84 RELICS OF THE ROMAN OCCUPATION, LITTLE CHESTER, DERBY. 



Fragments of ampulte (the one-handled flask-shaped bottles or 

 jugs generally found upon Roman sites) are plentiful amongst 

 these potsherds. But most noticeable and numerous are the 

 fragments of mortaria— the domestic mortars of the Romans, 

 which, as the reader will see from the accompanying sketch 



(a restoration of one from Little Chester in the possession of 

 Mr. Williams), differed considerably from the modern ones. 

 They were shallow ; the internal surface was thickly studded with 

 broken quartz or iron slag to aid the process of trituration ; their 

 brims were strong and peculiar, and had, or usually had, a spout. 

 From the fact that pestles are never found it may be concluded 

 that wooden ones were used. The character of the brims varied 

 considerably, and as a large variety have been found at Little 

 Chester, the writer thought it well worth the while to give a plate 

 of sections (each being one-half the lineal measurement of the 

 original) and notes : they may be of value to readers who make 

 Roman pottery a special study. But first, the mortarium as a 

 vessel in use. The small bottom and the heavy brim must have 

 made it very unsteady and awkward when used, unless there were 

 some additional means of supporting it. When the writer saw 

 the fragment of a stone mortarium found at Little Chester 



