Oil lamps were originally called ‘lychnus’, from the Greek ‘λυχνος’, with the oldest Roman lamps dating back to the 3rd century BC. Over time, the manufacture of lamps increased, and so did the variation in decoration, which depended mainly on the shape and size of the lamp. Many oil lamps were decorated with gods and goddesses depicted in animal forms, birds were associated with good luck. Loceschcke type I and Bailey type A lamps are characterised by the circular body and wide voluted nozzles, where many are without handles. These lamps were created during the early Augustan period to the late Flavian period and were first developed in Italy, becoming widely popular across the Roman Empire.
To discover more about oil lamps in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: Lighting The Way.
