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COSMETIC MORTAR
Unique ID: WMID-CF8142
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete copper alloy end looped cosmetic mortar, typically of Late Iron Age to the Early Roman dating (1st to 2nd Centuries AD).
The mortar has a plain, relatively shallowed bowed profile, with the suspension loop situated at one end. The loop is incomplete. The opposing end of the mortar is incomplete, with the tip broken post depositionally. The mortar itself has a shallow U shaped cross section. The interior (grinding surface) is smooth.
The mortar measures 47.5 mm in length, 7.9mm width and 12.2 mm high. The grinding surface is 5.0 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep. It weighs 11.6 grams.
The cosmetic mortar is dark green to brown colour, with an even surface patina. Abrasion, caused by movement whilst within the plough soil, has resulted in a loss of some of the original surface detail.
Cosmetic mortars can be otherwise known as woad or cosmetic grinders. They come as part of a set of two artefacts, the mortar and the pestle. Ralph Jackson published a corpus of known examples in 1985, of which two are similar to this example. No. 20 from Thistleton, Leicestershire (Jackson, 1985, p179) and no. 30 from Colchester, Essex (Jackson, 1985, p.181). Over 187 examples have been recorded on the PAS database.
Reference:
Jackson, R. 1985 Cosmetic sets from Late Iron and Roman Britain. Britannia XVI, 165-192
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: IRON AGE
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa 200 BC
Date to: Circa AD 200
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 47.5 mm
Width: 7.9 mm
Thickness: 12.2 mm
Weight: 11.6 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 3rd February 2015 - Tuesday 3rd February 2015
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: West Midlands (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Staffordshire (County)
District: Lichfield (District)
Parish or ward: Shenstone (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SK1205
Four figure Latitude: 52.642611
Four figure longitude: -1.82409109
1:25K map: SK1205
1:10K map: SK10NW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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