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Class: Mortaria
Mortaria ...
Roman mortaria from Headington, Oxon
Llewellynn Jewitt, On Roman remains, recently discovered near Headington, near Oxford, JBAA 6, 1851.
Principal mortarium production sites

Principal mortarium production sites in Britain and sources of mortaria imported into Britain.

Introduction
  • Vessels recognizable as mortaria were produced in Italy from at least the 3rd cent. BC, whence examples were exported to sites around the Mediterranean littoral, alongside other Italian amphoras and other coarse wares.
  • During the early Empire, mortarium stamping was common in some areas. The stamps usually give the name of the potter, and may on occasion include other information such as place names. Illiterate stamps or marks are also common. Stamped mortaria are particularly useful to the archaeologist as they can be used to trace the careers of individual potters, and the history of the industries in which they were working.
  • Mortarium stamping is particularly common in four areas of the western Empire: Britain (where it appears to be particularly abundant), Northern Gallia Belgica (Belgium and adjacent parts of France), Upper Germany and eastern Gallia Lugdunensis (Switzerland and adjacent parts of France) and Italy.

Wares of class Mortaria
  Key: Atlas page includes .. Photographs   Drawings  
Records 1 to 20 from 23 total
  1 2 >  
 Ware   Source(s)  Summary Dating
(Usually shows date in Britain)
Aldborough mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured at or near Aldborough (North Yorkshire/GB) with a limited distribution in northern England during 2nd century AD.
Aoste mortaria Gaul
 Mortaria manufactured at Aoste (Isère/FR) during 1st century AD; most common in western Switzerland and Rhône valley, but small numbers throughout Gaul, the Rhineland and Britain.
Caerleon mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured at or near Caerleon (Gwent/Wales/GB) during 2nd century AD; distributed across south Wales and south-west England.
Colchester mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured at Colchester (Essex/GB) during 1st and 2nd centuries AD; wide distribution in eastern and northern England and southern Scotland during mid-late 2nd century AD.
Corbridge mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured at or near Corbridge (Northumberland/GB) during the 2nd century AD; distributed across northern England and southern Scotland.
Eifel-region mortaria Germany
 Mortaria manufactured in Eifel region (DE) during 1st century AD with limited distribution along the Lower Rhine and in southern England.
Gallo-Belgic mortaria Gaul
 Mortaria manufactured in Gallia Belgica, principally near Bavay (Nord/FR) during 1st and 2nd centuries AD; distributed across northern Gaul and southern Britain.
Gloucester-region mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured at or near Gloucester (Glos/GB) during 1st century AD with wide but thin distribution across southern Britain.
Italian mortaria Italy
 Mortaria manufactured in central Italy during 1st and 2nd centuries AD, with wide distribution around western Mediterranean; also Gaul, Rhineland and southern Britain
Lincolnshire mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured at several sites in and around Lincoln (Lincs/GB) during 2nd century AD; wide distribution across northern England and southern Scotland;
Mancetter-Hartshill mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured at Mancetter and Hartshill (Warks/GB) from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD; extensive distribution in midlands and northern England.
Nene Valley mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured in the Nene Valley potteries (Hunts/GB) from 2nd to 4th centuries AD; wide distribution in eastern England.
New Forest mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured in New Forset potteries (Hants/GB) during 3rd and 4th centuries AD; distributed across southern Britain.
North Gaulish mortaria Gaul
 Mortaria manufactured in northern France during 1st and 2nd centuries AD; distributed across northern Gaul and Britain.
Oxfordshire white-ware mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactred in Oxfordshire potteries (Oxon/GB) from 2nd to 4th centuries AD; wide distribution across midlands and southern England.
Rhône valley mortaria Gaul
 Mortaria manufactured in central France, probably in middle Rhône valley during 1st century AD; distributed in southern Britain.
Rossington Bridge mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured at Rossington Bridge (nr Doncaster, Yorks/GB) during 2nd centuries AD; distributed in northern England and southern Scotland;
Scottish mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured in the Newstead region (Borders/GB) during 2nd century AD; distributed in southern Scotland.
Soller mortaria Germany
 Mortaria manufactured at Soller (Nordrhein-Westfalen/DE) during 2nd century AD; distributed on lower Rhine valley and southern Britain.
Verulamium-region mortaria Britain
 Mortaria manufactured at Brockley Hill (Middx/GB) and St Albans (Verulamium, Herts/GB) and surrounding region during 1st and 2nd centuries AD; wide distribution in southern Britain and (more rarely) northern England and southern Scotland.
Records 1 to 20 from 23 total
  1 2 >  

  • URL: http://www.potsherd.uklinux.net/atlas/Class/MORT.php • Author: • Last updated: 14 December, 2003