Amphora
Also called: Amphorae · Topic: The Roman Empire · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
An amphora (plural amphorae) was a clay jar the Romans used to carry liquids such as wine and olive oil. Archaeologists study the shape of each jar, what it held and where its clay came from. They then map where the pieces are found. This lets them trace trade routes and see which regions led the market.
Example
At Monte Testaccio in Rome there are broken pieces of over 50 million amphorae. One jar type, called "Dressel 20", carried Spanish olive oil. Maps of where it is found show that Spanish oil led Mediterranean markets at its peak, c. 140–160 CE. North African oil then took over in the third and fourth centuries, and oil from the East took over after 425. This shows that big landowners from different regions competed on quality and price.