Study Group for Roman Pottery Bibliography
Study Group for Roman Pottery, 2014. https://doi.org/10.5284/1025061. How to cite using this DOI
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Study Group for Roman Pottery
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- ADS Collection: 1609
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1025061
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
DP147248: Roman pottery from Scarborough Castle
© English Heritage
The Study Group for Romano-British Pottery (Study Group for Roman Pottery from 1980) was founded in 1971 to provide a forum for the discussion of all matters relating to Roman pottery found in Britain, including the presentation and discussion of the latest research, and issues affecting the subject and its practitioners. The Group aims to provide a lead in Roman pottery studies as well as guidance towards best practice, and also collaborates with other specialist groups on matters of mutual interest and concern. It has published the Journal of Roman Pottery Studies since 1986, Research Frameworks for the Study of Roman Pottery and Guidelines for the Archiving of Roman Pottery (both in JRPS vol 11, 2004) and A Research Strategy and Updated Agenda for the Study of Roman Pottery in Britain (2011). The Group also has a website (www.romanpotterystudy.org).
It was decided that a bibliography of Roman pottery publications should be a feature of the Journal of Roman Pottery Studies and Robin Symonds undertook its development and editing. In JRPS 1, Robin described the aim of the bibliography as comprising ârecent publications which in any serious way contribute to the study of Roman pottery in Britain ... from 1982 to the presentâ (JRPS 1, 1986, 80). Contributors used proforma to record the following data: Author, Article Title, Journal/Book Title, Publication Date, Subject Matter, Site Type, Date, Wares/Types, Qualifications, Comment and Location (of archive). Abbreviations were used for Subject Matter, Site Type, Date, Wares/Types and Qualifications. Entries were initially limited to British journals, organised by county or country, and including national journals and books, but additional sections were added subsequently as follows: foreign publications with relevance to Britain (JRPS 2, 3, 4, 5 and 11); reviews (JRPS 4, 5 and 11); theses (JRPS 3, 4, 5 and 11), lamps, counters, figurines and other pottery objects (JRPS 4, 5 and 11) and scientific analysis (JRPS 4, 5 and 11). Entries after JRPS 11 were placed directly onto the website, organised by Historic County, as in the printed version, using abbreviations listed in JRPS 6.
The website bibliography allows rudimentary searches through a basic search and find mechanism, but it has been recognised for some time that a proper on-line searchable bibliographic database would greatly assist pottery researchers by enabling them to more easily access the available information on sites and material. This is especially relevant to the increasing numbers of researchers who find that they have to deal with unfamiliar material (SGRP Research Strategy, 7). Many of these researchers now work in a freelance capacity (ibid. 6) and access to reports was noted as a constraint (ibid. 14 and 15, table 2). An on-line searchable bibliographic database could also be accessed by students and members of the public and would assist with training and continuing professional development within Roman pottery studies. The Medieval Pottery Research Group's on-line bibliography (hosted by the Archaeology Data Service) was seen as a model for the SGRP equivalent and English Heritage has provided the funding for a database of the SGRP bibliographic entries to be compiled.
