Ancient Roman Jars

Life in ancient Rome was, surprisingly, much the same as it is today, with a few exceptions of course but one common item is ancient Roman jars. The neighborhoods were closely knit, food and wines were used and social life was a highlight of the lifestyles of ancient Rome.

Food and drink had to be stored, even as we store it today, in order to lay in extra for a time when there was less to be had. Storage presented a problem then, even as it sometimes does today. The heat could be intense, the pests could be problematic, and the light sometimes did not do wonders for items that required that it be stored in darkness.

Wineries had the need to create wine, sometimes wine that was not in casks which were a much later development. The answer was the ceramic jars that could be sealed quite well using waxes and other methods and would adequately shut out both light and pests from the items that were sealed inside.

Ancient Roman jars were used for many different purposes, among them, storage of various items. They were not jars as we know them today, but were made of pottery or glass in much the same fashion. These Roman jars would range from very small to extremely large in size.

Roman jars were used in nearly every walk of life in ancient Rome.

Smaller receptacles, those which might stand a few inches tall in our measurements were found which housed cosmetics and creams that were in use by the Roman men and women. Cosmetic treatments were of course well known in Rome, made of more natural ingredients, powdered minerals and natural herbs. These did not withstand the test of time well, and were housed in jars that sealed out both light and air in an effort to prevent spoilage.

Likewise, larger jars have been found buried in the earth in various archeological digs. These were literally huge, holding vast quantities of wine and drinks that required fermentation.

In other cases, as at Herculaneum, vast jars were found side by side with smaller ones, graduated sizes holding various types of goods. These items found inside appear to have been stored in a bulk fashion with a given amount measured out and purchased. One shop in Herculaneum was found nearly intact with a vast array of large and small ceramic jars still holding goods for sale.

The discovery in 1883 of the Roman House of Vestals brought even more information about the daily life of Rome in ancient times. Uncovered in the ruins were a vast array of inscribed columns, major art and imagery that showed the lifestyle of these fascinating women, as well as a wide array of Roman jars and ingredients that told how they lived, what they ate, and about the cosmetics, oils, and unguents that were used in ancient Roman times.

Roman jars have a broad scope of use in the ancient Roman times and each new item that is discovered helps to flesh out the tale of life in an ancient Roman city.