Inside the Museum of London

Pot Idol is a contest to find the ceramic star of tomorrow! The winner will be given its time to shine and brought out from the archives at the Museum of London’s Festival of British Archaeology event, Hands-on pots. Over the next six weeks, we will be presenting six hopeful pots for your consideration – it’s down to you to decide which will win the coveted title of Pot Idol. Once all of the contestants have been given a chance to win your hearts, we will ask you to cast your vote and change the life of one lucky pot so keep checking back each Tuesday to meet our next hopeful ceramic.

Curator, Meriel Jeater, introduces our first contender, Imbrex…

This is a fragment of a curved Roman roof tile known as an ‘imbrex’. The tile bears a stamp, ‘PPBRLON’, which stands for ‘Procurator Provinciae Britanniae Londinio’ (‘The Procurator of the Province of Britain at London’). This is the official stamp added to tiles made for public buildings in the government-run brickyards. It is the stamp of the procurator, the officer in charge of public finances. Curved tiles were used to cover the edges between flat roof tiles, making the roofs waterproof. This tile was found in Lime Street, in the area of the forum and basilica, the main public centre for finance and administration in Roman London.

The Festival of British Archaeology runs from 14-29 July 2012. Join staff at the Museum of London for an exploration into the vital role that ceramics have played in the history of the capital. Discover how pots were made and why, and try crafting your own. A special weekend of family activities will take place on 21 and 22 July.
> Find out more about the Museum’s Festival of British Archaeology events
> Find out more about the Festival of British Archaeology