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Description: | Incomplete cast copper alloy cosmetic mortar (also known as cosmetic or woad grinder) of late Iron Age to early Roman date circa 300 BC - 200 AD. The cosmetic mortar has a plain bowed profile with an incomplete loop positioned on the lower edge at the mid-point of the bow. The mortar is sub-triangular (U shaped) in cross section. It has an elliptical (lentoid) or sub-oval plan with both end terminals tapering to blunt points. On the upper edge of the mortar is the grinding area / surface. This is also elliptical (sub-oval) in plan and measures 40.7mm long, 3.mm wide, and is 0.9mm deep. The upper edges of the groove have been damaged by abrasion and it is likely that the grinding are was originally much deeper and well defined. What survives of the grinding area has a very shallow U shaped cross section and shows visible highly polished wear. This wear is likely to have occurred during its period of use as a mortar as there is an even patina covering the surface. The lower edge of the mortar has the remains of the loop; this is broken (in antiquity) across the mid-point. The loop extends from a swollen ridge which runs the length of the lower face. The hole through the loop is even and crisp with a diameter of 3.0mm. The mortar measures 45.8mm long, 5.8mm wide, a maximum of 10.4mm thick, and weighs 4.38 grams. There are no decorative motifs on the mortar. The whole of the mortar is covered in a mid green corroded patina. This patina has been chipped in several places, mostly on the outer edges of the mortar, and this suggests modern damage whilst in the plough soil. The metal of the mortar has been wasted by corrosion. Much of the surface is also pitted and very small areas of light green corrosion are present on the surface. Similar central-looped cosmetic mortars can be seen in Ralph Jackson's paper on 'Cosmetic sets from the late Iron Age and Roman Britain' (1985: Britannia, Vol. 16, p165- 192). The closest parallel to this example is from Grandford, Cambs (catalogue number 90). Jackson describes these as centrally looped with plain terminals.
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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