Amphoras Brilliant Practical Design! | The Known Uses, Plus A New Idea!

[@scotttaxdal5297]

Shipping records of the time showed allowances for breakage of a percentage of amphoras due to the inherent hazards of shipping. These "broken" amphoras were accounted for and dumped overboard. Jumping forward to modern day, exploration of the Mediterranean sea floor exposed a bee line of nearly intact amphoras from port to port, upon examination the only thing broken were the seals. The sailors were drinking on the shipper's tab.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Haha brilliant! I guess humans have always been opportunists 😂

[@ronblack7870]

i bet the shippers knew this but just accepted it as long as it was not excessive. similar things would happen in modern shipping before containerized shipping became a thing. there would be some loss of shipments depending on what it was and how desirable for slippage.

[@johngriffon2118]

That's the best part of studying history for me. Finding little peeks into daily lives like that really humanizes all that old clay and papyrus.

[@daneenmurf1043]

" slippage " 😁​@@ronblack7870

[@1rez378]

That's hilarious. Some things don't change even thousands of years later.

[@Moostery]

As a homebrewer I have a theory that the bottom of the amphoras was shaped to compact the yeast in to a plug at the bottom. It is extremely easy to disturb lees (Dead yeast) at the bottom of a container with a wide bottom. Slight movements make it all shake back and forth and mix back in to the once clear wine. The "traditional french" method of brewing and bottling wine involves leaving the bottle upside down at an angle and is rotated every now and then to form a plug of yeast at the bottom that can be skilfully ejected by opening the bottle upside down just long enough for the carbonation to blow the plug out then is tipped back upwards before too much liquid is lost, resulting in a clear, yeast free bottle. In the case of the amphoras, without a steep conical bottom, the yeast would never settle, especially on a boat. Containers with thin, tapered bottoms also allow you to extract every last drop easily. Fountain pen ink bottles are sometimes designed like this so virtually none of the expensive ink is wasted. Perhaps the rocking of the boats even aided in forming the yeast in to a solid plug at the bottom. Either way the result is a nice clear liquid.

[@ronroberts110]

Thanks for posting this, it's the most reasonable explanation I've read.

[@scotttaxdal5297]

@@Moostery I'm tempted to agree

[@thebackwardpointinggodwit8080]

Except that amphorae carried many things including olive oil and garam, so wine amphorae were only a minority. They all had pointed bottoms.

[@Moostery]

@@thebackwardpointinggodwit8080 My thinking led me to believe that not all manufacturers knew why amphoras were pointed at the base and just mimicked the design because of how successful they were. It also could be a case of an amphora manufacturer wanting to keep all of their products looking similar, even if they were shipping something that doesn't have yeast floating around in it. Maybe, Just maybe they also liked the fact that the pointed bottoms allowed them to extract every last drop of goodness and consumers stopped buying amphoras with wide bottoms that would require it being tipped over with two or more people to extract every last drop where with a conical bottom a long ladle would suffice. When a feature has benefits no matter what liquid is placed in it, it makes sense that all of their production would focus on it instead of splitting up production between amphoras that worked good with everything and amphoras that work poorly with fermented beverages and are a pain to empty with anything else in them.

[@Moostery]

@@thebackwardpointinggodwit8080 It is also stated in the video that olive oil had particulate in it, and I would wager garum has plenty of particulate in it as well.

[@CreightonNagatori]

In being a potter that attempted to make four feet or larger ceramic vessels, I can tell you from experience that large flat-bottom ceramic vessels rarely survive the firing. The pointed end of large ceramic vessel makes it much less prone to cracking, especially in shipping. The only time large flat-bottom ceramic vessels can survive the firing process is the technique used by the Koreans to make their traditional kimchee jars. And of course, those large kimchee jars were not made for shipping. They were buried in the ground for making and storing kimchee.

[@vytisagafonovas3887]

how do you calculate what thickness bottom shold be, for the flat ones, to withstand the pressure when lifted?

[@CreightonNagatori]

@@vytisagafonovas3887 The thickness of the pot bottom is determined by the potter through experience. The thickness is determined through a combination of the size of the pot, the type of clay body being used, how the pot is constructed, the drying and firing methods being used.

[@DBT1007]

Kimci

[@andreafalconiero9089]

Since you're a potter -- how do you throw a large amphora on a potter's wheel? Upside down? The pointed shape doesn't seem very convenient for pottery-making. I suppose you could keep it on a thick, wide base and then trim it to a point during the green stage after it's been removed from the wheel...

[@Taricus]

@@DBT1007 kimchi

[@joanbennettnyc]

Y'all are confusing the clay you're used to in, say, a modern low-fired flowerpot with the high-fired clay in amphorae. Amphorae were fired at a temperature that made the clay vitrify. They were waterproof, moisture-proof, EVEN WITHOUT GLAZE. Oil and wine did not seep through them. Vitrified clay is stronger and handles impact better, which merchants would have wanted. Vitrified, high-fired clay doesn't lose your inventory because nothing seeps through the sides. The amphorae in the ground were not cooling because moisture from inside was seeping through and evaporating -- they were cooling because the moisture OUTSIDE their walls, in the ground was evaporating, because the ground was cooler, and because dirt makes a great insulator. Clay doesn't have to be glazed to be waterproof, it just have to be fired at a high enough temperature so that the crystalline structure of the clay gets so tight it seals everything in. That's why a pot is about 15% smaller when it comes out of the kiln: the crystal structure of the clay shrunk as it vitrified.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Ancient people definitely knew their craft! 😀

[@JaneAustenAteMyCat]

That is fascinating, thank you for the explanation. I have always wondered about this

[@volyund]

​@@ArchaeoLogic It all makes sense when you understand that ancient people were still homo sapiens. Just as smart, creative, intelligent, and curious as us.

[@Roberta-q1q]

I was guessing an "angels share" of evaporation through porous ceramic. Thanks for details!

[@ZeekyHB0MB]

So how come we've moved to glazes?

[@briankgarland]

I didn't hear you mentioned it, but when digging a hole it's much more difficult to widen the bottom of the hole to accommodate a flat bottom vessel. A pointed bottom is easier and the ground then provides great support.

