Level 3 - Life in Roman Sussex - Crafts & Industry

Crafts & Industry

Production

The increased productivity and centralization of industrial activity that had been a feature of the Sussex late Iron Age continued and further developed in the Roman period. Sites such as Wiggonholt, Pulborough and Arlington became pottery production centres, although in many cases, it seems that their wares had quite a restricted distribution. The imitation samian made by the Pulborough-Aldgate potter is one of the few exceptions, with small quantities being found further afield. An industry new to the Romano-British period was tile-making, the products of which were widely used in Roman buildings. A site at Dell Quay may have produced tiles for the Fishbourne - Chichester area, while other tileries have been found at Hartfield, Itchingfield and Wiston.

The use of fired clay as building material was completely new to Britain and therefore must have been introduced and initially supervised by tile-makers from the Continental empire.
Other important industries in Romano-British Sussex included quarrying, timber production and salt production. Evidence for the latter has been found along the banks of the inlet creeks in Chichester harbour at Chidham.