Ancient Roman jar riddled with mystery

Now I know what this is, how you may ask, well here you go.

Ancient it is and do I know well you have to come from Italy to understand and what part well the far south to understand that back in the time of my great great grandfather back in the day. They used many different devises to press things with. Like grapes and other fruit to make wines.

Now how do I know this well in a small town in Sicily where my great great grandfather use to live I went there on vacation and I noticed the old grape press that they used and there was this old jar there with holes in it as well.

Did not look the same but they did crush fruit in it and all the juice would run out the sides and bottom.

I'm not saying it is that, but it sure does look like something that could be used for making wine, you know how much Italia likes it's wines.


Just my thought.

sorry no pictures just by memory.

The strawberry idea, - while acceptable on the surface- doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Those holes are too small, unless, much like this

Originally posted by OutonaLimb
People were alot smaller in the old days, ya know!

, the strawberry plants were much smaller too.




However, the octopus/fishing trap, and the dormouse battery sound most feasible.

I could see it being a sort of lamp, you insert the flame at the base and voila lamp.
I could be wrong tho lmao

It was used to HOLD something (octopus, flowers, dormice, candle) and yet it has a hole in the TOP and BOTTOM? How does that make any sense at all?

Perhaps for making flavoured or fragrant oils or other liquids, like soap from soap plants or herb scented wine. So many possibilities.

reply to post by Shane

I'm currently reading through The Greek Myths by Robert Graves, and came across something which may shed light on this mystery.

In ch60, footnote6, he refers to the myth that the Danaids were given leaking waterpots in Hades as a punishment.
Then he explains that this was probably the misunderstanding of a ritual;
"They were performing a necessary charm; sprinkling water on the ground to produce rain showers by sympathetic magic"
So could this be the purpose of this pot? Deliberate water-sprinkling for ritual purposes?
Let me see; sixteen inches, filled with water (if onlybriefly)? You would surely need both hands, but it could probably be done.
If there's anything in this idea, it's a little surprising that the modern scholars did not pick it up.

I have seen more exciting things in my life than a clay jar with holes on the side...

It could be as simple as a storage jar for whatever every-day items, and the holes on the sides simply to see how much is left in the jar.

Another, plausible idea is that it was used sort of like a room deodorizer, holding herbs/spices or fruits giving off a scent. I don't see a mystery here, really.

reply to post by Shane

Further to my last reply a couple of posts back.
I read further into Robert Graves and came across this passage (Greek Myths,ch68, footnote1);
"...a rain-making bronze wagon was kept at Crannon, which in time of drought the people drove over rough ground to shake it...and also to splash about the water from the jars which it contained".

That seems to settle the matter, because it means the weight of the filled jars would not be an issue.
They would have been used in rain-making rituals for the deliberate sprinkling of water upon the ground.

Jar in ancient time serves as urn for cremation.

It's for making cheese, its a form used in bronze/ iron age pottery, I just read about perforated beakers this past week.

The presence of perforated Beaker pottery, traditionally considered to be used for making cheese, at Son Ferrandell-Oleza (Waldren 1998: 95) and at Coval Simó (Coll 2000), confirms the introduction of production and conservation of dairy

en.m.wikipedia.org...

I read a more detailed paper on this form, ill see if I can find it.

I suggest it was used to dry cure meat.

It was probably used for plants. Either the holes were for air, or maby to store something a proper way.

reply to post by Shane


If it is infact roman than my first guess would be that it was used for incense of some sort. The romans were big on burning various herbs and things of that nature during all sorts of ceremonies as well as during senate meetings. Throw some frankincense in there and let it burn. Smoke comes out the holes and fills the room. How it got where it did...idk.