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Description: | A complete copper-alloy cosmetic mortar. The bow is crescent shaped with a central longitudinal groove and an end loop. It measures 74mm in length, 10mm in width, 7.6mm in depth externally and 1.7mm in depth at the deepest point within its longitudinal groove. The end loop is formed from at extension of one end of the bow which tapers to a width of 4.2mm and then curves down and under to meet with the underside of the terminal of the bow. The resultant loop is oval in shape measuring 27mm by 15mm externally and 12mm by 6.9mm internally. Cosmetic mortars, such as this example, are believed to have been used with pestles to grind up small quantites of powder or cosmetics in the late Iron Age and Romano-British period. They are only known in Britain, apart from one example in Northern France, and seem to be unique to the native Romano-British inhabitants. They are believed to be associated with fertility due to their crescent shaped bow and the occurrance of animal heads, sometimes both male and female heads are represented at either terminal. Similar parallels with end loops are known from, Hatcheston, (see SF-1089C2) and Thwaite (see SF-EA54B2), Suffolk.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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