The sherds tell a story: Roman rural potters in northwest London

Fragments of pottery are frequently encountered but their potential as sources of evidence is seldom fully explored. In this article pottery from a Romano-British site in London - Highgate Wood, extensively excavated in the 1960s and 1970s - is discussed as an example of what can be learned about pottery production through a numerical approach to the evidence. It would appear that the site was used by itinerant potters who used a kiln for a season or two, returning perhaps ten years later and building another. One reason for this might be the large quantities of fuel wood required to fire a kiln. (Original abstract - amended)