the third burial the body was fortunately lying in the
line of the trench with head to. the.jnorth. The skeleton
was in a remarkably good state of preservation; it was
carefully uncovered by our member Dr. M. W. Kidman-
Bird, and for the drawing from which the skull is illustrated
THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE. 131
we are indebted to Professor F. G. Parsons. Sir Arthur
Keith, who has examined this and some of the other skulls,
pronounces it to be that of a woman about 40 years of age,
perhaps rather younger. He describes this and the'skull
with No. 156 as Romano-British, with faces of the oval
Madonna type and facial features which are often seen in
living English women. We understand that Professor
Parsons called recently at the Maison Dieu Museum to
examine the relics comprising this group, and expressed the
opinion that, were it not for their essentially Roman
character, the skull might easily have been taken for a
Saxon one of considerably later date. But considering the
vast amount of colonisation by the Romans themselves, and
of the intercommunication between all races and peoples
during their sway over the then known and civilised world,
is it not possible that stray Saxon settlers were already here
and mixing with the Romanized natives long before the
whole land was left to be overrun by them a century or
two later ?
No. 157. FLASK, 8f in. high, 6 | in. diameter ; Belgic fumed
grey clay. Niederbieber, A.D. 190—260,
No. 158. GLASS PHIAL, flattened, 2f in. high, 2 in. across,
1 in. thick.
The former vessel was in a metal tray or dish near the
head of the skeleton, the glass phial being beside the cheek;
on or around the right arm were three bracelets, a plain one
of Kimmeridge Shale, one of bronze wire, and one of similar
wire with small silver beads on i t ; when analysed a fragment
of the last-mentioned bracelet showed a faint trace of
gold. Upon the hip of the skeleton was one of the thin
glass discs, 2f in. diameter, as so frequently found in the
cinerary urns.
The flask is exceptionally thick; it is interesting to note
that the neck ring and stopper mouth could not be found in
1923, but was immediately recognised when thrown out in
the digging two years later.
K 2
PLATE XVIII
K
THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE. 133
No. 159. OLLA used as Um, J8£ in. high, 15| in. diameter;
fumed grey smooth clay.
This fine large pot was almost filled with flints, and a
flint stone measuring approximately 12 in. long, 10 in. wide,
4 in. thick, and weighing 28 lbs. had been placed on top of
i t ; naturally the urn was very much damaged.
No. 160. OLLA, lif. in. high, 11| in. diameter; fumed grey
sandy clay, black varnished and partly scorched
by wood flames, brownish at core.
GROUP XLVI.
No. 161. FLOWER VASE, lOf in. high, 8| in. diameter;
Belgic, form 65 Dech., thin walls coated with
black varnish, partly burnt away. This is an
early Belgic type, and the Sigillata form of
LIBERTVS, A.D. 69—117, may be an imitation
of it, or vice versa.
No. 162. BEAKER, 4 | in. high, 2| in. diameter; fumed
grey clay.
GROUP XLVII.
No. 163. OLLA as Urn, 15 in. high, 12§ in. diameter; fumed
grey clay, scorched to reddish in parts.
No. 164. FLAGON, 7| in. high, 5| in. diameter; pale red
clay, with remains of white slip.
No. 165. OLLA-SHAPED BEAKER, 4^ in. high, 4£ in. diameter;
very sandy fumed grey clay, reddish at core.
No. 166. BOWL or PLATTER, ] | in. high, 8 | in. diameter;
hard, fumed dark grey clay, smoothed on
•f surface.
No. 167. BOWL, Sigillata, form 31 Drag,, 2f in. high,
7£ in. diameter, with central stamp of potter
' NATALIS, A.D. 190—260.
PLATE XIX
163
169 /
THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE. 135
In this burial it is believed No. 166 was used as a cover
to the urn; the pots were very much broken, and it was
not realised until they were being mended that the group
contained five pieces.
GROUP XLVIII.
No. 168. BOWL, Sigillata, form 35 Drag., 2 in. high, 7|- in.
diameter ; decorated with leaf.
No. 169. BEAKER, 5 in. high, 4>\ in. diameter; fumed grey
clay, burnt reddish at base; poppy-head type,
second century.
With these pots no human remains, burnt or otherwise,
could be found.
GROUP XLIX.
