Decorated Roman vessel from Britain

A decorated Roman vessel that was discovered in 2003 in the village of Ilam (central England). The object is dated to the 2nd century CE and it’s made of bronze.

This type of dish was referred to as trulla . It originally had a handle and was a small pot for cooking food or water. Interestingly, the vessel has inscriptions that were first engraved and then filled with enamel.

The inscriptions mention successive Roman forts constituting Hadrian’s wall: MAIS, COGGABATA, VXELODVNVM, CAMMOGLANNA. We can also read RIGORE VALI AELI DRACONIS, which according to researchers refers to the soldier’s name – DRACO, and VALI AELI is another name for Hadrian’s wall – “Elius wall” (from the family name of Hadrian).