File:Roman copper alloy cosmetic mortar (FindID 450712).jpg

English:
Roman copper alloy cosmetic mortar of 1st or 2nd century AD date

The cosmetic mortar is of end-looped type and is incomplete, missing the loop at the terminal. The mortar would have been comparatively small (with a surviving length of 49.6mm, an overall surviving height of 9.0mm and a weight of 7.5g). The damaged loop (with a surviving length of 6.6mm and an internal diameter of 4.4m) has a discernible stub at its base, where the loop returned and as far as it is possible to say, was of sub-circular section. The sides of the bow are convex (producing a maximum width of 10.8mm) and the base is comparatively flat, rather than the more usual convex curve, producing the characteristic bowed shape. The bow thins towards the unlooped end (where it has a thickness of only 1mm). The central groove has a U-shaped profile (with a length of 40mm, a maximum width of 7.3mm and a depth of 2.8mm). There are no decorative mouldings discernible on the mortar and any applied decoration is now lost. The surface is heavily-corroded with a pale to mid-green corrosion and elsewhere is coppery-bronze.

This find represents only the tenth known example, that the author is aware of, recorded from Wales. Five are listed in Jackson's (1985) catalogue (three from Powys, one from Newport and one from the Vale of Glamorgan). Since Jackson's catalogue the author is aware of an additional example from Powys[1] and a further two examples from the Vale of Glamorgan [2] , which with this example is perhaps beginning to suggest a clustering around the Vale of Glamorgan as well as in Powys.

[1] PAS database reference: NMGW-8DE8D5

[2] PAS database reference: NMGW-DEDA73 & NMWPA 2007.200..1