No. 170. WINE AMPHORA, as Urn. The side of this pot
had a hole in it which was found covered by a
piece of a very thin olla to close the gap.
No. 171. FLAGON, 6 in. high, 5 | in. .diameter; sandy buff
clay; wide bulged, second century type.
No. 172. BEAKER, 3| in. high, 3 | in. diameter; Belgic
type; hard, thin fumed grey clay.
No. 173. BOWL, 2 in. high, 8 in. diameter; imitation of
form 32 Drag., of tile-red clay, coated with
bright red smooth slip. ? of local manufacture,
A.D. 190—260.
No. 174. BOWL, 1\ in. high, 7| iu. diameter; also an
imitation of form 32 Drag., of bright red
smooth, rather soft, clay.
Some bird bones, in a remarkably good state of preservation,
were found in bowl No. 173, and they constitute the
only evidence of food being placed in the smaller vessels
with the cremated remains of the dead.
No. 175. URN, 10-f in. high, 9$ in. diameter; fumed grey
clay.
PLATE XX
,,-v... •-...,
J
THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE. 137
GROUP L.
FLAGON, 6 | in. high, 4$ in. diameter ; bright red
clay, with white slip partly eroded.
OLLA, 3^ in. high, 3£ in. diameter; dark grey
clay, brown core.
GROUP LI.
OLLA as Urn, 12-| in. high, ll-|in. diameter; clay,
hard brittle, charged with fine sand and coated
thinly with black varnish, much burnt away
below.
CUP, Sigillata, form 33 Drag*, 3 in. high, 5 | in.
diameter; unstamped, matt glaze, A.D. 190—260,
Niederbieber type 9.
FLASK or VASE, 5^ in. high, 4^ in. diameter;
Belgic, form 65 Dech., fumed grey clay with
traces of black varnish burnt away.
OLLA-SHAPED BEAKER, 3-| in. high, 3 in. diameter,;
fumed light grey clay.
This urn was at the very edge of the digging and on the
line of the public pathway, and when it was pulled over into
the trench the three small pots were found nestling together
just behind.
GROUP LII.
No. 182. ELASK or BOTTLE, 6-| in. high, 5$- in. diameter;
red-brown clay, coated black. Cf. No. 226.
No. 183. OLLA, 4£ in. high, 3 in. diameter; pomegranate
,f or poppy-head form, of fumed grey clay.
\ . GROUP un.
No. 184. OLLA as urn, lOf in. high, 10|- in. diameter; with
short neck separated by a ledge; sandy, hard,
fumed dark grey clay.
No. 176.
No. 177.
No. 178.
No. 179.
No. 180.
No. 181.
PLATE XXI
i i i i J i i i i i i i \ iSS
THE ROMAN CEMETERIES AT OSPRINGE. 139
No. 185. FLASK, 7|- in. high, 4 | in. diameter; Belgic, with
narrow neck expanding up and down, and
separated by a ledge or offset at the base. Pale
fumed grey clay with traces of black varnish.
Owner's mark on base, consisting of a cross
within an incomplete circle, very roughly
scratched on.
No. 186. BOWL, Sigillata, form 31 Drag., 2f in. high, 8} in.
diameter; with central stamp of potter,
VIIRINVS, A.D. 120—200. Rheinzabern potter,
second century.
GROUP LIV.
No. 187. BEAKER, 6\ in. high, 3 | in. diameter; with pale
red slip coating between the roulette hatched
zones and black varnish below the middle;
fumed grey clay.
No. 188. BOWL or SAUCER, If in. high, 6 in. diameter;
fumed grey clay, well smoothed and black varnished.
GROUP LV.
No. 189. VASE, used as Urn, 11£ in. high, 9 in. diameter;
with burnished zones on the shoulder; fumed
reddish-grey sandy clay, black varnished.
No. 190. FLASK, 7-f- in. high, 4f in. diameter; fumed grey
clay.
No. 191. OLLA-SHAPED BEAKER, 4 in. high, 3|- in. diameter;
fumed reddish-grey sandy clay.
No. 192. CUP, Sigillata, form 33 Drag., 2\ in. high, 3£ in.
diameter; unstamped.
GROUP LVI.
No. 193. OLLA, 13 in. high, 11|- in. diameter; with three
rows of prodded holes round the middle; coarse
PLATE XXII
t t i f t f t t r f t r < f < t t t t c «r
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