Internet Archaeology 9

In 1994, in advance of construction work on new houses, York Archaeological Trust excavated at Welton Road, Brough-on-Humber, east of the Roman walled settlement. The town is usually identified as Petuaria and assumed to be the civitas capital of the Parisi. This interpretation is controversial and it has been argued by some that the settlement should be understood as a military supply base. This report aims to contribute to the resolution of that debate. Excavations revealed a Roman settlement and field-system. Roman structures were identified, both along a road and elsewhere on the site. Other recognisable features included a T-shaped corn-drier, human graves, both cremation and inhumation, and possible ritual animal burials. There was a large finds assemblage, showing evidence for a range of domestic activities, as well as indicating a possible local pottery industry.

This paper does not use petrography to specifically provenance pottery, but rather to examine the raw materials used in a single potter's workshop. The authors have sought to reconstruct the manufacture of ceramics from clay procurement, preparation of the raw clay to forming techniques and decoration.

Review of the book On The Theory and Practice of Archaeological Computing, edited by Gary Lock and Kayt Brown, about the impact of the ICT revolution on archaeology.

A mineralogical and chemical study of clay figurines excavated in Turkey is presented with the aim of characterising the raw materials used and to suggest possible provenances. These figurines may be amongst the earliest examples of fired clay, and the suggestion of the use of pyrotechnology to harden the clay is investigated.

The article presents the results of the HRB-funded survey of a sample of the Ave valley undertaken between 1994 and 1998. Introductory sections describe the geographical background and summarise the approaches followed. The field-walking results are then presented with especial emphasis on the ceramics. The field-walking evidence is used to identify a series of newly discovered sites which are assessed. The results of geophysical surveys of several of these sites are also presented. Information about the settlement patterns is presented based on a GIS analysis of both previously known sites and the results of the field-walking. Patterns in the changing distribution of settlement are discussed in relation to local social dynamics and the Roman annexation and exploitation of the region.The article is supported by databases which present the results of the field-walking and ceramic analyses.The article is jointly authored by: Martin Millett, Francisco Queiroga (Universidade Fernando Pessao, Porto), Kris Strutt, Jeremy Taylor and Steven Willis. The nature of a field-walking survey which produces a sequence of related databases (for field and finds) attached to a sequence of maps is particularly appropriate for electronic publication. Attempting such a publication in electronic form seems a worthwhile project in itself aside from the importance of the results.

This paper aims to characterise and provenance a number of common ceramic types from the Southern Levantine region.

Technologically advanced stonepaste ceramics were produced in the Islamic period in Syria, not just in a single centre, but at a number of production centres. Stonepaste ceramics excavated at Aleppo and other sites were investigated with the aim of characterising and provenancing some of these wares.