[@willisbarth]

Good point. Makes one’s innards churn just thinking about it. Might depend on the processing sequence of the materials in the vessel vs. those on the ground as well.

[@ArnaudMEURET]

M'y thought too. Also it naturally gets pushed up when the ground /support material gets shifted or subjected to hydraulic pressure changes, instead of crushing the container.

[@worfoz]

@@willisbarth 😄Good "point" indeed.

[@puiacalinadrian]

If they watered the sand around the amphoras, the heat will evaporate the water and the area gets colder, this sistem is used in ceramic pots for desert coolers

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Great point!

[@DeborahThird-og1uo]

No pun intended lol

[@chrislong3938]

This was exactly what I was thinking!

[@garytheosophilus]

3:12

[@hefruth]

Many ancient people stored their food stuffs below ground. When Lewis and Clark did their westward journey, they took advantage of the fact that so many of the Indian nations along the Missouri River corridor were excellent gardeners who, reportedly, stored as much as 6 or 7 years worth of grains, dried squashes, and smoked meats in caches below ground. Many, in fact, lived in housing they built below ground, so that many of the communities looked--from a distance--like a group of small hills. My favorite comments from Lewis and Clark were their amazement about how good the women were at negotiating the best trade goods for their food stuffs. They couldn't imagine most women back home being able to drive such hard bargains.

[@DBT1007]

*native american nations Please. Dont confuse us with "indian" word. We think indian as real indian.

[@hefruth]

@@DBT1007 Choctaw-Chickasaw here. I call Asian Indians Asian Indians, too. :-D

[@philipethier9136]

@@DBT1007 Decades ago when my kids were in high school they would ask "feathers or dots".

[@sylvia106]

@@DBT1007learn basic history, Lewis and Clark, you should know which ones. Silly.

[@caeruleusvm7621]

@@sylvia106 You do have a point - context matters. But it is only "basic history" to Americans. I happen to know a lot about Lewis and Clark, but I don't think I've ever found one of my countrymen who've even heard of them.

[@josephd.5524]

2:00 it isn't that they were particularly cheap, it is that the vast majority of those broken up pots in the Roman midden were for olive oil, which when it goes rancid absolutely reeks- and you can't wash the oil out of the terracotta. They can't be used for storing anything, and ditto for decoration because they just start stinking.

[@lukmanalghdamsi3189]

when you know your sh!t

[@losthor1zon]

So they were indeed "disposable containers" - even if only out of necessity.

[@stefflus08]

You'd think they were clever enough to refire them when even I can come up with that in a matter of seconds.

[@stevenschnepp576]

​@@stefflus08 Do you have any idea how much we throw away on the daily that could be easily repurposed and reused with a little bit of work?

[@EcoMouseChannel]

The shape of the Amphora's bottom happens to match the shape of the type of hole you can dig with a stick. Yes, they were meant to be stuck in the ground.

[@losthor1zon]

Meh... Pretty sure even by the Sumerian era people had other options than sticks for digging holes. The shape was a deliberate choice. And yes, it seems likely they were indeed put in the ground.

[@stefthorman8548]

@@losthor1zon what other options? you think everyone had expensive bronze/mild steel shovels and pick axes?

[@Shrouded_reaper]

​@stefthorman8548 I think a fair amount of people at this point in history had access to metal tools, yes...

[@ikmarchini]

From an old trucker - amphorae allowed quicker loading and unloading - think modern container ships. Not only liquids, but most grain was shipped in amphorae from the fields in northern Africa-then cooler and wetter- to Rome for the 'corn' dole, or free wheat for the residents. Remember "bread and circuses"? You could get more on a ship by bulk loading ie. shoveling the wheat in and out, but if a hard wind hit the ship at sea the load would shift in the belly of the ship and it would never sail upright, would lose most control, and might sink. Amphorae prevented a ship load from shifting.

[@leewilkinson6372]

Very interesting!!! Never thought about this....but it does seem to make sense.

[@leewilkinson6372]

Another thing that could be considered..... slosh. Tankers need dividers that are angled and hulls that aren't square to prevent the liquid slosh from hitting a flat surface. A rounded shape like this would prevent slosh nor only from side to side, but also up and down. Ships pitch up and down alot.... and I would imagine this would also make it easier to carry in bulk on a wagon, sled, etc.

[@Sabre70]

Terrific insight! Thanks for sharing with us ignorant of shipping processes. Much appreciated.

[@ikmarchini]

@@leewilkinson6372 You're right, same idea. I don't think Roman ships were so watertignt to allow portage of liquids. Maybe if they were sealed with pitch. But who wants wine or oil thats been sitting in pitch.

[@KosherFinance]

Was that trucker gay?❤

[@VideoSaySo]

1) Greater surface area to accommodate cooling. 2) Sediment is collected easier with a pointy bottom, less dispersal upon tipping the container. 3) With the larger vessels, a pointy bottom fits perfectly into a sturdy board or plank with a hole bored into it, fitted to a mechanism that you can tip by holding the double handles. 4) They're easier to move by rolling without tipping it all the way over or dragging.

[@DrFranklynAnderson]

Go to a brewery and look at the fermentation tanks. They all have a cone at the bottom to help collect the sediment (spent yeast, bits of grain and hops, etc.) that drops out of the brew while it’s fermenting. Wine does the same thing. It took a few years a a homebrewer before that finally clicked for me.

[@jbos5107]

I've never read or heard why amphoras were shaped this way. From your video and the many knowledgeable commenters, I can say that I have learned many new things. Great video, thank you!

