Blue/Green Glass Bottles from Roman Britain

Square and Other Prismatic Forms

By (author) H.E.M. Cool

Book cover: Blue/Green Glass Bottles from Roman Britain

Extent: 272 pages

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing

Subjects: Classical Studies, Mediterranean Archaeology

Series: Archaeopress Roman Archaeology

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(April 2024)

ISBN: 9781803277431

7.99 x 10.87 inches

Price: $70.00

In stock

Square bottles came into use in the AD 60s and rapidly became the commonest glass vessel form in the empire. For the next two centuries their fragments dominate all glass assemblages. This book presents a classification scheme for the moulded base patterns which allows their chronological development to be reconstructed.


Square bottles came into use in the AD 60s and rapidly became the commonest glass vessel form in the empire. For the next two centuries their fragments dominate all glass assemblages. Hitherto this material has not been exploited to any great extent because there has been no close chronological framework. Blue/Green Glass Bottles from Roman Britain presents a classification scheme for the moulded base patterns which allows their chronological development to be reconstructed. With this it is possible to explore how sizes and capacities changed with time. The British data are set within the context of the bottles from the rest of the western empire, and it can be seen that different provinces favoured different base patterns in a systematic fashion. Previously it has been assumed that base patterns reflect long distance trade of the bottles and their contents. Now it can be seen that the main driving force for the distribution of bottles with similar distinctive base patterns was most probably the movements of military units, and that most bottles were made locally. An investigation of common capacities indicates that these were shared with glass bath flasks and it is proposed that, just as bath flasks were oil containers for hygiene purposes, square bottles became so common because they were the favoured vessel for household oil. The chronological trajectories of square bottles, bath flasks and the Spanish olive oil industry evidenced by Dressel 20 amphoras are identical, but previously unremarked upon.

Acknowledgements Preface Section 1 Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Data Section 2 Chapter 3: Family 1: Square bottle bases with concentric circles Chapter 4: Family 2: Square bottle bases framed by circular mouldings Chapter 5: Family 3: Square bottle bases framed by square mouldings Chapter 6: Family 4: Square bottle bases framed by angle mouldings Chapter 7: Families 5-7: square bottle bases without frames Chapter 8: Hexagonal bottles Chapter 9: Rectangular and octagonal bottles Section 3 Chapter 10: Chronological patterns Chapter 11: Distributions: Geographical and social Chapter 12: The uses they served Chapter 13: Summing up Appendix 1: Base moulds Appendix 2: Mould parallels Appendix 3: Bath flask capacity data Appendix 4: Guide to the Digital files Bibliography Index,

Acknowledgements  

Preface

Section 1

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: The Data

Section 2

Chapter 3: Family 1: Square bottle bases with concentric circles

Chapter 4: Family 2: Square bottle bases framed by circular mouldings

Chapter 5: Family 3: Square bottle bases framed by square mouldings

Chapter 6: Family 4: Square bottle bases framed by angle mouldings

Chapter 7: Families 5-7: square bottle bases without frames

Chapter 8: Hexagonal bottles

Chapter 9: Rectangular and octagonal bottles

Section 3

Chapter 10: Chronological patterns

Chapter 11: Distributions: Geographical and social

Chapter 12: The uses they served

Chapter 13: Summing up

Appendix 1: Base moulds

Appendix 2: Mould parallels

Appendix 3: Bath flask capacity data

Appendix 4: Guide to the Digital files

Bibliography

Index

  • By (author) H.E.M. Cool

‘Square bottles came into use in the AD 60s and rapidly became the commonest glass vessel form in the empire. For the next two centuries their fragments dominate all glass assemblages. Hitherto this material has not been exploited to any great extent because there has been no close chronological framework. This book presents a classification scheme for the moulded base patterns which allows their chronological development to be reconstructed. With this it is possible to explore how sizes and capacities changed with time.’ – Epistula XXVII (2024)

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