Record ID: LON-BFCB35 - ROMAN tile

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Tile

Unique ID: LON-BFCB35

Object type certainty: Certain

A resized image of A Roman brick fragment with incised decoration (43-410 AD)

A Roman brick fragment with incised decoration (43-410 AD). The find consists of a corner fragment from a large Roman brick, probably a lydion or a pedalis. The tile has been made using an iron-rich clay heavily tempered with grog and quartz; the fabric has not been mixed evenly and these tempers gather in large striations. The fabric also contains a large number of air bubbles. The front surface of the brick has been decorated with a swirling pattern that was incised by the maker with a fingernail whilst the clay was still plastic. Such marks made pre-firing are usually known as signature marks, but they tend to be a small hemisphere or symbol, and restricted to one area of the brick. This decoration seems to cover the entire surface of the brick, and therefore is more likely to be a kind of graffiti than a signature mark. On the reverse of the brick, along with the two edges of the find where the sides of the object remain intact, a large amount of Roman mortar remains in situ. This mortar is a pale buff-brown colour with large gritty inclusions.

Dimensions: length: 136.0mm; width: 199.0mm; thickness: 36.0mm; weight: 1415.0g.

Notes:

The Romans used square bricks with a thin section (often confused with tiles) that came in a range of standard sizes along with one rectangular tile known as a lydion. Bricks would have been used for flooring, walling and to create stacks beneath the floor for the hypocaust heating system. The invention of mortar was one of the main facilitators behind the architectural innovation witnessed in Ancient Rome.

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Period to: ROMAN [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Date from: AD 43
Date to: AD 410

Dimensions and weight

Length: 136 mm
Width: 199 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight: 1415 g
Quantity: 1

Materials and construction

Primary material: Tile [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Manufacture method: Hand made [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Completeness: Incomplete [scope notes | view all attributed records]

Spatial data

Region: South East And London
County: Greater London
District: Southwark
Parish: Bermondsey Rotherhithe And Southwark

Restricted 4 Figure grid reference: TQ3579
The map has been degraded and provides an approximate location with a degree of random obfuscation.
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.

Method of discovery: Other chance find [scope notes]
General landuse: Open fresh water [scope notes]
Specific landuse: Running water [scope notes]

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 1st October 2009

Personal details

Found by: This information is restricted for your login.
Recorded by: Ms Felicity Winkley - [ view all attributed records]
Identified by: Ms Felicity Winkley - [view all attributed records]

Other reference numbers

References cited

No references cited so far.

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