DOI article:
S̆van̆a, Kamil: Basic characteristics of the Late Roman glazed mortars from the auxiliary fort at Iz̆a, bridgehead of Brigetio
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41949#0169
Kamil Śvańa
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LATE ROMAN
GLAZED MORTARS FROM THE AUXILIARY FORT AT IŻA,
BRIDGEHEAD OF BRIGETIO1
Abstract: Article deals with the finds of Late Roman glazed mortars from the auxiliary fort at
Iza. Glazed mortars were the most numerous of all glazed pottery shapes from the locality (1357
pieces, about 41% of all glazed fragments). The mortars were assessed on the grounds of typolo-
gical and materiał characteristics. Eight main types and several variants of the mortars were dis-
tinguished. Close-by workshop, possibly in Brigetio is proposed.
Key words: Iza, auxiliary fort, Late Roman glazed pottery, glazed mortars, North Pannonian frontier
Introduction and history of excavation
Long neglected by scholars, Late Roman glazed ware began to be studied properly in the
past few decades or so. Its importance for the period was established with the identification
and publication of several hitherto unknown production centres and especially with regard
to the province of Pannonia, where the increasingly large number of finds2 is seen as
indicative of this part of the Empire being the most important centre of glazed pottery
production. This is particularly true of the region lying near to the Roman frontier and
yet most of the sites have been published in part or not at all. The goal of this article is
therefore to present some new information based on an analysis of finds of one particular
type — glazed mortars — from the auxiliary fort at Iza and to put the results in the context
of the North Pannonian frontier, especially in the context of the Late Roman province of
Yaleria.
1 The article is based on the results of my disserta-
tion thesis “Glazed pottery from the Roman fort at
Iza in the context of the North Pannonian frontier”,
written at the Department of Classical Archaeology,
Faculty of Arts, Trnava University in Trnava. I here-
by want to express my gratitude to my supervisor
Prof. Dr. Klara Kuzmova (Trnava University) and
to my consultant Dr. Jan Rajtar (Institute of Archaeo-
logy, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Nitra), as well
as to the directors of the excavation at Iza, for their
help and expert advice. I also would like to thank
Niall Kenny for proofreading and correcting the
English version of the article.
2 See CvjetiĆanin 2006, pp. 178—179, fig. 23.
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LATE ROMAN
GLAZED MORTARS FROM THE AUXILIARY FORT AT IŻA,
BRIDGEHEAD OF BRIGETIO1
Abstract: Article deals with the finds of Late Roman glazed mortars from the auxiliary fort at
Iza. Glazed mortars were the most numerous of all glazed pottery shapes from the locality (1357
pieces, about 41% of all glazed fragments). The mortars were assessed on the grounds of typolo-
gical and materiał characteristics. Eight main types and several variants of the mortars were dis-
tinguished. Close-by workshop, possibly in Brigetio is proposed.
Key words: Iza, auxiliary fort, Late Roman glazed pottery, glazed mortars, North Pannonian frontier
Introduction and history of excavation
Long neglected by scholars, Late Roman glazed ware began to be studied properly in the
past few decades or so. Its importance for the period was established with the identification
and publication of several hitherto unknown production centres and especially with regard
to the province of Pannonia, where the increasingly large number of finds2 is seen as
indicative of this part of the Empire being the most important centre of glazed pottery
production. This is particularly true of the region lying near to the Roman frontier and
yet most of the sites have been published in part or not at all. The goal of this article is
therefore to present some new information based on an analysis of finds of one particular
type — glazed mortars — from the auxiliary fort at Iza and to put the results in the context
of the North Pannonian frontier, especially in the context of the Late Roman province of
Yaleria.
1 The article is based on the results of my disserta-
tion thesis “Glazed pottery from the Roman fort at
Iza in the context of the North Pannonian frontier”,
written at the Department of Classical Archaeology,
Faculty of Arts, Trnava University in Trnava. I here-
by want to express my gratitude to my supervisor
Prof. Dr. Klara Kuzmova (Trnava University) and
to my consultant Dr. Jan Rajtar (Institute of Archaeo-
logy, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Nitra), as well
as to the directors of the excavation at Iza, for their
help and expert advice. I also would like to thank
Niall Kenny for proofreading and correcting the
English version of the article.
2 See CvjetiĆanin 2006, pp. 178—179, fig. 23.