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For nearly 30 years I lived in the village of Ribchester, the site of a Roman fort by the River Ribble in Lancashire.
In my garden I found many shards of Roman pottery and bits of tiles including some fine decorated Samian ware. However the shard that has always intrigued me the most is this piece that has incised graffiti on it.
Why did a Roman, about 1800 years ago, do this? I have read that sometimes it was done simply to identify it as belonging to the owner. And what is it supposed to be? I see it as a human figure carrying a long spear - but I'm sure there are other interpretations.