Mortaria

A mortarium was one of a class of Ancient Roman pottery kitchen vessels, specifically a type of mortar. They are bowls with thick sides that were likely used for crushing and grinding foodstuffs. They sometimes had grit embedded in the inner surface and a spout. Less commonly, some mortaria also had handles. They were used for pounding or mixing foods. Stamps on some early Roman mortaria record the name of the potter, from which it is possible to trace their movement between workshops. Some vessels produced in Italy and Gaul are transported long distances but local factories dominate at most periods.

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