The packaging technology and science of ancient transport amphoras

Commercial transport amphoras are large ceramic vessels that were used from 1500 BC to 500 AD to ship wine and other products throughout the Mediterranean. The most large-scale use was to serve the ancient Greek and Roman empires. Although their form is much different from our own packages, the shape and design were clearly the result of the same reasoning that we use to design successful packaging today. They were designed to be economical to produce and ship. The unusual shapes, and especially the pointed base, facilitated handling, storage, transport and use in logistical systems that were very differently shaped from those that we use today. This paper investigates amphoras as packaging system from a functional approach. It describes their protective physical properties, manufacturing process and industry structure, logistical and marketing advantages, and illustrates the value of such packaging artifacts in documenting the history of trade.