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Thank you for your comment I'm glad you found it informative 😀

[@edi9892]

As a Chemist, I do love that shape. They're rare in the lab, but they do offer some distinct advantages: 1) if you have something dissolved and dry it, you can collect it at the tip on the very bottom rather than having to scrape it off from a round bottom flask, which is also much harder to access (you need to bend spatulas and even then it's a pain in the butt). 2) If you want to redissolve the substance in the least amount of solvent, then this shape is ideal too and you can use a syringe to pick it up, whereas the standard flask leaves a shallow puddle where a lot stays behind... 3) When you have to work with very small volumes, it's hard to find the right size glassware, but with that shape, size matters less and you can get it stirred with a tiny stirring bar. Plus, they're easy to clean. 4) You can easily stick them into ice. Speaking of ceramic amphoras, there's a few more things I can think of: 1) Wine bottles can shoot the cork and if you press the cork in, it can blow out the bottom! This has been even observed with ceramic pots with a flat bottom! 2) I use small amphoras for watering my plants. This should however tell you something about two potential problems if the ceramic is not sealed properly: I) liquid can slowly seep through the walls and evaporate concentrating whatever remains too big to diffuse through the pores. II) If you bury them, moisture may seep in and dilute whatever you have inside! 3) Historically, furniture wasn't as omnipresent as it is today, but dirt floors and ceiling beams were far more common. This means that you may bury things indoors to keep them cool and hang things from the ceiling to prevent pests from gaining access. In such cases, flat bottoms weren't required and round bottoms are notorious for rolling over...

[@allenhonaker4107]

My first thought was it's a separatory funnel

[@stevenschnepp576]

You don't tend to see much liquid seeping out through vitrified clay or clay that's been sealed with a layer of wax or resin.

[@stephenmanning1553]

I worked underground on the edge of the Western Desert of Western Australia. Last summer (2023/24) had daytime maxima of 45+C. By the time you get 100M underground that temperature steadies at 24C. Of course being a desert climate it gets very cold in winter especially at night. Standing in the cage ready to go down the shaft at night was horrible. By the time we arrived at 11 level (385M) underground it was lovely. AND if you have a cold or the flu the elevated air pressure and salt content made us feel great after 20 or so minutes. At the end of shift you feel marvelous but sadly by the time you get home its back to shiver's and shakes.

[@hatac]

It also allows you to strap two or more amphorae to a donkey. That's hard with a flat bottom but with the point in a loop in the pack saddle you can do it easily. I think your sunk in the ground for cooling is good. However there is another advantage in areas where there are floods or earthquakes. A sealed amphorae with the point in the ground and its center of balance low does not wash away in a flood or slide about in an earthquake. There is no such thing as primitive people just different technology levels. We would have as many problems with their technology as they might have with ours.

[@briseboy]

Best to edit the word "levels" out of your comment.

[@hatac]

@@briseboy If you know about RPG games, the pen and paper version, you use the term 'technology levels' a lot. Its also used in some archeology where its not defined. I.e. Neolithic, Paleolithic, bronze age or iron age are all technology levels.

[@RaimoHöft]

And much of that what once was, is now lost... I doubt anyone could cast a working bronze cannon this day and age.

[@sandrataylor3723]

I often wondered why the ancients made their pottery with pointed bottoms. Thanks for enlightening me. I'm nearly 70 and love learning new things.

[@tonyromano6220]

Me too! 67!

[@sillybollox2244]

Some of the pointy ends look like they were designed to double as helpful tipping handles...

[@picksalot1]

Interesting observation.

[@willisbarth]

Right.. especially if you built an elevated stone face to rest it on. What will happen after drinking the contents.

[@colorbugoriginals4457]

excellent point.

[@s.k.3891]

I own one such amphora with a knob-pointed base. In handling it I realized how ergonomic the shape is ,in steadying the vessel when emptying contents!

[@Zoe-c9z]

Or dipping🏆🏺

[@Sleipmon]

If something was used for thousands of years by many different cultures then it's obviously a very solid design for it's intended purpose.

[@roku3216]

Terracotta mostly-buried vessels help cool roots and slowly hydrate plants, but now I want to try making ollas in the shape of amphorae to see if there’s a difference in effect. Thanks for this illuminating video.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Seems like the perfect shape for an olla.

[@joanbennettnyc]

The pots you're thinking of for plants are fired at a different temperature than the amphorae. Plant pots are fired at a lower kiln temperature and when they're finished, water can get through slowly. Amphorae were fired at a higher temperature -- amphorae wouldn't have let liquid pass into their body. They were waterproof.

[@roku3216]

@@joanbennettnyc Very nice information. If I throw some pottery in that shape for ollas, I’ll be sure to fire accordingly.

[@danielleunertaylor7535]

As far as I remember, I read in an archaeology book that the tip of the vessel was so that the vessel could be stuck in the sand, since it was on sandy beaches where Phoenician ships used to stop to trade.

[@andrewtaylor9799]

From a modern seller of fermentation tanks: "The conical bottom design encourages rapid flocculation of particulate, allowing for easy sediment removal through the bottom drain valve, as well as yeast collection and reuse for subsequent batches."

[@Traderjoe]

I heard that the pointed bottom is also stronger than a flat bottom and less likely to shatter the whole thing if it’s tapped by accident. A flat bottom would just drop the whole bottom and the fluids would gush out. If it’s pointed, and does break, you have a few more seconds to react to try and plug it up with something.

[@frederickheard2022]

They made amphorae with pointy bottoms so they could be reused as hats. There are so many at the bottom of the Mediterranean because it’s windy at sea and sailors’ hats would blow off.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Lol that puts a hilarious image in my head 😂

[@StoyanBorov]

In the archeological museum Sozopol Bulgaria we have ancient Greek amphorae much larger than 80 liters, 150-200 probably it may stay permanently on the ship and refiled with water from smaller containers, so it doesn't need to be carried while full.

[@theSkyGuardian]

I'm just thinking it's like an arch or pyramid - the weight would probably break a flat clay or plaster bottom without added reinforcement and weight whereas the cone is a stronger shape while using less material

[@luigiaqua2263]

To dig containers under ground doesn't only keep the goods cool but also stabilize the average temperature, important not only for wine.

