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and the early third century (Peacock 1977c, 159), but there is no evidence
of importation to Kent prior to the late second century. Colour-coated
flagons were produced at Colchester in the period under review; these are
described below.
Limited production of mica-dusted wares occurred at Colchester
and Canterbury, probably in both cases in the later second century. The
forms produced at the former city include bag-beakers (Hull 1963, Form 391)
and flagons with knobbed handles, some of which have tube-spouts (Hull 1963,
Forms 361 and 362; cf. no. 78 here). These have occasionally been found in
Kent (Appendix 3). A kiln associated with mica-dusted ‘face-mask’ jars
(cf. no. 72 here, in orange-buff ‘Canterbury’ ware) has been recorded on
the south side of Canterbury (Jenkins 1956b), but no details are available
(cf. Swan 1984, 391, Whitehall Road).
The range of forms produced in fine grey wares underwent some
significant changes in the second quarter of the second century. Biconical
beakers and jars, segmental and hemispherical bowls, and campanulate cups
were all discontinued; with the abandonment of the biconical forms the last
vestiges of what could loosely be described as a ‘Gallo-Belgic’
influence disappeared, production of butt-beakers and pedestal jars having
been terminated by the Trajanic period. It is interesting to note that both
biconical and butt-beaker forms are thought to have continued as part of the
Oxfordshire grey ware range throughout the second century (Young 1977a,
Types R25—6 and 29), as were carinated, hemispherical and campanulate
derivatives of samian forms Drag. 29/30, 37 and 27 in reduced oxidised wares
(ibid., Types R64 and 0.42, R68 and 0.45, and R62, respectively).
Flanged hemispherical and bead-rim ‘Drag. 18’ straight-sided bowls in
both reduced and oxidised Oxfordshire wares are, however, generally confined
to the late first-early second century (ibid., Types 0.39 and R70,
and R60, respectively). Further work needs to be done on the Oxfordshire wares in order to refine their
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dating, if this is possible.
The contrast between the rural setting of the Oxfordshire industry and the
location of the Upchurch industry close to a major inter-provincial trade
route (the Thames estuary) with trade links with the civitas capital and the
Classis Britannica, is striking; the possibility that these
differences of location influenced the dissemination of fashion developments
is raised by this apparent conservatism on the part of the potters of the
former industry.
Beakers were by far the most important class of vessel,
quantitatively, produced by the fine grey ware suppliers to Kent in the
Hadrianic-Severan period. The dominant form is the ‘poppyhead’ beaker;
strictly speaking this term should be confined to vessels with an everted
rim, paralleling the poppy seed-head in form (nos. 145 and 150 here; cf.
Tyers 1978, 61). However, the common association of vessels of this form
with a decoration of panels of barbotine ‘comb-applied’ dots has often
led to other beakers with this motif being given the name of ‘poppyhead’
including cornice rim and bead-rim types (e.g. no. 144). The dot-panel motif
appears to be mainly of second-century date, vessels of the third century
being either plain or rouletted (no. 150), the latter variations being
introduced in the late second century. The typological development of these
beakers has been investigated in depth by Tyers (1978); later vessels tend
to be of narrower, more elliptical, shape, often with taller rims than their
more globular predecessors of the early- to mid-second century. The form
apparently continued well into the third century (see below) in Kent at
least. Bag-shaped vessels occur throughout the period. Several plain vessels
from the Ospringe cemetery (Whiting et a!. 1931, e.g. no. 125) are
smaller than is usual for the form, suggesting that they were especially
produced as votive pieces; their size, and plainness, could have reduced
production costs in terms of raw materials and labour time, rendering them
cheaper to acquire than larger, decorated vessels designed for
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