144 



DUFFIELD CASTLE. 



Fig. 9 



But perhaps the 

 most interesting of 

 the pot " finds," small 

 as they are in bulk, 

 were those turned up 

 in the trench G, which 

 was dug across the 

 shallow foss, ten yards 

 long by one yard 

 wide. Here were dis- 

 covered the only two 

 pieces of Samian ware 

 yet found on the castle 

 hill. It would indeed have been strange if this invariable me- 

 mento of Roman legionary occupation had not been brought to 

 light somewhere in the area. The so-called " Samian " has now 

 been proved to have been chiefly 

 made at Auvergne, and brought with 

 them from Gaul by the Romans. This 

 beautiful ware is mostly of a bright, 

 deep red colour, and is glazed or 

 polished on the surface. It is found 

 bearing a great variety of designs, 

 animated nature as well as foliage, 

 fruit, and conventional treatment. 

 One of the two fragments found here was quite plain, and 

 about two inches by one ; of the other, bearing a handsome 

 design, a full size drawing is given (fig. ro). 



From the same trench whence this Samian came, was also up- 

 turned that which at first sight appeared to be only a nodule of 

 whitish clay. After being cleared from the earth, it proved to 

 be the tip of a vessel of cream-coloured dull ware. It is here 

 drawn at half size (fig. 11). It is the tip or mouthpiece of a 

 remarkable culinary vessel of the Romans, often found at their 

 camps and villas in this country, termed a mortarium. Mortaria 

 resemble in shape modern milk pans, being shallow circular 



Fig. 10. 