[@AurelioApe]

The pointed bottom of the amphorae is so that they can be stowed in the holds of ships. These need ballast to be able to navigate and it is usually sand. Embedding the amphorae in it easily is the origin of their shape. We must not forget that, except in constructed ports, most of the unloading of goods was on beaches, grounding the ship on the sand; during the loading and unloading of amphorae they remained upright on it. For purposes other than maritime transport, the amphorae had a flat bottom. As for the accumulation of remains of discarded amphorae, it is because there was no possibility of reuse, the ships did not return to the producing areas with empty amphorae, they transported other goods to sell or exchange for more amphorae filled with wine or oil. The porosity of the clay allows part of the liquid to evaporate, cooling the liquid it contains; if it is water it is ideal, it is the "botijo" ​​effect that we Spaniards know well. If it contains wine or oil, we do not want to lose any of it; in these cases, the amphora was waterproofed inside with tar, wax, resin, etc. In these cases, it does make sense to bury the vessel to achieve a lower temperature. El fondo picudo de las ánforas es para poderlas estibar en las bodegas de los barcos. Estos necesitan lastre para poder navegar y suele ser arena. Incrustar las ánforas en ella fácilmente es el origen de su forma. No hay que olvidar que, salvo en puertos construidos, la mayoría de los desembarcos de mercancías eran en playas, varando la nave en la arena; durante la carga y descarga de ánforas permanecían de pie en ella. Para otros fines que no fuesen transporte marítimo, las ánforas tenían fondo plano. En cuanto a la acumulación de restos de ánforas desechadas, es porque no había posibilidad de reutilización, los barcos no volvían a las zonas productoras con ánforas vacías, trasportaban otras mercancías que vender o intercambiar por más ánforas llenas de vino o aceite. La porosidad del barro permite que parte del líquido se evapore, enfriando el líquido que contiene; si es agua es lo ideal, es el efecto botijo que los españoles conocemos bien. Si contiene vino o aceite no desearemos perder parte de él, para esos casos el ánfora se impermeabilizaba por dentro, brea, cera, resina, etc. En estos caso sí tiene sentido enterrar la vasija para conseguir una menor temperatura.

[@JS-jh4cy]

Another reason for pointy bottom, is to easily stick it in the sand when you go drinking at an ancient beach party

[@DesertRat1997]

It blew my mind to see small local youtubers featured in this video. Shout out from Tucson, Arizona.

[@BobStrawn]

Time to give out the real reason for the amphora's shape. It is a natural and more sanitary dispenser of fluid. The large ones require two people to operate so it's a bit harder for one person to snitch contents. Put a pad on a table or stand so the amphora doesn't roll off and the top is elevated so it won't just dribble. Now fill pitchers, bowls and glasses by lifting the point. You don't want all that weight in the bottom. The point gives an easy way to lift and dispense the liquid. No heavy lifting, no unsanitary dipping and a much lower chance of making a mistake and lose all the wine or oil.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Sounds like another good application, I haven't read that anywhere I was researching!

[@BobStrawn]

@@ArchaeoLogic They had items with flat bottoms, but for things like oil, you could be using it for a long time and lifting that much every time you needed some would have a lot of issues. Try cleaning up a spill. The shape lends itself to being a dispenser. Olive oil, the real stuff that is rarely found, can be identified by it not going stale after sitting for a year at room temperature. If you think about trying to get a bit for a lamp, treatment of feet or cooking, a jar that big would be a problem. As a commoner, money might only be available after a harvest and since it was an issue to keep safe, investing in a years supply of oil was a good investment. Dispensing from a large container would be an issue and contamination would be a big issue. The amphora's shape solves both of the end users main issues.

[@nothinghere1996]

except a flat bottom container need not be tilted, as a small cup on a stick can also be used. while feasible the reason i think... hmmm... is because of the storage is a problem, unless thats part of the design. Easy to knock off that bottom tip.

[@BobStrawn]

@@nothinghere1996 cup on a stick, or ladles are doable and have been done. With a long drop It is not ideal for serving drinks, and it is an easy way to introduce contamination. We have easy access to hot and cold running water and soap. We can wash ladles a lot easier than they could back then. As far as storage goes, I absolutely agree. The flat bottom allows us to store thing easily. I have used a 5 gallon bottle pump, and tilting bottle rack with a spigot. I prefer the bottle rack that lets you tilt the bottle. The one disadvantage to the stand that lets you tilt the bottle is that the lees (solids in the bottom of a wine bottle) get disturbed. This is not always bad though. The lees from a well made port or mead can be quite wonderful. When you have a design like the amphora, but you also have examples of large bottles with bottoms you have to consider that there must be a reason for that shape to be preferred. I don't know the process used, so I can't be sure, but turning a longer vessel like the amphora doesn't seem easier. So while I can't judge on the ease of manufacture I have to look at the appeal to the end user. If I were a purchaser back then, and the contents and price were equal, I would immediately choose the one in the amphora over the one in the flat bottomed bottle. Today, I might choose differently, but honestly I would love to have a 5 gallon glass amphora to try brewing in. :)

[@nothinghere1996]

@@BobStrawn I hear you absolutely. Is it perhaps to trap the lease? from an engineering perspective, what a nightmare. so as a producer, i would not want to loose stock because of broken bottles, so the reason would never d to be extra special. very interesting though. Did you see the mystery of the roman device 8 sided with holes through it and nobbly bits. someone solved that, it's to make chains.

[@staceygruver1969]

I learned about the simple design, shape, and fabrication of these containers as a way to not only pack, ship, and store them without breaking these clays containers. They have the narrow curved bottom to neatly and securely transport them great distances without breaking by having narrow homes in rows and stacks that are just wide enough to fit up to the half way point on them so they don’t rock and roll around and bump into each other, thereby losing half or more for a long lifetime of use. The boards have uniformly positioned distances between each container that allows a minimum amount of natural movement while securely holding the, in place enough to prevent slipping through, being tossed out of their storage bins, while ensuring you offload and transport a set length of them without having to individually packed, move, unload, and store each container and also having a unique shape of the point or design along the length to easily recognize their contents without opening to the air or allowing water to seep in.

[@pramodranjanikar1654]

One more reason could be to aid in pouring, it can act as grip for controlled pouring. Specially for mid sized and large sized vases filled with liquid, it is not easy to turn them like a coke bottle, if the bottom is flat. A tapered bottm is an easy grip.

