#FindsFriday Complete mortarium

This #FindsFriday we have a lovely cooking utensil for you.

Here we have a complete(!) mortarium, possibly made in or around Colchester in the early Roman years AD 43-69👀

Mortaria were an important kitchen vessel. Think pestle and mortar, the inside of this bowl would be rough [sometimes with flint or other gritty materials] to grind and process various types of foodstuffs. The round bowl normally has a hooked flange rim and a spout which is used for pouring items such as sauces🍲

Although not on this particular item, mortaria can have the name of the potter stamped on their rim, which can help to identify where they come from and who made them🕵️‍♀️

Very rarely do we find complete items or all of the pieces of one item such as this, so this is a very special (and sturdy) find!