Firmalampen were first produced in Northern Italy and slowly diffused into the Northern Roman Empire. Eventually areas such as Gaul, Britain and Germany were producing their own local wares, rather than importing. Loeschcke type IX a or Buchi type XI-a lamps like these are amongst the most widely discovered oil lamp in the UK. Developed in Northern Italy, their influence and use spread across the Northern Provinces of the Roman Empire.
With their plain, austere format, their utilitarian nature was vastly different from their richly decorated predecessors. Factory lamps were also significantly more robust than their richly decorated counterparts. The flattened base and levelled discus allowed them to be stacked for easy transportation, and their nozzle walls were substantially thicker. Such features made the Firmalampen a perfect candidate for use as a military lamp by soldiers living in the Northern provinces of then recently-occupied territories.
To discover more about oil lamps in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: Lighting The Way.