[@marcusmoonstein242]

Even today home brewers often use a fermentation vessel with a conical bottom because it contains sediment much better than a flat-bottomed vessel.

[@oleopathic]

Civil engineer, here. I enjoyed this analysis. Thank you.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Thank you! 🙏

[@layoutinspector5239]

Most transport on land would be by foot. With some rope or strapping, it might be possible to wear the amphora like a backpack. The point fits in a ring of rope or square knot, this would support the load at a balanced point when walking. The contour looks like it can fit along the small of the back, rope could pass around the amphora neck and through the handles to stabilize the load. The handles would prevent the rope from slipping over the top of the amphora. Ropes or straps would then loop over the shoulders and connect top to bottom like a backpack. The pointed bottom staying out of the way of swinging legs while walking. Alternately, the amphora could be worn across the back diagonally with one rope or strap slung over the shoulder. I think it’s probably also easy to carry “bear hug” style for short distances. Compared to a large bottom vessel, this would be easier to more comfortably get one’s arms around in a way that would reduce fatigue.

[@franglais-riders]

As a child I used to go to Spain ( Spanish parents) every summer in the 70s and 80s. My mother village back early 70s the house had no running water. Most houses didn’t. I remember a guy with a donkey pulling a huge water container. He would shout “Agua” (water) and people in the street would come out to buy water. Drinking water was kept in few big amphoras with round bottom, Roman style. To keep them up there was a wood plank with holes in the hallway of the houses. Wood frame had one hole per amphora. Water was decanted in what we called à “botijo” ( à drinking jug). All made of clay I think? The outside of the amphoras and Botijo were always wet so it kept the water cool even in the summer heat. Remarkable that such an ancient design was still used successfully few decades ago.

[@markmoreno7295]

Clearly there are some commentors who didn't buy the theory given. Certainly any archeological evidence of wooden racks with holes in them would favor this explanation. As a former potter, the shape is not necessarily easier to throw. The ability to stack them, one resting on another in a slanted position, also lends credibility to their shape. But i would argue that an amphorae corked and mostly filled (except for a small of air) with wine can be fitted with floats, either one for each handle, or a donut cork fitted round its middle, and floated down a canal or a river like a train, keeping the contents cool and making transport easy, until arriving at port. The Nile is long but not the only river feeding the Mediterraneum.

[@cattymajiv]

Sounds pretty improbable to me, but then, who am I to say?

[@gordtemple764]

Like a log boom, so to speak, of wine and such.

[@tux_duh]

A potter in the comments said that wide flat bottomed vases usually crack in the kiln and the pointed shape would be less likely to crack when firing and be able to keep yeast settled at the bottom

[@RasheedKhan-he6xx]

May I ask a question? These were cheap, evidenced by the fact they were simply smashed after use. This means they were probablyt jsut made of ordinary / low grade clay and not something exotic or heavily reinforced. Yet if they could carry 40 - 90 kilos of liquid or grain, how were they so strong? Why didn't they crack open from the pressure? Indeed, how could simple earthen handles be strong enough to allow such weight to be lifted and presumably jolted around and so forth?

[@markmoreno7295]

@@RasheedKhan-he6xx as a former potter, I wondered the same. And yes, there are low-grade clays and low grade ceramic items made. Mexican cups come to mind. But there are higher grades of clay too. I made a cup from a clay called “stoneware” that despite my not-very-good design has held up very well. I expected the handle to break off long ago, but I use it daily. Nevertheless, it would definitely break if I tossed it to the floor of my kitchen. The strength of ceramic pots or amphorae depends on the clay used, the skill of the potter, and the firing dynamics. Clearly the combination used in ancient times was “good enough” for the intended task. Those potters who made “good” amphorae must have out-sold those potters who didn’t. No way would I get in the ceramic business today because I do not trust my skill against the hordes of competition which is currently out there. My grand daughter is one of them.

[@SunriseLAW]

There were also very large versions called "pithos" that often had a flattened point.

[@puerquitoDeSatanas]

I was wondering why amphoras where pointy and your explanation totally makes sense! Transportation on ships!!! Awesome stuff

[@dianemoril7612]

2:50 why they are pointy....

[@manubishe]

Late night very thanks

[@ReyneArturiaPenededragon]

If you put the amphora in sand and wet the sand, this water will evaporate, lowering the temperature of the sand. If the room where the amphorae are has a chimney and a low air inlet, a chimney effect would be created, causing the air to circulate, constantly extracting the humidity, lowering the temperature even more. If you leave it well wet at night, it is possible that the water in the sand will cool even more, even freeze on cold nights and this will keep the wine, water, milk and food in the amphorae cold.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

However the subsurface temperature stays more consistent and wouldn't drop to freezing temperatures as shown on the graphs measuring subsurface temperatures. I've never frozen wine so not sure how that turns out, but you definitely wouldn't want this happening with olive oil as it turns to a near butter like consistency when frozen, I know that because that's what I use on my bread instead of butter 😝

[@mockfish]

Flat bottom containers can be package easily and provide more volume and they won't shift as readily during transport. Packing them in crates with padding or straw makes more sense than complicated racks and wooden contraptions to fit the shape. But since you don't have a forklift, crates are impractical. Enter the amphora. They're just easier to carry by hand by a single individual. Grab a big handle up top with your left hand, tip it forward and grab the 'handle' at the bottom and pick it up easily and with a better grip than a flat edged bottom. A long line of workers can just carry them in or out one at a time and stack them quickly and easily. Add a handle to each end of cylinder plus a spout at one end and you have amphora. A hundred people, slaves maybe, could load a ship in no time. Rolling them on the tip would only make sense for something gigantic. Smaller vessels would take too long to roll when carrying them would be easier. Besides, you would see the wear on them commonly and it would be noted. I'm sure it occurred but only as a point of lazy convenience rather than intent. Burying them in the ground for cooling only makes sense for large volume, long term storage. Digging up and burying millions of these over and over again would be pointless simply on the basis of how disposable they appear to be.

[@MrRoadWorrier]

As a childhood reader of Asterix comics, I thank you! And always remember to "Drinka jara wina day!"

