Potsherd: Atlas of Roman Pottery
Introduction
Wares
Mapping & Databases
Other topics
Principal mortarium production sites in Britain and sources of mortaria imported into Britain.
Roman mortaria from Headington, Oxon
Llewellynn Jewitt, On Roman remains, recently discovered near Headington, near Oxford, JBAA 6, 1851.
Llewellynn Jewitt, On Roman remains, recently discovered near Headington, near Oxford, JBAA 6, 1851.
Introduction
- Vessels recognizable as mortaria were produced in Italy from at least the 3rd cent. BC, whence examples were exported to sites around the Mediterranean littoral, alongside other Italian amphoras and other coarse wares.
- During the early Empire, mortarium stamping was common in some areas. The stamps usually give the name of the potter, and may on occasion include other information such as place names. Illiterate stamps or marks are also common. Stamped mortaria are particularly useful to the archaeologist as they can be used to trace the careers of individual potters, and the history of the industries in which they were working.
- Mortarium stamping is particularly common in four areas of the western Empire: Britain (where it appears to be particularly abundant), Northern Gallia Belgica (Belgium and adjacent parts of France), Upper Germany and eastern Gallia Lugdunensis (Switzerland and adjacent parts of France) and Italy.
| Ware | Abstract | Source(s) | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aoste mortaria | Mortaria manufactured at Aoste (Isère/FR) during 1st century AD; most common in western Switzerland and Rhône valley, but small numbers throughout Gaul, the Rhineland and Britain. | 50 | 85 | |
| Colchester mortaria | Mortaria manufactured at Colchester (Essex/GB) during 1st and 2nd centuries AD; wide distribution in eastern and northern England and southern Scotland during mid-late 2nd century AD. | 40 | 200 | |
| Corbridge mortaria | Mortaria manufactured at or near Corbridge (Northumberland/GB) during the 2nd century AD; distributed across northern England and southern Scotland. | 100 | 190 | |
| Eifel-region mortaria | Mortaria manufactured in Eifel region (DE) during 1st century AD with limited distribution along the Lower Rhine and in southern England. | 40 | 65 | |
| Italian mortaria | Mortaria manufactured in central Italy during 1st and 2nd centuries AD, with wide distribution around western Mediterranean; also Gaul, Rhineland and southern Britain | 40 | 160 | |
| Lincolnshire mortaria | Mortaria manufactured at several sites in and around Lincoln (Lincs/GB) during 2nd century AD; wide distribution across northern England and southern Scotland; | 100 | 200 | |
| Mancetter-Hartshill mortaria | Mortaria manufactured at Mancetter and Hartshill (Warks/GB) from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD; extensive distribution in midlands and northern England. | 100 | 350 | |
| Nene Valley mortaria | Mortaria manufactured in the Nene Valley potteries (Hunts/GB) from 2nd to 4th centuries AD; wide distribution in eastern England. | 110 | 400 | |
| New Forest mortaria | Mortaria manufactured in New Forset potteries (Hants/GB) during 3rd and 4th centuries AD; distributed across southern Britain. | 260 | 370 | |
| North Gaulish mortaria | Mortaria manufactured in northern France during 1st and 2nd centuries AD; distributed across northern Gaul and Britain. | 40 | 130 | |
| Oxfordshire white-ware mortaria | Mortaria manufactred in Oxfordshire potteries (Oxon/GB) from 2nd to 4th centuries AD; wide distribution across midlands and southern England. | 100 | 410 | |
| Rhône valley mortaria | Mortaria manufactured in central France, probably in middle Rhône valley during 1st century AD; distributed in southern Britain. | 50 | 100 | |
| Rossington Bridge mortaria | Mortaria manufactured at Rossington Bridge (nr Doncaster, Yorks/GB) during 2nd centuries AD; distributed in northern England and southern Scotland; | 135 | 190 | |
| Soller mortaria | Mortaria manufactured at Soller (Nordrhein-Westfalen/DE) during 2nd century AD; distributed on lower Rhine valley and southern Britain. | 150 | 220 | |
| Verulamium-region mortaria | 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. | 50 | 200 | |
| Wilderspool mortaria | Mortaria manufactured at Warrington (Ches/GB) with distribution in north-west England, north Wales and southern Scotland during 2nd century AD. | 110 | 190 |
URL: http://potsherd.net/atlas/Class/MORT •
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