National Arcaeological Museum - Object of Month | July 2012

Εμπορικοί αμφορείς (Transport amphorae)

 Material: Clay
Provenance: Antikythera shipwreck. From the material retrieved in 1900-1901 (inv. no. 27996, 28003) and in 1976 (inv. no. 30993)
Date: Mid 1st century BC
Dimensions: Height: 0,78m. (Ephesian amphora of the Nikandros Group)!

Intact pointed-toe commercial amphorae from Ephesos (the Nikandros Group), Rhodes, and Kos! The association of several amphora types with specific regions has allowed tentative classification. Due to their peculiar shape, they could be lined up and stacked in the hull of a ship in such a way that shifting of the cargo could be prevented! The amphora was the chief vase for transporting liquid as well as solid goods.  They are known from many shipwrecks throughout the Mediterranean. Double handles are characteristic of the amphorae from Kos. Ephesian amphorae have a strong, outwardly flaring rim, conical grooved toe and rectangular stamps on the handles. They have been found in a number of areas, including the Athenian Agora, Corinth, Alexandreia, and Palestine. Amphorae of the Lamboglia 2 type, made on the coasts of the Adriatic, were particularly widespread in the Mediterranean during the 1st century BC. The variety of the amphorae and their coexistence in the shipwrecked cargo provide some interesting evidence about their production and circulation!

This month at National Arcaeological Museum !