Amphora

:This article is about the type of container. For other uses, see Amphora (disambiguation).

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An amphora is a type of ceramic vase with two handles, used for the transportation and storage of perishable goods and more rarely as containers for the ashes of the dead or as prize awards. Most were produced with a pointed base to allow them to be stacked in sand or soft ground, while those with a ring base tended to be used for domestic or votive purposes. The latter were often glazed and decorated with figures, while purely functional amphorae were plain in appearance, often distinguished only by the stamps or signatures of their owners.

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Amphorae were invented by the ancient Greeks and adopted by the Romans as the principal means for transporting and storing wine, oil, olives, grain, fish, and other commodities. They were produced on an industrial scale from Greek times and used around the Mediterranean until about the 16th century. They are of great benefit to maritime archaeologists, as amphorae in a shipwreck can often indicate the age and nationality of the wreck. They are occasionally so well preserved that the original contents are still present, providing invaluable information on the eating habits and trading systems of the ancient Mediterranean peoples.

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The word amphora is Latin, derived from the Greek amphoreus (????????) or amphiphoreus, a compound word combining amphi- ("on both sides") plus phoreus ("carrier"), from pherein ("to carry").

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Ancient Greeks: REDIRECT Ancient Greece...

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Wine: :This article is about the beverage. See Wine (software) for an article about the software of the same name....

Amphora related Images and Photos (experimental)

An Amphora of Cervetri Representing a Sacrifice	Black-Figure Amphora Depicting Ajax and Achilles C.540 Bc	Attic Black Figure Amphora Depicting Dancers circa 535-38 BC	Attic Red-Figure Belly Amphora Depicting Croesus on His Pyre from Vulci circa 500-490 BC
Attic Red Figure Amphora Depicting Ares and Aphrodite in a Chariot Fighting the Giants	Attic Red-Figure Belly Amphora of Herakles Capturing Kerberus Greek from Athens 6th Century B	Attic Red-Figure Belly Amphora Depicting the Abduction of Antiope with Theseus and Pirithous	The Blinding of Polyphemus 7th circa BCE Early Attic Amphora Black-Figured