The Emperor Nero's Pottery and Tilery At Little London, Pamber, By Silchester, Hampshire

Previously suspected on the basis of a tile stamped with the name and titles of the Emperor Nero found in the ploughsoil, excavation of two tile kilns at Little London near Silchester, Hampshire confirmed production during the reign of Nero. Study of the products shows they reached a wide variety of destinations between Cirencester and Chichester, though Silchester appears to have been the main market and is the only location where Nero-stamped tile has so far been found. The stamped tile may be linked to the visit to Britain by the emperor's trusted freedman, Polyclitus in the aftermath of the Boudican revolt. An unexpected discovery was the ancillary production of a wide range of pre-Flavian domestic wares, so far only identified in Silchester and its environs.