Ceramic butt beaker

Ceramic butt beaker with rouletting. Rotund body, with raised horizontal bands, and narrow mouth with everted rim. Heavily reconstructed.

This type of large, ceramic cup dates to the very end of the Iron Age and reflects changing dining habits. It was probably used for drinking beer, mead or wine. Some cups were imported from the Continent, while others were made in Britain. This one was decorated by rolling a cylindrical stamp across the surface, a technique called ‘rouletting’.