Casgliadau Arlein

From 'Legionary Ware at Caerleon?' George Boon (Archaeologia Cambrensis 1966) "The Mortarium- rim ... was discovered when a sackful of unstratified pottery from the Caerleon excavations of 1936 (Jenkins Field II) was being examined for tile-stamps in 1965. Both the fragments were heavily encrusted with clay, which had fortunately flaked off to reveal part of the lettering inscribed before firing on the flange: VALIRIVS MARIALS, presumably meant for Valerius Martialis, reading outwardly from the side of the spout. The ware is fine, friable, orange-red, grey at the thickest part of the core near the spout. Traces of a creamy-white slip remain in the grooves of the lettering and along the base of the beaded lip. There are white quartz grits of varying size in the interior surface, coming within about 2cm of the lip. The profile of the vessel is close to Wroxeter Type 18 and probably indicates a Flavian date. Only one other mortarium appears to have been recorded in this country bearing this type of inscription. It was found at Colchester, and reads IVSTI SVPIIRI. The Caerleon piece is interesting for reasons beyond its rarity and besides the quaint semi-literacy of its inscription: for mortaria in a very similar sort of ware, often with traces of thin, dark orange to red slip, are very common at Caerleon and have been called 'legionary' ware. They frequently bear crude stamps in a peculiar feathery lettering, and can be assigned mainly to the Hadrianic and Antonine periods. The description of these vessels as 'legionary' ware has been questioned by our leading specialist on the subject of mortaria, Mrs Katherine Hartley ..."