Vessel, Pithos, plain white ware
Country
Cyprus
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Object detail
Description
Pithos, plain White VI or VII Ware pithos. Slender torpedo-shaped body with pointed base. Conical shoulder above slight ridge. Short concave-sided neck with flaring out turned rim. Single vertical ring handle, oval in section, attached to upper body. Shallow horizontal ribbing on body. Yellow clay with brownish-yellow surface wash. Heavily encrusted surface. (Webb, Jennifer M., 1997 "Corpus of Cypriote Antiquities", Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology, Vol. XX: p. 11)
Classification
PACKAGES AND CONTAINERS Jar unmarked, multipurpose or unclassified jar
ARCHAEOLOGY Cypriot
ARCHAEOLOGY Cypriot
Production place
Measurements
L455mm x W145mm x D145mm
Media/Materials description
Pottery, yellow clay with brownish-yellow surface wash.
History and use
Large storage containers, called Pithos (a Greek word for storage container) were used throughout the Mediterranean, for the transport, trade and storage of large quantities of fluids and grains. Their unusual pointed base facilitated transport by ship, where pithos were positioned upright in a wooden stand, with rope tying the handles together to prevent movement, especially in rough seas. Large numbers of pithos could be transpoted in this way.
Associated person
Registration number
H671
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