Description
| ITEM | Mortarium |
| MATERIAL | Pottery |
| CULTURE | Roman |
| PERIOD | 1st – 3rd Century A.D |
| DIMENSIONS | 53 mm x 215 mm x 245 mm |
| CONDITION | Good condition |
| PROVENANCE | Ex English private collection, Cambridgeshire, acquired from various auction houses and collections before 2000 |
| PARALLEL | Science Museum Group, Accession number A660042 |
Roman mortarium pottery, also known as mortaria, were kitchen vessels essential in Roman culinary practices, specifically for grinding and mixing ingredients. These shallow, wide-mouthed bowls had thick, gritty interiors—usually created by embedding small, hard grit particles into the clay or using a coarse finish. This texture was ideal for crushing spices, herbs, and grains, similar to a modern mortar and pestle. Often made of reddish or buff-colored clay, mortaria were designed with a pouring lip, making it easier to transfer liquid mixtures or sauces. The utilitarian design and practicality of mortaria made them a common feature in both domestic kitchens and professional food preparation areas across the Roman Empire.
The production of mortarium pottery was highly specialized, with specific pottery workshops dedicated to their creation, and certain regions became known for their high-quality mortaria. For example, in Britain, mortaria from Mancetter-Hartshill and Oxfordshire became highly sought after and were distributed throughout the Roman Empire. These workshops sometimes stamped their products with potters’ marks, indicating a standardized production and distribution system. The distinctive style and quality of these vessels suggest that Roman consumers valued both functionality and craftsmanship, with some mortaria displaying elegant shapes and well-formed spouts. The widespread distribution of these stamped mortaria also provides archaeologists with valuable information about trade networks and the movement of goods within the Roman Empire.
