is possible that the latter represents a technological development of the
former, in which case the Cooling fabric should perhaps be given a
post-Conquest origin. The ‘Granary Ditch’ at Lullingstone contained a
large pottery assemblage, including a samian dish dated A.D. 55—75 in
the primary silt. The pottery ‘consists mainly of vessels in coarse,
shell-gritted fabric’ (Pollard 1987, Group I). Examination of part of the
assemblage by the present author suggests that shelly ware predominates,
with shell-sand, grogged, ‘Patch Grove’ and sandy wares also present. A
mid-first to early second century group from Rochester (unpublished: see
Appendix 5) included 16 per cent shelly wares (nearly 30 per cent if
the coarse pottery is taken in isolation from fine wares), nearly 25 per
cent (42 per cent) sand-tempered wheel-thrown ware, and 9 per cent (16 per
cent) flint-sand tempered hand-made ware probably of Medway estuary
derivation (see below). A Flavian-Trajanic group from Springhead (also
unpublished: Appendix 5) included 21 per cent (36 per cent)
shell-sand ware, 3 per cent (5 per cent) shelly ware, 6 per cent (11
per cent) grogged ware, and 23 per cent (39 per cent) sand tempered
wheel-thrown wares. The bead-rim jar is predominant in both shelly and
shell-sand wares, although straight sided dishes and everted-rim jars do
also occur (see e.g. Philp 1973 and Pollard 1987, Fabric 70). One other form
is of particular interest, a large storage-jar with short everted rim and
decorated shoulder (no. 16 here; see Harrison 1972, 134, no. 22 also). This
form is distributed throughout Kent, southern Essex, and London, but is
found primarily west of the Medway and in Essex (Fig. 31). Its period of
usage extends from the mid-first to the late second century, long after
other shelly wares had disappeared from circulation in Kent and south-east
Essex. ‘Patch Grove’ storage jars also outlived other forms in the ware,
surviving into the early third century, and similar phenomena may be
observed among the non-sandy wares of Essex and east Kent (see below).
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The conflation of ‘Patch Grove’ ware with ‘rather
similar pottery. . . .with a poorer surface and orange-red specks in the
paste’ by Philp (1973, 60) renders assessment of the importance of
grog-tempered ware (which in the present author’s experience probably
includes Philp’s ‘orange-red specked’ ware) somewhat problematical.
The ‘Granary Ditch’ at Lullingstone contained narrow-neck everted rim
jars in grey-and-brown fired grog wares (Pollard 1987, Fabrics 67, 74).
Other grogged pottery from the villa site includes S-jars, a biconical
bowl, and bead-rim jars, the latter in a mixed grog-shell fabric (ibid.,
Fabric 68). These vessels may all be Flavian or later in date,
however. Grog-tempered wares at Southwark are generally Flavian (Tyers and
Marsh 1978, forms IIA 1—4, IVF 1, 2, 5), but as the bowls in
particular are of forms paralleled by products of the Highgate Wood kilns
north of Roman London (Brown and Sheldon 1974) rather than sites to the
south of the city this dating need not reflect the west Kent situation.
The evidence from Charlton, Springhead and Rochester suggests that
grog-tempered wares were little used in the later first century, shell and
shell-sand wares being predominant on these sites. However, a
pre-Flavian/Flavian deposit at Cobham Park (Tester 1961, Room 4, Layer D)
contained somewhat more grog-tempered than shell and sand-shell ware.
The final ‘indigenous’ fabric to be considered is
sand-tempered ware. The origins of this ware, as with ‘Patch Grove’
and shelly wares, are uncertain. Sandy clays are widespread in Kent,
particularly on the coastal plain and under what is now south London,
comprising the Eocene Thanet and Woolwich and Reading Beds and the London
Clay. To these strata may be added the Pleistocene and Recent
Clay-with-flints drift which occur extensively on the higher parts of the
Chalk dipslope of the North Downs (Gallois 1965, 59), constituting
of flints and clay, with a mixture including sand present in many
localities; and the loam or silt Brickearths, mostly head
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