however, one vessel type used in food preparation was closely linked with the spread of roman culture and roman cuisine: the ". this was a robust shallow bowl with a thick, out-curved rim that made it easy to handle, often a pouring lip, and an internal surface deliberately roughened with a coating of grit or coarse sand during manufacture. it was used with a pestle to purée or pulverise ingredients in order to prepare elaborate and carefully seasoned roman dishes; the roman culinary tradition made extensive use of herbs and spices. the mortarium was the roman equivalent of the food-processor, and is a real indicator of 'romanisation'; in britain, the first mortaria were being imported from gaulish sources more than a generation before britain became a roman province in ad 43, indicating the growing influence of roman culture in late iron age southern britain, and perhaps the actual presence of immigrants from gaul. later, locally-made mortaria produced at specialised potteries in different areas of the province were available throughout britain, in addition to imported products: paul tyers discusses mortaria from no fewer than 16 different manufacturing sources, romano-british and continental, that have been found in britain. like so many other specialised roman ceramic products, many mortaria also bore workshop or makers' stamps on their rims, and noting their chronology and distribution can help archaeologists understand trading patterns and the roman economy.