🍷 Amphora
A two-handled clay jar with a pointed base that ancient people used to transport wine.
An amphora is a clay jar with two handles and a pointed base. In the Roman world it was the ubiquitous transport vessel, used mainly for wine, olive oil and garum (fish sauce).
Amphorae were made of terracotta. Clay is porous, so ceramic vessels historically needed waterproofing: in the Western Mediterranean one of the most widely used coatings was pitch, made from plant resins. Analysis of three Roman amphorae from San Felice Circeo found a pine pitch coating, and researchers suggest pitch may also have worked as a preservative. Roman reliefs show stacked amphorae with their mouths sealed.
Amphorae were used to ship wine across the sea. One Roman cargo ship carried some 1,200–1,500 wine amphorae made at or near Cosa in Etruria, dated to about 100 BCE; the cargo was evidently destined for markets in Gaul. Studies of sealed amphorae from a Roman shipwreck have even traced the cargo to central-southern Italy.
Today some winemakers return to ceramic containers, including pitch-coated amphorae, to ferment and age wine; a 2025 study notes that the porosity of clay allows micro-oxygenation of the wine.
How it connects to Wine
Links
- Previous step
- 🪨 Clay, 🍷 Wine in ancient Rome
- Next step
- 🍷 Amphora trade
- What is packed
- 🫒 Olive oil, 🫒 Olives
- Images and sayings
- 🫙 Jar
- Part of
- 🍷 Clay wine vessels
- Wine and milk
- 🫙 Jug
- In other topics
- 🍷 Wine
Frequently asked questions
What is an amphora?
A clay jar with two handles and a pointed base, used in Roman times mainly to carry wine, olive oil and garum (fish sauce).
Why was the amphora coated with pitch?
Clay is highly permeable, so ceramic vessels needed waterproofing; in the Western Mediterranean pitch was one of the most widely used coatings. It may also have worked as a preservative.
Are amphorae used today?
Yes, some winemakers use ceramic containers, including pitch-coated amphorae, to ferment and age wine.
What to read next
- 🫙 Jug — A milk jug is a handled vessel with a spout for pouring milk into cups and bowls.
- 🫒 Olives — The fruit of the olive tree, pressed for oil or cured and eaten as table olives.
- 🍷 Amphora trade — The amphora trade was the ancient shipping of wine and oil in clay jars across the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
- 🍷 Wine in ancient Rome — The Romans planted vines across the empire, from Spain to the Rhine and Danube.
- 🫙 Jar — A wide-mouthed container with a lid for dairy products, olives and wine; the glass jar with a screw-on lid was patented in 1858.
Similar
🍷 Pithos · 🍷 Dolium · 🍷 Qvevri · 🍷 Tinaja · 🍷 Karas · 🍷 Bag-in-box
What it includes
Sources
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Terracotta wine amphora, Roman, ca. 100 BCE (Grand Congloué B shipwreck cargo)
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Terracotta transport amphora, Roman, late 2nd century CE (pointed bottom)
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Terracotta amphora (storage jar): transport amphora used for wine, oil and garum
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Marble relief showing transport amphorae with sealed mouths
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Glass two-handled bottle (amphora), Roman, 4th century CE
- Archaeobotanical and chemical investigations on wine amphorae from San Felice Circeo (Italy). PLOS ONE, 2022
- Exploring the Impact of Pitch-Coated Pottery on Wine Composition. Foods (MDPI), PMC, 2025