Roman Pottery
Many Episodes
Tons of Roman pottery has been found - often from sunken ships, so we do know what it looked like!
In Roman times, most liquids were transported in a type of pot called an Amphora. This was a long vase-shaped pot with a handle either side at the top and often without a foot to stand on. The jars were sealed with wax so that they could be rolled on their bases without the contents spilling. The pointed base meant they always had to be propped up against a wall or other amphora or they would fall over.
The Romans knew how to make and blow glass at this time but it was too expensive for anything but small shapes and valuable liquids like perfume. The ancient world relied on ceramics and when they had served their purpose or were damaged people threw them away as rubbish like modern paper and plastic wrappings. That is why we find so many broken pots in the ditches and waste pits from that time.
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