Roof-Tile

Roof-Tile

TERRACOTTA

An irregularly shaped fragment of a terracotta roof tile with an unframed stamped inscription at one corner. The letters of the inscription are in relief, rather worn or from a worn stamp. The first and last letters and the top right-hand end of the inscription are missing, but comparison with the intact examples suggests that the complete inscription would read as follows: LEG II AUG. This identifies the tile the as the product of the Legion II Augusta. The fragment comes from a tagula or flat roof tile, 33mm thick, with flanges along each side. It includes a rectangular flange along one edge, varying in thickness from 22-15mm. The clay is dark pinkish-red in colour with dark speckles.

Function: the tegula is one of the two main elements in the Roman system of roof tiling. Such flanged flat roof tiles were laid side by side with the join being covered by a curved tile of imbrex fitted over the flanges. Towards the upper end of each tegula the flanges were trimmed in order to allow it to slot beneath another tile in the row above. The weight of the tile and the low pitch of the roof held the tiles in place without need for nailing to rafters. The practice of stamping tiles began in the early Republican era in order to identify workshops, ensure the quality of the product and deter thieves. Legions in Britain began stamping their tiles towards the end of the first century AD in order to prevent civilian misappropriation of military building materials at a time when there was much building activity and to distinguish the product of different legions.

Purchased from B A Seaby Ltd, London, 1985

AD 75 - 200

85.001