Crundale Grave 1

They had not been long at work, before one of them found his tool sink into the ground with more ease than he expected, and, upon search, found that he had broken in pieces a large urn of black earth, full of burnt bones and ashes; a patera, or sacrificing dish, of fine red earth; and a small urn (or rather, cup), with a foot to it, of very thin white glass [M 6742]; these were, as I said, all of them destroyed; but as I looked upon the glass vessel to be a great curiosity, I gathered up as many fragments of it as I could find, and baring with much pains joined them together in the best manner I could, have endeavoured to represent its exact shape. It holds, as near as I can guess, about three-quarters of a pint, wine measure.[1] The large urn, or ossuary, I fancy, would have contained above a gallon; but it was entirely mashed in pieces by the stroke it received, so that its shape could not be at all ascertained. The patera of fine red earth was also too much broken to be joined; but appeared to have been about eight inches in diameter, and one inch and a half deep; it had a ring, or foot, at its bottom, and had the following inscription in raised letters impressed on the centre of its inside, namely, PRIMANI:[2] no doubt this was the name of the potter who made it. The words ex officina, or some such thing, being plainly to be understood.[1]One of the finest collections of Roman glass vessels (chiefly from burial-places), is that in the museum of Boulogne sur-Mer. It contains some specimens very much resembling the variety here engraved.- C.R.S.[2]This potter's name occurs frequently upon the red glazed pottery found in this country and in France and Germany.- C.R.S.