Casgliadau Arlein

Sherds from part of the body of an amphora; this is one of the other 58 sherds from the same vessel as B38/27.6 which could not be joined, as well as a number of flakes from both the inner and outer surfaces. The vessel is barrel-shaped, with a cylindrical neck of uncertain height. Handles- presumably there were two-spring from the sloping shoulder. There is no evidence for the form of the base. The ornament consists of groups of sharply incised horizontal lines. Since there is no standard number of lines in a group, it is most probable that they were executed with a stylus as continuous spirals, rather than with a comb. The fabric has abundant minute colourless grits, and is curiously laminated: a thin buff outer surface layer is succeeded by a thicker pink layer, that in turn by another thick buff layer, and by a thin pink layer forming the inner surface. Much of the inner surface has flaked off, suggesting fundamental weaknesses in the fabric. Nonetheless, it is a remarkable feat of potting to produce a utility vessel of this size with such thin walls. Thomas has classed this with his Biii 'which exhibit no [sic] decoration at all' (A C Thomas 1959, 93); but his description of the fabrics characteristic of Biii does not match that of the present vessel.