Amphora, carrot amphora

Amphora were used to transport foodstuffs around the Roman empire. They were sealed with a clay, cork or wooden stopper, which was often covered in wax or resin. This type of amphora is called a 'carrot' and this distinctive shape allowed them to be stored upright. The excavation of shipwrecks has shown that this pointy-shape also helped keep them stable when transported by sea or river. This amphora was found in Southwark, it was made in the eastern Mediterranean and dates to the 1st century BC to 1st century CE. Archaeologists think that 'carrot' amphora were used to transport dried fruit.