[@davidpower2406]

Being a sailor and knowing the recorder of wrecks around the Balearic islands, long since dead, I tend to believe his explantation that the shape was for convection of the liquids contained to preserve them longer and the pointed end was because they were stowed on a sand bed in the bottom of the boat.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Adding lots of sand to the bottom of a ship would add so much weight, but maybe something like that, most museums with them show them in wooden racks like shown in the video which seems to make more sense as many filled amphorae would be really heavy cargo anyway

[@BidwellRunner]

Jomon pottery from Japan often featured pointed bottoms as well. I have heard this described as because a) stability in soft ground: such as by a river bank if you were filling them with water b) suspension over fires: they could be suspended via a tripod or similar structure without as much risk of tipping over. The shape may have helped the fire boil the contents more evenly. c) ease of manufacture: since these were made by hand it was easy to just taper them to a point

[@casperdowlen625]

As a Sommelier I knew some of this. But the theory proposed is fascinating. Our ancestors were geniuses. They understood wine.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Yes ancient cultures were so smart, probably just as clever as we are with the tools and knowledge they had at the time!

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

@@ArchaeoLogic Learning is a long, slow, incremental process . . .

[@lowrads3653]

It's cheaper to dig a hole than build a shelf or a floor. Likewise, a pointy tip is less likely to break when pulled out of the ground after sitting for a long time, especially after a flood. Whenever I think of corded ware, it occurs to me that cordage would be pretty helpful to avoid damage to ceramics.

[@propman3523]

I've always been curious. Thanks so much.

[@saraxdouglas8577]

Some of the best archeology info I have even gotten.💙☮️🙏🇺🇸

[@h8uall66]

They're designed like that because they were primarily intended for use in shipping. You could stack them on their sides without fear of them breaking AND without a sudden shift on the boat causing the cavitation effect to shatter the bottom as would be the case if the bottoms were flat.

[@beaker_guy]

Let me toss out the theory: one additional reason for the shape MIGHT simply be to make it undesirable and difficult to steal one. If an individual (or even a pair of people) were trying to carry one off, you couldn't simply and easily set it down when you got tired, it would tip over. So, at the very least, you need a bit of "infrastructure investment" if you're going to try to steal wine or olive oil. (Not sure that that, umm "holds much water" (as it were), but it might have been a minor consideration. :-) )

[@lenny108]

Nicely done video. In India, they have water jars made of clay. When the water evaporates on the outside, it draws the heat from the inside and cools the water inside.

[@thizsesta8794]

I made myself a few when I lived and worked in the desert for many years I made leather strapping carried it around, and it was my water bottle, my friend thought I was nuts but I always had cold water. Did drop it a few times and it didn’t break.

[@Will-sq3ip]

I studied Ancient Greece and some Ancient Rome and I never thought about that. Last I remember it’s they are more practical when transporting.

[@catatonicbug7522]

Something not mentioned was the ancient ice houses in the Middle East, in which I can be made without electricity. With the right technique, a bit of underground space is very effective at keeping things cold.

[@LA6NPA]

Half buried theory is probably very likely. Now, any shape can be buried with little issue, but the slender, pointy shape of the amphora has more surface for the volume of liquid inside, and it reaches deeper than any other shape. But one thing you didn't mention, is the fact that the shape makes it easier to pull out of the ground! And you did mention carrying, but you didn't mention how much easier the shape makes it for two people to carry one in tight spaces, as they can get a lot closer to eachother than with, say, a spherical container. Also, like the sloped armor of a tank, the spike is by far the thickest part of the container (from the point to the inside), while adding very little mass, making the amphora a lot more sturdy in accidents, provided you drop it straight down and not in it's side!

[@zikmiak1792]

I once made a clay flower vase with flat bottom, it always catches mold as water will soak the bottom. If you make stand with legs the humidity can go with wind.

[@Palemagpie]

Another reason. Id assume for the pointed base is the firing process right? Trapped air. Like under a flat base would crack the ceramic as it heats. Especially a factor if you make a flat base because of the shape you cant really adjust or flatten air bubbles out from the inside. But if you form your vessel by wrapping it around a point. You can smooth it downwards to force any air bubbles out.

[@rq7179]

If you have a cone shaped base you could possibly have a bit of size deviation on a holder. One amphorae being a little narrower when placed in a hole still fits eventually, just going a bit deeper.

[@HrRezpatex]

When i used to go to festivals, we used something similar to keep the beer cool. We buried boxes of beer in the ground, and then we put some wet newspaper over it, that made it much colder then above the ground.

[@deannahopper8512]

I’ve been wondering about those pointy bottoms for years. Thanks!

[@aprilrains9921]

really interesting and answer a questions that has perplexed me.

[@JosephKeenanisme]

Think you're more in touch with the multiple aspect of the shape. Not just the cooling effect, the shipping factor, or the sediment filtering but the combination of several of those kinds of factors. The ancient people lacked the technology we have but they weren't stupid, they did the best with what they had.

[@YouTubeIsRunByMarxists]

I am so glad to have an answer. I have long wondered about this very thing.

[@budd2nd]

Thanks for your thoughts, that was an interesting video. I have also wondered if the shape was to stop them getting knocked over. If you have the base buried in the ground, it is impossible to knock it over. We are so used to having multiple beautifully flat surfaces now, but this probably was an extreme rarity thousands of years ago. So it was just more practical to store them half buried.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

That's another good point you may have, less chance of spillage in your home if they were stuck in the ground, good one! 😁

[@occamraiser]

stop and think what you're saying. 'bury them in the ground because of their shape is a reason for burying them, NOT a justification for their shape. And avoiding 'knocking over' can be achieved by burying ANYTHING no matter what shape so it does not give a reason for the shape. NOTHING in this video illuminates the reason for the shape of amphora. Personally I think it was a more robust shape for firing so easier for early potters - and then just became the default shape for storage vessels - but I have no more proof of this conjecture than the authour of this video for all of his.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

As a potter, I can't say that I see why this pointy shape would be any better for firing than a flat-bottomed shape? Indeed, the shape seems sort of inconvenient for the potter, since it would have to be made upside down on the wheel, and then closed at the top, besides which, some of them are so large and deep that it would take more than a human's arm-length to reach down inside of it. They would have to use a long reaching tool (impractical) or else make the top and bottom half separately, and then join them by slip-and-scoring (time-consuming). Altogether a puzzling shape, from my perspective. Maybe I'll try to make one and see if I gain any insights...

