KINCM 1994.294 & WRB 91 - BROUGH ON HUMBER, EAST YORKSHIRE

 

Ceramic Building Materials Assessment Report

 

S Garside-Neville

 

Methodology

The material from both excavations has been fully recorded, using a proforma, and assembling a fabric sample.  Each fragment has been individually weighed and measured, and then matched to a fabric sample.   If the piece was significant in any way it was retained, if not it has been discarded, or recommended for disposal.   Where a tegula flange or a signature is complete, or near complete, it has been drawn.

 

Roman material

The majority of the ceramic building material is Roman, including imbrex, tegula, brick and combed box flue.   The box flue was part of a hypocaust system, and the fragments are combed, which may date from the late 1st century to the early 2nd century, based on data from elsewhere in the country.   There is one example of a signature on a tegula.   The exact significance of signatures is unknown, but it is thought that it may be the mark of the individual maker, or show how many tiles have been made in a certain period. 

 

Material from the WRB 91 excavation was identified as tile, however, on examination this was found to be an unconvincing conclusion.  The material is too badly fired to be used as tile and exposed to the elements.  There was no diagnostic piece to identify any form, although there was some curve to the pieces.  This suggests pottery, rather than tile.  The size of the pot would have been massive, and the presence of mortar on some sherds hints that it may have been reused as a filler in a wall, and it was definitely used as a path surface at a later date.

 

There is a quantity of daub, which is mostly associated with Roman contexts.

           

Medieval material

Several pieces of plain roof tile are present in the sample.  There are no examples of how the tile was hung (either nib or peg).

 

Post medieval material

Post medieval material consists of pantile, brick, paving, land drain and sewer pipe.

 

Discussion

Much of the Roman ceramic building material comes from 3rd and early 4th century dumps along the Roman road, which may have been a rubbish tip.  A few pieces are present in 2nd century contexts (1050 & 1068).   Much of the material is abraded, and it may have been reused in that mortar is sometimes present along broken edges.   It is unlikely that the buildings on this site were roofed during the Roman period

 

Recommendations

It is a small sample, however, it can contribute to the study of the local ceramic building materials industry.  It can be compared to other material from Brough which may bring about the formation of a chronology for the brick and tile in the area (both medieval and Roman).  Full publication is not recommended as the sample is so small.  However, the archive should be completed and deposited with the rest of the excavation records.

 

WRB91 - listing

 

Context           Form                                                                           Date

1                      Field drain                                                                    Post med

2                      Roman Brick/brick                                                       Med/Post med

5                      Brick                                                                            Post med

9                      Brick                                                                            Med/Post med

10                    Roman brick/tegula/imbrex/daub                                   oman

12                    Field drain                                                                    Post med

14                    Roman brick                                                                 Roman

18                    Brick/Pantile/Plain roof tile                                            7th+

19                    Brick                                                                            ?

71                    Tegula/daub                                                                  Roman

71/150             Daub                                                                            Roman

72                    Roman brick/daub                                                        Roman

74                    Roman brick/tegula                                                       Roman

75                    Brick                                                                            Med/Post med

77                    Roman brick/brick                                                        Med/Post med

84                    Roman brick/tegula/daub                                              Roman

94                    Roman brick/tegula                                                       Roman

128/132           Roman brick/daub                                                        Roman

150                  Roman brick/daub                                                        Roman

161                  Roman brick                                                                 Roman

175                  ?Brick                                                                          Roman/med

182                  Daub                                                                            ?Roman

194                  Daub                                                                            ?Roman

215                  Daub                                                                            ?Roman


BROUGH ON HUMBER - KINCM 1994.294

 

Context           Form                                                                           Date

1000                Pantile/plain roofing/paver/brick                                    17th+

1001                Pipe/brick/tegula/imbrex/Roman brick                           19th+

1006                Roman brick                                                                 Roman

1008                Roman brick/tegula                                                       Roman

1019                Tegula/flue tile/imbrex/plain roofing                                Med

1021                Tegula                                                                          Roman

1022                Imbrex/tegula                                                                Roman

1028                Roman brick/combed box flue                                      l1st/e2nd+

1034                Roman brick                                                                 Roman

1035                Brick                                                                            Med/Post med

1038                Roman brick/imbrex                                                     Roman

1050                Roman brick                                                                 Roman

1055                Brick                                                                            ?Roman

1061                Roman brick                                                                 Roman

1068                Imbrex                                                                         Roman

1098                Tegula/plain roofing                                           Med

1121                Roman brick/imbrex                                                     Roman

1137                Brick                                                                            Med/Post med

1143                Tegula                                                                          Roman

1147                Roman brick                                                                 Roman

1148                Roman brick/tegula/daub                                              Roman

1187                Daub                                                                            ?Roman

1194                Brick                                                                            ?

1205                Daub                                                                            ?

1200                Sewer pipe/brick                                                          Post med

1390                Tegula                                                                          Roman

2000                Roman brick/tegula/drain/sewer pipe                             Post med

2001                Roman brick/tegula/brick/pantile                                   17th+

2009                ?Imbrex/brick/pantile                                                    17th+

2015                Roman brick/brick/pantile                                             17th+

2022                Tegula                                                                          Roman

2026                ?Box flue                                                                      Roman

2027                Tegula/paver                                                                 19th+

2032                Box flue                                                                        Roman

2045                Tegula                                                                          Roman

2060                Tegula/pantile                                                               17th+

2064                Tegula                                                                          Roman

2070                Brick                                                                            19th+

2080                Brick                                                                            ?

2083                Roman brick                                                                 Roman

4001                Tegula                                                                          Roman

4002                Brick                                                                            ?

5015                Roman brick/imbrex                                                     Roman                        


Fabric Samples for Brough on Humber:

 

Number            Period and associated forms

BR1                 Roman

BR2                 Roman

BR3                 Post medieval (Pantile)

BR4                 Medieval - Post medieval (Brick)

BR5                 Post medieval (Pantile)

BR6                 Roman

BR7                 Post medieval (Paving)

BR8                 Roman

BR9                 Roman

BR10               ?Roman or later

BR11               Medieval (Plain roof tile)

BR12               Post medieval (?Pantile)

BR13               Roman

BR14               Roman

BR15               Medieval (Plain roof tile) ?same as BR24

BR16               Roman

BR17               Roman

BR18               Medieval (Plain roofing tile)

BR19               Medieval - Post medieval (Brick)

BR20               Post medieval (Field/Land drain)

BR21               Post medieval (Field/Land drain)

BR22               Roman

BR23               Roman

BR24               ?Roman/?medieval (?same as BR15)

BR25               Medieval -Post medieval (brick)