File:A body sherd fragment from a Roman Central Gaulish (Lezoux) or East Gaulish (Trier) samian ware mortarium Form Dragendorff 45 or 43 dating to the late 2nd century - mid 3rd century AD. (FindID 834571).jpg

English: A body sherd fragment from a Roman Central Gaulish (Lezoux) or East Gaulish (Trier) samian ware mortarium Form Dragendorff 45 or 43 dating to the late 2nd century - mid 3rd century AD. The fragment has a pink/orange fabric, the upper surface has embedded grits used as a grinding surface, made up predominantly of quartzite. The top side lower part is heavily abraded with most of the slip worn away. The underside is coated in a red slip.

Dimensions: length: 36.33mm; width: 34.41mm; thickness: 5.76mm; weight: 9.65g.

Similar Drag. 45 mortarium on the database are LON-7E7426, PUBLIC-3ED36E and LON-63E7FC.

de la Bedoyere, G. 1988. Samian Ware. Shire Publications Ltd, Aylesbury.

Webster, P. 1996. Roman Samian Pottery in Britain. Practical Handbook in Archaeology 13. Council for British Archaeology, York.

Bird, J. 1986. Samian Wares. Miller, L., Schofield, J. and Rhodes, M. 1986. The Roman quay at St Magnus House, London. Excavations at New Fresh Wharf, Lower Thames Street, London 1974-78 London Middlesex Archaeol Soc Special Paper, 8. pp 178-185

Bird, J. 1993. 3rd-century samian ware in Britain. Journal of Roman Pottery Studies 6, 1993, pp 1-14.

Bird (1993:8) writes "The mortarium Dr 45, introduced at Lezoux c AD 170, continued in manufacture during the 3rd century. Later examples have a more inturned upper wall, usually without grooves, but the most distinctive feature is the applied mask added to the spout. Lezoux's snarling lion had become, by the mid-3rd century, a rather indeterminate species, its ears often indicated by deep finger impressions which give it a bat-like appearance (Fig. 2). Such late spouts are recorded from Billingsgate, Swan Lane, London Walbrook, Shadwell, Ewell and Dorchester. The St Magnus House group is illustrated in Bird 1986a, nos. 2.214-218 (no. 2.217 is the type which occurs in the 'Massenfund' : Huld- Zetsche 1971b, typ 14)."