This mortarium was made in Chersonesus and has a mushroom-shaped, beveled crown that is decorated with modeled handles. There are repair holes visible on the flat base. The vessel was discovered by archaeologists at the large ancient settlement of Panskoye 1, which is located on the shore of the eponymous Panskoye Lake in the Northwestern Crimea. Panskoye 1 is one of the largest and best-studied ancient settlements in the region. This Greek settlement started as an Ionian settlement, but from the third quarter of the 4th century BCE, it became a Dorian (Chersonesian) settlement.
Louteria have an important place among preserved works of ancient art. These are large open vessels used for household purposes. There has been a long debate about the purpose of these vessels, which is reflected in their various names given by researchers. The term “mortarium” suggests the use of these vessels as mortar bowls, where it was possible to grind not only grains but also boiled vegetables and beans. To facilitate this process, the inner surfaces of the vessels were roughened by covering them with coarse-grained sand or quartz pieces during molding. Additionally, dough could be kneaded in these vessels. Many studies emphasize the convenience of using louteria for making cottage cheese, as a large amount of milk could be poured into them, and a wide, flat drain made it easier to remove the whey. This led to the term “pelvis” being used for these vessels.
Most modern researchers agree on the idea of the versatile use of these dishes: those with a rough inner surface were used for grinding vegetables, while those without it — for making cottage cheese. Some were also used as containers for mixing wine and water. In Greek tradition, spring water was often added to wine before use. All these dishes have rounded walls that smoothly turn into a flat bottom, without a base or with a low, solid base. This shape remained unchanged for centuries. These dishes were widely used in various ancient centers during the Classical and Hellenistic periods.
