On the 20 March 2018 the Study Group for Roman Pottery (SGRP) supported by Historic England held a one day workshop at the National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (NRFRC). The purpose of the NRFRC is to ‘provide an infrastructure for future research into Romano-British pottery’; it is an extensive collection incorporating both pottery fabrics from the UK and those imported from the Continent and beyond. Curated by the British Museum, currently in temporary storage at Blythe House in West London, individuals and organisations can access it by appointment.
It was a fantastic opportunity for the group to familiarise themselves with the physical National Roman Fabric reference collection under the supervision of three excellent tutors: Jane Timby, Alice Lyons and Ian Rowlandson. The workshop consisted of a background to the collection followed by time spent looking at Continental finewares, amphorae and Continental mortaria. During the afternoon we split up and chose a regional group to look at in more depth. I was very interested in the Midlands and East Anglian regional wares as a lot of the Sheffield Office projects cover these areas.
If you’re interested in seeing the collection there is a fantastic resource freely available online here hosted by the Study Group for Roman Pottery. You can also contact centralarchive@britishmuseum.org if you want to make an appointment to see the collection in person, although it will be moving at some point in the next 5 years as Blythe House is due to be sold.