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An Introduction to the Roman Pottery Manufacturing site in Highgate Wood and its Significance

When: —
Venue: Online

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This event is run over two parts: an online lecture on Wednesday 21 July at 6pm and a site visit on the afternoon of Wednesday 28 July (time tbc)

By booking on this event you are reserving your place for both dates

 

Lecture given by Harvey Sheldon (21 July):

In 1962, fragments of Roman pottery were encountered unexpectedly in Highgate Wood by Tony Brown  during field research in north London's open spaces, seeking evidence for late prehistoric activity. Archaeological investigations, beginning in 1966 and continuing into the 1970's  revealed a pottery manufacturing site. Evidence for kilns, waster pottery and associated pits and ditches were found. Analysis of the evidence demonstrated that production had begun at about the time of the Roman invasion and continued, episodically, for a century or more. It's very likely that the site had survived only because this small expanse of ancient woodland had been 'rescued'  from destruction in the late 19th century and turned into a park for the benefit of the public. This introduction will focus on the kilns that were built and the pottery that was made, intended presumably for use in Londinium, as well as stations along the highways and in the countryside nearby. 
 
Two other aspects of the Highgate Wood archaeological investigations will be introduced. Firstly, the experiments in pottery making and kiln building, undertaken in the wood, in order to cast light on the methods of production. Secondly, the development of a hypothesis, based on evidence from the site. It suggests that Highgate Wood was but one of many similar centres of pottery production in the extensive woodlands north-west of Londinium, all probably related to official programmes of woodland management and exploitation, that took place cyclically. 

 

Site visit (28 July):

The visit to Highgate Wood will include a discussion of the site and introduce the current project to return one of the Roman kilns back to the wood. It is planned to exhibit the kiln as the centre-piece of an educational programme covering history, archaeology and the natural environment. This kiln, (Kiln 2), was lifted and conserved by the Horniman Museum during the excavation and is now stored in Bruce Castle Museum, Haringey. The project, which will include a range of practical and academic courses at different levels, is intended for people of all ages and will be especially focused on 'widening participation' in Haringey and neighbouring London boroughs.

 

These events (lecture and site visit) are free but you need to book by clicking on 'Book Your Place' at the top of the page so we can send you information on how to join. 

 

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This event is part of the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology's Discover the Past events series, open to the public and students. To see the full list of events, visit the Discover the Past web page.

The Department of History, Classics and Archaeology at Birkbeck has a distinguished tradition as an international centre of excellence. We are the only university department in London to include archaeologists, classicists and historians investigating every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century. Join us to discover the past and engage with the present across continents and cultures.

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