Inner East Annexe ditch, and in several of the pits and wells, more especially in those lying within the South Annexe to the south of the line of railway. It should, however, be added that the number of fragments from the over-lapping ditch is not large, and that the labour and expense involved in clearing out the great ditch of the later fort prevented any attempt to deal with more than a small section of it.
The earliest systematic study of Terra Sigillata was made by Professor Dragendorff in 1895.[1] He illustrated in a chronological series the leading types of vessels, with the earlier Arretine forms from which they were derived, distinguishing each by numbers, which have continued to be generally employed by archaeologists. A later and more minute classification of the decorated ware was published by M. Déchelette in 1904.[2] The works of these scholars must form the basis of all subsequent investigation, and they will be frequently referred td in what follows. In illustrating the various types of dishes met with, it has seemed well to provide a series of sectional drawings. These will be found to give the outlines not merely of the vessels recovered in a more or less complete condition, but also of a number of types which could only be recognised from fragments. The more or less complete vessels are also for the most part reproduced in the plates.
I. Undecorated Ware of the Earlier Period
The ditch of the early fort produced fragments of some twelve types of vessels. All of these were of comparatively thin ware, hard-baked and bright red in colour, with a very high glaze. The vessel of most common occurrence was a round saucer-like platter (Dragendorff, Type 18), for which see Plate XXXIX., Fig 1. Apart from the features already referred to, it is distinguished from later specimens chiefly by the delicacy of the moulding round the lip and the flatter plane of the bottom. One specimen, which it was found possible to reconstruct almost entirely, had a diameter of 6½ inches. The bottom bore the incomplete potter's stamp SIL....., probably for SILVINI or SILVANI. The fragments indicated that these vessels had been numerous. A good specimen was recovered in complete condition from Pit LXXVI, with other early dishes; it bore the potter's stamp OF MSCVLI.
Another type of saucer-like platter was characterised by the absence of any projecting moulding round the lip (Plate XXXIX., Fig. 2). The outside of the rim is decorated by horizontal flutings, while in the inside,
1 Bonner Jahrbücher, Heft xcvi. and xcvii. pp. 18 ff.
2 Les vases céramiques ornés de la Gaule romaine.
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