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North Gaulish mortaria
Class : Mortaria
Source : Gaul
Distribution in Britain
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Distribution summary
Illustration
Source of ware
Roman Pottery in Britain
(Tyers 1996)
This ware is discussed on p.125-127 of Roman Pottery in Britain (1996).
Fabric code : NGMO
National Roman Fabric Reference Collection
(Tomber & Dore 1998)
Cross-reference from this group to fabric descriptions published in The National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (1998):
NOG WH 4
North Gaulish White ware 4 p.75

Illustrations of these fabrics are available only in the printed catalogue: R. Tomber & J. Dore, The national Roman fabric reference collection. A handbook Museum of London Archaeology Service, London. MOLAS monograph 2. (1998).

Summary
Mortaria manufactured in northern France during 1st and 2nd centuries AD; distributed across northern Gaul and Britain.
Fabric samples
Scale (when present) in cm.
Fabric and technology
A range of fine-textured calcareous fabrics with clean or conchoidal fracture, varying from cream or light grey, through yellow-buff to light brown (but commonly staining to dark grey or brown in water-lain or organic deposits); inclusions of fine quartz, iron-rich and clay pellets and chalky particles, occasional larger rounded ironstone or clay pellets, slightly micaceous. Wheel-thrown. Gritted internally with crushed flint and coarse quartz.
Forms
These mortaria have been divided into two groups (I and II) by Hartley (1977) and there are three varieties of rim form:
Rim Flange Group
1 strongly hooked I (typical)
2 deep I (rare)
3 broad flat II (typical)


The rare deep flanged form (rim type 2) is derived from the form typical of the Aoste potters (AOMO) but can be linked with the north Gaulish mortaria group because of fabric, distribution, and a number of stamped vessels. The similarity suggests that potters trained at Aoste or otherwise familiar with the Aoste production moved to northern Gaul. The more typical group I rim form (rim type 1) also has similarities with Central Gaulish mortaria forms (RVMO), with which it has been conflated in some records.
The typical group II form (rim type 3) is equivalent to Gillam 238.
Stamps
Both group I and II products are stamped and at least 30 named potters are known. The principal potters are Q. Valerius Se.., (group I) and Q. Valerius Veranius (Group II).
Chronology
Mainly c. AD 55-100, with some 2nd cent. examples.
Source
Q. Valerius Veranius had workshops at Bavai (Belgium), but these products are not known in Britain. The location of his later workshops, and those of the other potters making these types, are not known, but the distribution suggests either northern France or south-eastern Britain. On several grounds the former seems most likely. The name of the workshops of Q. Valerius Veranius are recorded on some dies as DOGAERIA or DOCAERIA (Peacock 1971, 174)


Potter
 Date
 Group
BIIJI
 55-85
 I
BORIEDO
 65-100
 II
BUC[C]US
 55-85
 I
C. IUL[IUS] PRI[VATUS]
 65-100
 II
CACUMATTUS
 65-100
 II
CAVARIUS
 70-100
 II
FRONTO
 55-85
 I
GRACILIS
 65-100
 II
LITUGENUS ii
 65-100
 II
LOSSA
 65-100
 II
MOTTIUS BOLLIUS
 65-100
 II
ORBISSA
 65-100
 II
ORGILUS
 55-85
 II
PAULLUS
 55-85
 I
PRASSO
 65-100
 II
Q. VALERIUS ESUNERTUS
 65-100
 II
Q. VALERIUS SE..
 55-85
 I
Q. VALERIUS SURIACUS
 65-100
 II
Q. VALERIUS VERANIUS
 65-100
 II
 <- Bavai
SUMMACUS
 55-85
 I
T. IU[LIUS] AF[ER]
 65-100
 II
VASSONUS
 65-100
 II

Distribution
Northern France, western Belgium and Britain. The distribution of stamps in Britain is shown on ; most common in Kent and around the Thames estuary (particularly Richborough, London and Colchester).
Aliases
Caersws mortarium fabric 7. Carlisle fabric 613. Chichester mortarium fabrics 13-14. Cirencester fabrics 67 and 68. Doncaster mortarium fabric 14. Dorchester fabrics 42N and 42O. Exeter mortarium fabrics FC2-FC5. Gloucester fabrics TF9AB, TF9AC and TF9C. JRPS bibliography fabric ngm. Leicester fabric MO15. Lullingstone fabric 37. Old Penrith fabric 114. Kent mortarium fabric 11a. Sidbury fabric 36.2. Usk mortarium fabrics 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Bibliography
Lists of potters and stamp catalogue in Hartley 1977; more recent discussions in Holbrook and Bidwell 1991, 189-90, 198 and Manning 1993, 390, 398.
References
Hartley 1977.
Hartley, K. F., 'Two major potteries producing mortaria in the first century A.D.' in Roman pottery studies in Britain and beyond Papers presented to J. P. Gillam, July 1977, ed. J. Dore and K. T. Greene, British archaeological reports. International series, 30, BAR, Oxford, (1977), pp. 5-18.
Holbrook and Bidwell 1991.
Holbrook, N. and Bidwell, P. T., Roman finds from Exeter, Exeter Archaeological Reports, 4, Exeter City Council and the University of Exeter, Exeter, (1991).
Manning 1993.
Manning, W. H., The Roman pottery, Report on the excavations at Usk, 1965-1976, University of Wales Press [for] the Board of Celtic Studies of the University of Wales, Cardiff, (1993).
Peacock 1971.
Peacock, D. P. S., 'Petrography of certain coarse pottery' in Excavations at Fishbourne, 1961-69, ed. B. Cunliffe, 27, Reports of the research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London, London, (1971), pp. 255-259.

  • URL: http://www.potsherd.uklinux.net/atlas/Ware/NGMO • Author: • Last updated: 21 July, 2006