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Class : Mortaria
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Source : Britain
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Distribution in Britain
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for larger map.
- This is a hectad map. More details of the data and mapping are available
here.
- Compare the distribution of this ware with others
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| Distribution summary |
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Illustration
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Roman Pottery in Britain (Tyers 1996)
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This ware is discussed on p.132-134 of Roman Pottery in Britain (1996).
Fabric code : VRMO
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National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (Tomber & Dore 1998)
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Cross-reference from this group to fabric descriptions published in
The National Roman Fabric Reference Collection (1998):
- VER WH
- Verulamium Region White ware p.154
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). |
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The Pottery kilns of Roman Britain (Swan 1984)
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This fabric was produced at kiln sites at these locations:
- Aldenham / Herts
- St. Albans / Herts
- St. Stephens / Herts
- Harrow / Middx
- Hendon / Middx
Display more details of these sites.Data summarized from V. G. Swan The pottery kilns of Roman Britain (HMSO, London, 1984, Royal Commission on Historical Monuments: Supplementary Series 5). |
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| Summary |
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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. |
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Fabric samples Scale (when present) in cm.
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Fabric and technology
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Hard, granular fabric, which is rough to the touch but with a
slightly laminar fracture; usually white or cream (e.g. 2.5YR
5/0 to 9/0 or 10YR 9/1) but sometimes more orange or buff, with
pink or black core in thickest parts. Characteristic abundant
inclusions of well-sorted quartz with sparser red ironstone inclusions
set in a fine matrix. Gritted on the interior, and over the flange
on some, with flint and coarse quartz.
For other products of the Verulamium-region industries see VRW.
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Forms
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Mortaria. A wide variety of rim forms occur, and some variants
can be assigned to individual potters or workshops. There is
a progression from forms with a deeply hooked flange, through
to those with a higher bead and shorter flange. Gillam
240.
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Stamps
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Often stamped, sometimes with a name stamp on one side of the
flange and a counterstamp (e.g. FECIT) on the other. Stamps of
over 50 named potters are known, and there are additional illiterate
stamps or marks. Some potters are represented by many hundreds
of specimens (e.g. Albinus -- the most prolific, Matugenus, Doinus)
while others by only a single example, perhaps only from one of
the known kiln sites. The counterstamps of three potters (Albinus,
Oastrius, Q. Rutilius Ripanus) record a place name, LUGDUNUM or
LUGUDUNUM, which may refer to Bricket Wood (Herts).
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Potter
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Date
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ALBANUS
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60-90
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ALBINUS
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60-90
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<- COMO?
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LUGDUNUM potter
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BRUC[C]IUS
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80-120
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CANDIDUS
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90-125
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CASTUS
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100-140
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DEVALUS
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70-100
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DOCCAS
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85-110
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-> MHMO
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DOINUS
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70-110
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DRICCIUS
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100-145
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G. ATTIUS MARINUS
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100-110
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<- COMO -> MHMO
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GISSUS
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90-140
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JUNIUS
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100-140
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L. ARRIUS CALUDUS
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65-95
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LALLAIUS
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80-125
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MARINUS
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80-125
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MARTINUS
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100-140
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MATUGENUS
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80-125
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Son of ALBINUS
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MELUS i
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95-135
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MERTUCUS
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110-150
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MORICAMULUS
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70-110
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MORINA
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70-130
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NIDUS
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100-120
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-> MHMO
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NSRO
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120-145
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OASTRIUS
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55-80
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LUGDUNUM potter
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OVIDUS
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110-140
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Q. RUTILIUS RIPANUS
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55-90
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LUGDUNUM potter
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RAMOTUS
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65-95
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ROA
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110-140
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S. VALERIUS IV..
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55-90
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<- COMO
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SATURNINUS i
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105-140
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SECUNDUS
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55-90
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SOLLUS
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60-100
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TMH
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120-145
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<- COMO
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VIDEX
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85-140
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Some VRMO potters migrated to the region from elsewhere, principally
Colchester (G. Attius Marinus, T.M.H, possibly Sex. Valerius Iu..,
Aprilis, Severus and Albinus), and some later moved away to set
up workshops in the Mancetter-Hartshill complex (G. Attius Marinus
again, Doccas and Nidus). Family potting traditions are indicated
by Matugenus, who records that he is the son of Albinus on some
stamps.
An interesting sidelight on mortarium production in the Verulamium-region
is provided by a few specimens in this ware stamped with dies
that were used more commonly as official tile-stamps. These read
P.P.BR.LON or P.PR.BR, which can be interpreted as p(rocuratores)
p(rovinciae) Bri(tanniae) [Lon(dini)] -- 'The procurators
of the province of Britain [at London]' (/ 2485; Collingwood et
al. 1993, 30).
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Chronology
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Production commenced before the Boudiccan revolt (c. AD 50/55),
and mortaria were stamped until c. AD 155/160. Production continues
on a smaller local scale until c. AD 200.
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Source
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Between St Albans (Verulamium) and London, near Watling Street.
Kilns known at Brockley Hill, Radlett, Bricket Wood and on the
outskirts of Verulamium itself.
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Distribution
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Mortaria have a wide, distribution across Britain, including Scottish
forts and the Hadrianic frontier, but largest concentrations are
at London and St Albans, each with many hundreds of stamps (see
).
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Aliases
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Caersws mortarium fabric 1. Caister-on-sea fabric
VERUL. Carlisle fabrics 620 and 621. Chesterfield
fabrics m3, m4 and m5. Chichester mortarium fabric 4. Cirencester
fabric 72. Colchester fabric TD. Doncaster mortarium
fabric 12. Exeter mortarium fabric FB34. Gestingthorpe
mortarium fabric J. Gloucester fabric TF9F. Great Chesterford
mortarium fabrics 3-5. JRPS bibliography fabric vrm. Leicester
fabrics MO7 and MO10. Milton Keynes fabric 4g. Old Penrith
fabric 108. Kent mortarium fabric 1. Sheepen mortarium
fabric 28. Sidbury fabric 35. Towcester mortarium
fabric 5. Usk mortarium fabric 18.
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Bibliography
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For the kiln sites: RCHM gazetteer 97-8, F354-5, F359-62,
F475-80; summary of the industry in Marsh and Tyers 1978. There
is no complete published catalogue of stamps, but the most common
are reported in the large collection from Verulamium (Hartley
1984). For the LUGDUNUM group: Saunders and Havercroft 1977.
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References
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Collingwood et al. 1993.
Collingwood, R. G., Wright, R. P., Frere, S. S. and Tomlin, R.
S. O., The Roman Inscriptions of Britain. Volume II, Fascicule
5, Alan Sutton Publishing, Stroud, (1993).
Hartley 1984.
Hartley, K. F., 'The mortarium stamps' in Verulamium Excavations
Volume III, ed. S. S. Frere, Oxford University Committee for
Archaeology. Monograph, 1, Oxford, (1984), pp. 280-91.
Marsh and Tyers 1978.
Marsh, G. D. and Tyers, P. A., 'The Roman Pottery from Southwark'
in Southwark Excavations 1972-74, ed. J. Bird, A. H. Graham,
H. L. Sheldon and P. Townend, Joint Publication (London and Middlesex
Archaeological Society and Surrey Archaeological Society), 1,
London, (1978), pp. 530-607.
Saunders and Havercroft 1977.
Saunders, C. and Havercroft, A. B., 'A kiln of the potter Oastrius
and related excavations at Little Munden Farm Bricket Wood', HertsArch,
5, (1977), pp. 109-56.
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