#FindsFriday Amphora

Today for #FindsFriday we will be looking at an amphora from our excavation at Handford House, Queens Road, in 2003-5.

Some finds we uncover can cause us some logistical problems if they are large and heavy! On this site we discovered a deep pit containing a nearly complete Dressel 20 amphora. This type of amphora were made in Baetica, Spain. They were exported in large quantities and were mostly used for transporting olive oil. 🫒

Two pieces of graffiti had been scratched onto the body of the amphora, next to one another. One was a probable post-firing mark resembling a tulip or leaf and stem. The other was a probable pre-firing ruler-drawn Λ which may denote the letter ‘A’ or ‘V’ or the number 5. Letters or numbers were often scratched on amphora to label their contents, the quantity of liquid they carried, or even the owner.

Once we realised we had the whole pot we wrapped it up to protect the surface, built a crate around it and lifted it from site with a crane (with some help from the developers)! 🏗

The vessel was then taken to our office where it’s contents were excavated and drawn by CAT illustrator Emma. The neck with its attached handles was found inside the body of the amphora. The neck must have fallen into the amphora and knocked over the vessels that were placed inside.

In the bottom of the amphora was a complete small beaker, an almost complete jar used as a cremation urn with a complete dish on top, and a complete small flagon to the side of the urn.

The soil inside the dish contained a small lamp, which may have been lit inside the cavity. The lamp was upside-down to one side of the dish. It had probably been knocked over when the neck of the amphora fell inside the cavity.

The fact that the urn had been given a lid (the dish) and that the amphora had been sealed makes it likely that the covering of the urn was as much symbolic as practical.

For more information about the site check out CAT Report 323 here: http://cat.essex.ac.uk/