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Description: | A complete copper alloy centre-looped cosmetic mortar of the Roman period, dating from c. AD 1 - c. AD 300. The cosmetic mortar is crescentic in profile with rounded, but damaged, terminals. The crecentic bow is strongly-curved in profile with rounded sides, an angular keel and deep, narrow, V-sectioned groove in the centre of the upper face. At each end the terminals show signs of corrosion along with old breaks. The suspension loop sits in the centre of the base of the bow. The suspension loop is broadly triangular in plan and rectangular in section. The triangle terminates in a rounded point and has been split with a rectangular bar down the centre. There is a broadly triangular perforation either side of this central bar. The mortar measures 48.3 mm in length and is 26.0 mm wide (measured from suspension loop to edge of dish). It has a thickness of 9.6 mm and weighs 14.4 g.The mortar is a mid green to brown in colour, with an uneven patina. Traces of copper and iron corrosion cover the surface. Abrasion caused by movement whilst within the plough soil may have resulted in the loss of some of the original surface detail. Jackson (1985 p 1) writes that cosmetic mortars and pestles are a British phenomenon, and at the time of writing c. 1000 were known, with only five known outside of the UK. Precise dating is not certain, but they can be dated to the late Iron Age to early Roman periods, circa 100 BC - 300 AD. Similar examples have been recorded in R. Jackson (1985), p 188 - 9, fig 8, No 87, 88 and 91. Other similar example have been recorded on the database including WAW-C31ED1, SF-113BE4, NMS-1D0B34 and WAW-F854C2.Ref: Jackson, R. (1985) Cosmetic sets from late Iron Age and Roman Britain, Britannia, Vol 16, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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