Because light was considered a blessing, oil lamps were frequently dedicated at temples and shrines as votive offerings. Many of the religious practices in ancient Rome involved some form of ritual sacrifice or offering. In religious contexts, oil lamps served the simple utilitarian function of lighting temples and shrines, and they served a number of ritualistic functions, as well. They were also used for “special effects” at the theater to indicate when a scene was supposed to be set at night. In the entertainment sector, lamps were used to light venues for after-dark sporting events such as gladiator shows. Fishermen are believed to have used lamps on their boats when going on nighttime fishing excursions, and when out to sea, galleys likely had oil lamps hanging at the stern to indicate their positions to one another. Soldiers used them to light forts and military encampments. Noblemen used lamps to light their paths when they or their guests were out after dark. They served utilitarian, ritualistic, and symbolic purposes.īusiness owners, such as innkeepers and barkeepers, used oil lamps to light their businesses as well as the streets nearby. Lamps were used by ancient people in a variety of ways, both indoors and outdoors. However, they do not frequently appear in the archaeological record, probably due to the ease with which glass breaks, and there are no examples in the MPM collection.Īdvancements in metalworking technology, or metallurgy, allowed for the development of metal lamps, which were popular during the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. While stone and clay lamps continued to be produced, glass lamps appeared during the fourth century AD. Stone and clay were not the only materials used to make lamps. Between the first and second centuries AD, Italian lamps became the dominant style in the Roman world. They also developed a channel on the nozzle to draw back any oil that dripped from the wick. N12872.įurther enclosure of the lamp body by Roman crafters allowed for more decoration on the discus. Greek tri-nozzle padlock lamp with black high-gloss slip. Greek padlock lamp with glossy black slip. These technological advances have been accredited to the Greeks, whose lamps were exported all over the Mediterranean between the sixth and fourth centuries BC due to their high quality of craftsmanship. Lamps also began to show signs of experimentation with changes in overall body shape and the addition of multiple nozzles, a handle, and clay slips, a coating that was applied to the outside of clay lamps during production in an effort to prevent oil from seeping through the porous clay. These changes aided in reducing the amount of oil lost through spillage. Wheel thrown open saucer lamp with pinched nozzle.Īs they evolved, clay lamps became more enclosed, moving from a pinched nozzle to a bridged nozzle, and sporting the addition of a rim. Lamps with folded rims are often referred to as “cocked-hat” lamps. Soon after, these saucers began to develop a pinched or folded rim which resulted in a nozzle and served the purpose of holding the wick in place, thus controlling the flame as well as the smoke. Initially, they took the form of a saucer with a floating wick. Shells, such as conch or oyster, were also employed as lamps, and even may have served as the prototype for early lamp forms.Ĭlay lamps appeared during the Bronze Age around the 16th century BC and were ubiquitous throughout the Roman Empire. Some of the earliest lamps, dating to the Upper Paleolithic, were stones with depressions in which animal fats were likely burned as a source of light. Although oil lamps have taken on a variety of shapes and sizes throughout history, the basic required components are a wick, fuel, a reservoir for fuel, and an air supply to maintain a flame.ĭiagram of oil lamp features (Westenholz, 2004). A lamp is a device that holds and burns fuel, typically oil, as a means of producing light.
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