Revelations of cheesemaking and face pots (Milton, week 10)

The ongoing excavations at Milton have yielded remarkable discoveries this week to reinforce our understanding of the site. We have been investigating a series of livestock enclosures but have also found many archaeological artefacts, including exquisite tablewares and fragments of vessel glass, predominantly in the western part of the site, which is where we believe part of a Roman villa was located.

The abundance of cattle bones provides compelling evidence for meat production but having also now found more than one whey strainer, it appears dairying was also present. To confirm this, we plan to conduct Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) on these pottery sherds. What we hope to find are traces of lipids (fats), which are the most frequently recovered biomolecules from archaeological sites, because they will not readily dissolve in water. ORA can determine the presence of fats, but also their nature, so it should be possible to determine cow’s milk from other sources.

Whey strainers play a vital role in the dairy process, allowing for the separation of whey, a byproduct of cheese-making, from the curds. This process involved pouring the liquid through the strainer, which featured perforations, fine mesh or muslin clothe to retain the curds while allowing the liquid to pass through. In Roman culture, whey had diverse culinary and medicinal applications. Strained whey, known as “lac whey,” held significant value as an ingredient in cooking, where it was used in the preparation of sauces, soups, and as a base for various dishes. Additionally, whey was consumed as a refreshing beverage and incorporated into medicinal recipes with recognised nutritional benefits.

Another great find this week is our face pot! This type of vessel was introduced to Britain during the Roman period and exhibits stylistic and technical similarities to counterparts found in other regions of the Roman Empire. Crafted using local clay and employing Roman ceramic techniques, these pots feature intricate sculpted faces depicting a range of expressions, hairstyles, and facial grotesques.

Although the exact purpose and significance of face pots in Roman Britain are enigmatic due to the absence of explicit written records, suggestions from archaeological parallels discovered elsewhere include commemorative or funerary roles, potentially utilised in burial rituals, or placed in tombs as symbolic representations of the deceased. The sculpted faces might have portrayed specific individuals, ancestors, or deities, fostering connections between the living, their forebears and the gods – reinforcing both social and familial bonds.

There are no traces of human remains at Milton, and the face pots seem to have had a utilitarian function like many of their counterparts in other parts of the Empire. Perhaps these vessels could also have been decorative containers for storing or serving food and beverages, thereby enhancing the dining experience, and showcasing the owner’s social status and appreciation for artistic craftsmanship. These artefacts not only exemplify the influence of Roman art merged with local influences and materials but also attest to the dissemination and assimilation of Roman culture locally, leaving a lasting impact on local material culture around Cambridge.

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Previous update (week 9).

Next update (week 11).

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