Ceramic artefacts are among the most numerous and most typologically diverse findings at most archaeological sites
The relatively easy access to raw materials (clay) and the inexpensive and easy means of mass production resulted in their use in nearly all aspects in the daily life of people in the ancient world. This is seen in the exceptional quantity of ceramic finds at the locality Burnum. In addition to other small finds (glass, bone, metal, etc.), ceramics best indicate the dynamic life of the settlement, and its position in the trade currents of the Roman world in the early days of the empire. Most ceramic artefacts were extracted from the Roman embankment created to level the terrain for construction of the amphitheatre and military polygon in the mid 1st century, and therefore the high fragmentation of pieces comes as no surprise. Despite this, these pieces can be typologically and functionally divided into several categories.
Tableware includes products having the function for the consumption and storage of food and beverages, and refers to terra sigillata (smooth with relief), glazed fishes, thin ceramics, table amphorae, etc. The shapes and preserved seals indicate that this type of ceramic reached Burnum primarily from Italic workshops and a smaller share from the Gallic workshops in the first half of the 1st century.
Cookware intended for the preparation of food (pots, bowls, pans, etc.) were likely produced for the most part in the ceramic workshops on site, though some shapes (Pompei red dishes, Aegean cookware, etc.) suggest other sources of supply.
Storage and transport ceramics includes above all the amphorae used to transport foodstuffs for the army. Based on the typology and provenance of the findings, this was primarily wine from southern and central Italy, Aegean and Hispania, and olive oil from northern Italy and southern Hispania, from where fish sauces (garum, liquamen, muria) were also supplied. Certain amphorae appear to have been used to transport dried fruits.
Construction ceramic items pertain to the terracotta items used in construction or as decorative construction elements. The most common were the tegula (roof pan tiles) and imbrex (roof cover tiles), larger and smaller bricks used to construct walls and to cover floors (spicae). Acroteria, in the shape of theatre masks, had a decorative function. Seals with the names of the Roman legions (Leg XI CPF; Leg IIII FF; Leg. VIII AVG) indicate that the production of these ceramic construction elements was performed under their authority, and the discoveries of a ceramic kiln in the village Smrdelj near Skradin supports this.
Other ceramic objects include ceramic lamps (scroll lamps), found in large numbers, mostly of the volute type that was particularly widespread during the early 1st century. They stand out with the relief designs on the discs with a series of motifs, from plant to figurative to scenic, and perhaps the most interesting are those depicting the gladiator games. This type of product was mostly supplied from the Italic market.
