Mortaria

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Mortaria is the name given to a class of potsherds in Roman pottery. These are hemispherical or conical bowls commonly with heavy flanges and coarse grits embedded into the internal surface. They were used for pounding or mixing foods and are an important indicator of the spread of romanised food preparation methods. 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.