I was wondering about the form of lighting Romans used if they wanted to get around at night.<br>
Flaring torches appear to be popular in movies but were lanterns widely used?<br>
I seem to recall some reference to parts of lanterns being found but have never seen any pictures or diagrams of one. Does anybody know anything about this, or how these lanterns may have been constructed?<br>
<br>
Jackie. <p></p><i></i>
And if we find one I want to figure out how to make one. A lamp needs either oil or a candle, and the Romans did have oil lamps, especially the cheap variety.<br>
<br>
Apparently the knowledge is out there, and I sent Dr. Eckardt an email.<br>
<br>
www.le.ac.uk/ar/staff_he.htm<br>
<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub27.ezboard.com/bromancivtalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=richsc>Richsc</A> at: 5/26/03 6:24:40 am<br></i>
I got the following reply from Dr. Eckardt:<br>
<br>
Dear Mr Campbell<br>
it is always good to see people being interested in Roman lighting equipment. Torches were widely used despite the fire risk but more wealthy Romans would have lanterns as well (or rather slaves carrying lanterns). these are sometime depicted on little oil flasks showing the young slave holding the lantern asleep while waiting for his master. usually only the copper-alloy frame of the lantern survives and this is quite hard to identify so lanterns are not commonly discussed in site reports.<br>
You might find my recent book useful:<br>
Eckardt, H. 2002 Illuminating Roman Britain (Monographies Instrumentum 23).<br>
Montagnac: Editions Monique Mergoil. ISBN 2907303708. Paperback. Price GB<br>
£35.00<br>
This can be ordered from: Editions Monique Mergoil, 12 Rue des Moulins, F 34530<br>
Montagnac.<br>
[email protected] <br>
This looks at lighting equipment from Roman Britain where lamps were very rare compared to the mediterranean and other provinces. It is only in military and large urban centres that lamps are frequently found. Otherwise there are Don Bailey's books on lighting equipment from the British Museum.<br>
Hope this is useful<br>
with best wishes<br>
hella eckardt <p></p><i></i>
Richsc thanks for this - Im amazed that a book about illuminating Roman Britain is by a French publisher<br>
<br>
Seriously thanks for this info <p><img src="http://www.ttforumfriends.com/images/forum/co.gif"/><br>
<br>
<span style="color:red;"><strong>[url=http://pub55.ezboard.com/btalkinghistory" target="top]Talking History Forum[/url]</strong></span></p><i></i>
Rather belated thanks too Rich!<br>
I must admit I was rather surprised to learn that oil lamps were very rare in Britain in non urban or military locations. I was wondering about this.<br>
Could it have been because rural folk (I guess this wouldn't have included the upper classes) were simply less Romanized and this would be reflected in the prevalence of other Roman artefacts too?<br>
Perhaps it was the economic factor? I guess tallow for candles was cheaper and more readily available than oil. <br>
Any ideas welcome!<br>
<br>
Jackie. <p></p><i></i>
a poor mans version of a candle holder can be made out of an amphora base, at the point where the base narrows to a point but is still hollow. A good example can be seen in the verulamium museum.<br>
<br>
Reproducing these depends i suppose on how many old amphorae you have lying around <p></p><i></i>
Amphorae candle holders?<br>
Hmm interesting idea. Maybe we should start another thread on the uses of broken amphorae. I've heard that there is also evidence of them being used as seed trays in Pompeii.<br>
Jackie.<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
broken amphorae were often used for ship ballast, and allegedly also as urinals!!<br>
<br>
nothing to do with the thread i know, but interesting all the same. <p></p><i></i>
You can also get this from David Brown Books, but it's a bit more pricey at $82, and for the paperback too! <p></p><i></i>
Hi all,<br>
I think that the critical factor is the local availability of olive oil. If you have to import it, it will be expensive; the farther the oil source, the more expensive will it be.<br>
Here, in the Basque country (the same in the rest of northern Spain), we're only slightly above the cultivation limit of olive trees and the number of fragments of clay oil lamps decrease dramatically to the north of that line. We could say that it is limited to the few urban centres, like it happens in Britain !<br>
Well, it is clear that a long distance by sea was cheaper than even a short one by road.<br>
<br>
There were, at least in late times other kind of oil lamps, made of glass. They hanged from the ceiling suspended by chains. Some luxury ones were elaborately weel-cut or even weel-carved (the so-called 'diatreta')<br>
<br>
Aitor<br>
<p></p><i></i>
Thanks Aitor. I still have not gotten around to buying that book. Maybe for Christmas!<br>
<br>
I'm not familiar with 'weel cut'..what is that? <p>Legio XX<br>
Caupona Asellinae</p><i></i>
Hi Rich,<br>
Here you have one of those magnificent hanging lamps (it only lacks the bronze ring below the border and the suspension chains)<br>
<img src="http://www.rcs.it/mimu/musei/archeologico/img/archeologico1.jpg" style="border:0;"/><br>
<br>
On a paper inside [url=http://www.n-a-g.freeserve.co.uk/DOCUMENTS/ISS06_FEB99/Issue%2006.htm" target="top]this link[/url] you will find a explanation of the way they were made.<br>
<br>
Of course, there were also plain glass hanging lamps, we've found some Vth century AD fragments in our archaeological site of Iruña.<br>
<br>
Aitor<br>
<p></p><i></i>
Wow. I didn't realize that the oil in oil lamps was olive oil. Was that the only thing used? Could they have used something like animal fat or would that have been better to make into candles or soap? What about a lamp version of Greek Fire?<br>
<br>
And thinking about the armies having lamps, they wouldn't really need lamps at night. Most would either be asleep, near the fires or on watch where a lamp wouldn't be needed. And candles would probably have been easier to carry instead of oil and you don't have to worry about what to do with the empty containers when the oil is used up. I doubt much reading was done in the tents at night so probably only the officers would need lamps at night and would probably use them sparingly.<br>
<br>
Is there any literary evidence in quartermaster's records or commuications between the troops to indicate if they had lamps or in what quantites?<br>
<br>
Deb <p></p><i></i>
The function of the Depeeka 'canteen' is unknown: Water? oil? something else?<br>
If oil, then it would be available for bathing or light, and in about a quart capacity. <p>Legio XX<br>
Caupona Asellinae</p><i></i>
Deb,<br>
Of course, Romans used tallow and beeswax in the form of candles and, the first one, as fuel for open lamps too.<br>
Nevertheless, you can only use olive oil in those almost closed beaked lamps (mainly from clay, but bronze and even glass were used in more expensive exemplars. Some of the bronze lucernae are true works of art, hanging from no less elaborated stands!) called lucernae.<br>
Lucernae and olive oil are marks of being a Roman, just as the public baths (termae) were (BTW, olive oil was also employed in the baths) We must not be surprised to find many lamp fragments in cities and military sites, olive oil dealers knew that there were many potential buyers at those places and willingly established commercial channels, no matter how remote corner of the Empire it was!<br>
Soldiers and city inhabitants had money to spend in many triffle and olive oil for lighting or bathing was not the less important, in their opinion.<br>
<br>
Aitor <p></p><i></i>