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Description: | Carved stone mortar of probable medieval or early post medieval date (1250- 1600 AD). The mortar is incomplete and broadly circular in plan and sub-rectangular in profile. It measures 370mm in diameter 200mm high and weighs 27 Kilograms.The mortar itself has been carved from a single block of stone, probably either a coarse limestone or possibly a gritstone. The outer face of the mortar has a large number of small angular dish shaped peck marks present. These are most evident on the lower part of the outer edge and on the large rib shaped lugs. On the edge of the outer face of the mortar are two large ribs which are set at 180° to one another. These ribs extend from the upper edge of the mortar to the base and are broadly D shaped in cross section and sub-rectangular in profile, the lower edge of each rib tapers to a blunt rounded point. Each rib projects 50mm from the edge and is 75 mm wide. The walls of the mortar are of varying thickness, the maximum thickness is 45mm. The inner edge (mouth) of the mortar has a diameter of 340mm. The inner sides taper (slope) forming a rounded bowl / dished shape with a sloping dished base. The bowl of the mortar is 130mm deep and the base of the mortar is exceptionally thick.Apart from the outer lobes the only other decoration present is a small low relief rib which extends around the outer edge of the mouth. It is likely that the mortar also had a decorative curved spout. This has been lost due to the plough damage. The mortar is a mid grey colour. A direct published parallel has not been found. Stone mortars are relatively common domestic items which occur on both domestic and ecclesiastical sites in the medieval period. A similar example can be seen in the Medieval catalogue of the Salisbury Museum Vol 1 (p170 no 6). This is from an excavated context dating to the later 13th - 14th century. A much wide date range is suggested here as mortars of this type are used throughout the medieval and post medieval periods.The quality of the images associated with this record are not of the usual high standard expected by the PAS. This is due to the necessity of photographing the mortar at the finders home.
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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