File:Medieval Purbeck Limestone Mortar (FindID 290927).jpg

English: An incomplete base from a Purbeck limestone mortar of Medieval date. Almost half of the flat, circulat base survives intact, as well as the base of the walls of the vessel, the remainder now missing due to old breaks. The base appears to have been deliberately cut in half, and may therefore represent re-use at a later date. The interior surface is slightly concave, smooth and shows signs of use-wear, contrastingly the sides of the wall have a relatively coarse finish. The fragment measures 210mm in width, 89mm in length, 51mm in thickness, approximately 220mm in diameter, and weighs 1361g. Medieval Purbeck limestone mortars are noted from a number of sites in East Anglia and may have been transported to the area by sea (see Geddes and Dunning 'Stone Objects' in Clarke and Carter, 1977). A study of excavated examples from King's Lynn has demonstrated the production and use of such mortars in the Medieval period, perhaps beginning in the 12th century but with the major period of use in the 13th and 14th centuries AD (Geddes and Dunning, 1977). It is likely that the current example is of similar 13th-14th century AD date.