- The Amphora was the standard container for transporting liquids in the Ancient World.
- An Amphora was a Pottery container with two handles, designed to be stored upright for carrying in ships where they were wedged together in large numbers.
Description
- Amphora or Amphorae (Plural) is the Latin word for a pottery container, first mentioned by Cato the Elder
- Amphorae were used to carry Goods as varied as wine, grapes, Olive Oil, olives, Garum or Grain.
The Standard in Roman Volume
- The Amphora was the largest unit of Volume in Roman Measurements.
- 1 Amphora was 2 Urnae (25.79 litres)
- All amphorae were based on the Standard Amphora, the ‘Amphora Capitolina’, which was preserved in the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill in Rome.
Monte Testaccio
- Monte Testaccio in Rome is a hill made from the remains of millions of amphorae.
- A large part of the amphorae shards are from Baetica in Spain.
Museums
- The British Museum has a large selection of Amphorae with different types and sizes on display.
Monte Testaccio