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Room 16 – The reconstruction of a Roman ship
The supply of oil was one of the principal objects in the organisation of ancient commerce. During the rule of the Roman Empire olive oil production was limited to the Mediterranean coastal area in particular Spain and north Africa, which had to supply the capitals and main urban centres, the armed forces and the northern provinces. It was necessary therefore to move enormous quantities of oil preferably by water transport means in order to reduce costs.

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The hold of Roman ship loaded with amphoras. The amphora became the container most used for commerce in the past. A reconstruction of the hold of a Roman ship to the exact scale allows us to see the order in which the amphora were loaded in rows interleved with each other. Different models of the hulls, anchors and many types of amphora allow us to reconstruct one of the most important routes for the commercialisation of olive oil from the Mediterranean area of all times.
 

Amphora as a container for oil
The amphora were tapped with clay or wooded corks, sealed with wax and pitch and wrapped in a vegetable fibre cover which served to protect them from bumping and breaking during storms at sea. The pointed bases allowed them to adapt to any kind of space or irregularity in the hold or of the load.

Material: clay paste
Dimensions: height 88cm. Diameter 37cm.
Manufacturing technique: modelled on a spinning lathe with applied after words 
Origin: recovered from an underwater relic
Dated: first century B.C.
Use: maritime commerce of oil