[@budd2nd]

@@itzakpoelzig330 oh if you do make an experimental one, please come back and let me know what your results were 🙏

[@docwatson1134]

When soil conditions permit, a hole is a good, affordable solution, to rest the amphora into. And some natural soft materials to protect the amphora from breaking on a sharp rock. I think harvesting of straight branches, to build racks, to lean the amphora into was also an industry of the time. Especially in commercial establishments.

[@victor-manuelibanez9993]

One doesn't need to put the jars in the ground to cool it down. Having liquid in a clay pot and left in a corner will do it. As many places in Spain used to do it with a porron. Furthermore, the shape was developed to ease the pouring out the drink into a container. I've witnessed nomads in upper egypt with a wooden frame with a lever to lift the thin end to aid the pouring out. All suspended on ropes. If you need a sketch I'll gladly do one for you. Furthermore, the large pots of fermenting wine still used in Georgia in the ground, is to keep the temperature consistently at the same level and not to cool it.

[@yayagazab4449]

I always thought amphorae were coated on the inside with silver because of the metals’ anti-microbial properties.

[@owloko1349]

Absolutly love the Andy Ward's shout out, the man is a legend in pottery

[@foamslinger2787]

my eyes bugged out of my head when you showed the size of the dump and the shipwreck

[@Faesharlyn]

4:36 this is exactly why I thought they were pointy.. they would've been super easy to sink into wet sand to cool!

[@alexanderchang4597]

Maybe it's pointy so they can stack and act as another amphora's lid? or maybe it's better for decanting?

[@lemmypop1300]

I imagine they were also a lot easier to pour out of. Think about it: those large ones were pretty unwieldy, so the couple of guys could hold them by the handles, and the third one could lift the bottom holding a narrow bit. I'd imagine they probably used ladles to scoop the liquid, but sometimes you need to pour quickly. Plus all of the things everyone else mentioned in the comments; they were fantastically designed vessels.

[@ryhol5417]

Probably makes storage and shipping safer and easier. Could have a bank of holes where underneath is sand to stabilize them. That way the floor doesn’t need to be flat

[@Chaos_God_of_Fate]

I figured they just didn't have the 'flat bottom' tech branch opened yet. This is the shape of the freezers (on a larger scale) used to make ice in the middle of the desert long ago and as mentioned it collects the dregs that most folks don't want to drink, so it's a bit of a filter.

[@pirobot668beta]

Amphora and a length of rope. Rope passes downward through one of the upper 'handles', encircles the pointy base (secured by a knot or a ring) and then passes upward through the other 'handle'. The ends of the rope are then tied to a suitable support...pegs on the wall, rafter, saddle-horn, etc. The reason we aint finding elegant racks for these things might be they didn't use racks. Signs of abrasion along the path of such a hypothetical rope would be good evidence.

[@bobhotchkiss2438]

Ding, Ding, Ding. Have you ever seen one made with handles that you thought would have safely supported the weight of the contents and the pot? They rarely look big enough to get more than a couple fingers though. But the pointed bottom makes it trivial to create a rope sling to support it from the very bottom in just a few seconds. It's basically the same thing as modern furniture moving straps.

[@michelhedley1805]

They are easy to fill - self-filling if being used to fill liquid in a tank or large vat. Here’s how it works. An empty amphora is placed in the tank. Initially the amphora lies on its side but the mouth is under the surface due to it weight and so the liquid enters the amphora. As it fills up the amphora tips to the vertical. Then, as there are ropes through the handles, the now mostly filled amphora is lifted from the tank. QED

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Could be that does make some sense!

[@jsEMCsquared]

Another reason to make the bottom pointed is to collect the yeast for a future fermentation.

[@keithklassen5320]

Isn't the yeast dead, at that point?

[@jsEMCsquared]

@keithklassen5320 all you need is a little. There is always a few alive yeast critters leftover after fermentation

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Might be useful for collecting the sediment - which most drinkers don’t want in their wine!

[@ActualLiteralKyle]

I’m super annoyed this was well researched, presented and a lot of fun to listen to AND he brought the goods promised. SUBBED!!!

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Haha thank you 🤣

[@BIG-DIPPER-56]

Very interesting - I've often wondered about that oddly shaped bottom. Thanks so Much! 😎👍

[@brucedunncanada]

If a ladle is used to remove liquid from a container, there is always liquid left behind as the ladle can't be filled once the depth of the remaining liquid is less than the depth of the bowl of the ladle. Amphorae with narrow bottoms just wide enough for a ladle would minimize the volume of lost liquid.

[@kellymoses8566]

Making 53 million clay pots back then would be like making 53 trillion now. Truly incredible.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Yes it's quite incredible!

[@philipethier9136]

It was originally Pandora's Jar. It didn't get recorded as Pandora's Box until the 1600s.

[@johnhough7738]

Interesting and refreshingly well narrated; thank you.

[@MegaLivingIt]

Fascinating thanks always wondered! Wish you could identify some of these wonderful museum places you show! 🌿

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Ah yes sorry I wish I listed the museums, the one is the "Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology" which is fascinating!

[@morepork559]

In the same way that an egg is stronger for being oval, a pointed or oval amphora will survive a shock to its base much better than a flat bottomed vessel. It's the same reason why wine bottles are indented at their bases. Amphorae would have been stored at a table in a wooden base right next to the mugs and glasses cabinet.

[@nebiddle]

Seems from the picture of two men carrying the container, the more narrow bottom gave more space for the legs to walk without bumping it. It was likely a balance and physics based reason. When I am carrying a bottle if I hold it at the narrow top the contents slosh a lot. If I tip it upside down with spout at the bottom the liquid stays still.

