Oil lamps were a popular item in everyday life, practically, they provided light but were also used in sacred areas as votive offerings or placed in burials. The earliest forms of oil lamps consisted of a shallow dish with a wick placed inside. However, this became ill-suited as the oil would spill and there would be a loss of control over the wick. The lamp was developed to have a covered top which was later decorated with designs unlike early Greek lamps which were wheel made and left plain for convenience.
To discover more about oil lamps in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: Lighting The Way.