Terra sigillata tableware (North-West Gaul)

45,000 vessels from 100 archaeological sites across North-Western Gaul!

This might be a catchy title for the project. At its core lies a database compiling 30 years of research on terra sigillata. This popular Roman tableware has so many variations that we still struggle to define it simply (but, perhaps, it can only truly be understood through its complexity).
This georeferenced database is the culmination of a long process. It brings together data that was initially scattered, yet consistently recorded using the exact same protocol and preserved in near-plain-text formats. The collected information is straightforward : provenance, form, typology, dating, and quantification. However, cross-referencing these variables opens up endlessly renewing research perspectives. As the work progresses, it organically raises questions that either support existing hypotheses or spark new ones.
This work is ongoing: once I’ve chewed on this bone for as long as I can, it will be up to others to see if there’s any marrow left!