[@user-yt9bl1qo9l]

Id like to build upon this, I've seen a bunch of archaeology shows where they dig up midden pits. The hosts have described how many pits appear to have been dug for a practical purpose and used for a while before being filled in with garbage once it was no longer useful (wells, pantries, grain storage,etc). Not all of the original uses of the many midden pits were known, and considering the many pits discovered that have pots of coins or whole pots with unknown contents, the amphora hypothesis does fit in to that concept. It would make sense for pits that were dug inside iof a settlement.

[@jimroberts3651]

There was no technique for glazing the inside of an amphora so wine or oil would soak in. That meant it couldn't be reused - an early example of non-recyclable packaging.

[@occamraiser]

Very valid point with respect to some liquids, although reuse of a wine amphora for carrying/holding water wouldn't have been problematic.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

I'm not so sure about that. Wooden barrels are still used in wine making, and the insides are untreated (except sometimes with smoke), so the wine soaks in. Those barrels get reused many times, and the older, more used ones are considered superior. As for the oil, unless it went rancid, there's no reason not to use an old amphora for new oil, and olive oil is pretty resistant to rancidity, especially if you keep it away from sunlight, as a terra cotta vessel would. Even rancid olive oil was kept and used in those days though, just not for consumption. But people cleaned their bodies with olive oil and a strigil, for which rancid oil would be perfectly fine. I think the reason that people treated amphorae so cavalierly is simply because they were so numerous. Just like no one today is overly precious about their terra cotta plant pots, you know?

[@docwatson1134]

Another consideration is transportation, hauling a "dirty" amphora all the way back to vineyards or olive orchards might not be worth it. As a person walking there, carrying it, is the most likely scenario. I'm sure they did get used, again and again, to store water for animals, and such. Probably got broken by accident fairly often too.

[@sillybollox2244]

@jimroberts3651 Sometimes amphorae were sealed with pine resin, which flavoured the wine and resulted in the popular taste for Greek 'retsina'.

[@nathangamble125]

Why wouldn't they reuse a wine amphora for ageing a different wine? It surely could have been done, though might not have been worth the effort.

[@MargaretStivers]

Thanks, I've wondered this for years.

[@PikkaBird]

3:34 You hear that, orange juice vendors!?

[@ArchaeoLogic]

Yes for people who like smooth orange juice, I like my orange juice with bits though, so some drinkable liquids are definitely a preference! 😝

[@justindonie]

Just a thought. What we saw was measuring the air temperature below ground, suggesting that the temperature of AIR below ground was the key factor in cooling liquid in amphora. Yet, an amphora filled with liquid could and most probably would be buried in soil, not placed in an open space, thus, it would have "soil in contact with terra cotta in contact with liquid", not "underground air in contact with terra cotta in contact with liquid". The images shared showed amphora buried in soil. I suspect if you placed 2 amphora filled with liquid 10 feet below ground, one buried in soil and one resting in an underground open space, the temperature of the liquid buried in earth would be considerably cooler. So the temperature difference between ambient air above ground and the temperature of earth 10' below ground level would seem to be the key comparison.

[@terrycuyler5659]

The base was pointed so the lees (dead yeast) could accumulate at the bottom and allow the wine to be clear or clearer.

[@slick4401]

North of Alicante, Spain, there is a mountain town (I forget its name) and near it there is a small natural cave that goes about four meters into the solid rock on the north side of a hill. The sun never shines there (no pun intended) and the inside of the cave is always very cool. I visited it twice, once in the middle of summer. It was strange to walk from the hot air outside into that decidedly cold chamber. The temperature difference was many degrees.

[@MayYourGodGoWithYou]

This shape was still in use in the 1800thC only made in glass and holding olive oil. I had a ?x great grandmother who worked up at the big house and was given 2 empty olive oil amphorae. Took some searching to find out what they were - they had just been handed dopwn in the family for years - but the V&A were able to help me and give a possible date. They now sit on my brother's shelf in their lovely little black metal stands to keep them upright. No idea how much they are worth but they're about 300 years old at this stage.

[@BooksForever]

A key notion, if you’ve ever tried digging and cleaning out a hole, the biggest challenge is to square out the base for a flat bottom. A natural taper toward a deepest center is significantly easier to produce.

[@brazilchem]

I strongly believe the pointy end is due to manufacturing cost exclusively. As a potter said below, the amphora must be delivered fired and intact. Pointy will survive firing and non pointy will crack more easily. Therefore pointy is cheaper than flat and since it was packaging, the cheapest option is always preferred. To further prove the point 1. flat were decorated and kept whereas pointy were thrown away; 2. nothing to do with wine or olive sediment or fermentation purposes as everything, every liquid, was transported.

[@ArchaeoLogic]

True many liquids and grains were transported in amphorae, but modern science shows us it also aids in the fermentation process, and as most amphorae were known to be used for wine, it may have been a reason for the design, also the sediment collection for olive oil and other liquids with suspended particles

[@brazilchem]

@@ArchaeoLogic 1. Fermentation occurs in whatever shape and the pointy shape aids fermentation in absolutely nothing. 2. These were only transport amphoras, no fermentation ocurred in there. Invalid point. 3. Sedimentation/decantation occurs when the fermentation stops. After a sea trip and and a delivery even the pointiest amphoras would have to rest some days so that their content decant again, invalid point again. 4. Even more, there isn't any sediment collection device at the bottom of the amphora, turning that sedimentation hypothesis even more invalid. 5. I am a specialist in fermentation and clarification of liquids and joined to the information of a potter below, I am confident to say that the 53 millions discarded amphoras hill of the video somehow proves that COST was the ONLY matter.

[@danielnelson6971]

One could hypothesize as well that with their pointed bases, if they were held in some type of a mount, either in the ground or in a racking system through some type of hole, they might be less likely to tip over during an earthquake

[@ClimateScepticSceptic-ub2rg]

Ease of manufacture and strength would accoount for the shape.

[@miroslavzikic]

Finally someone thought of the same thing I have. I always thought it was for sticking it in the ground for cooling. But I also like the explanation about collecting residue on the bottom, it makes sense. The rest of explanations are not as satisfactory as these two, in my opinion.