Roman Lucerna 1, S. Cucufate, Portugal

Clay lamp (lucerna) from roman villa of S. Cucufate, Alentejo, Portugal. High Roman Empire (2nd century AD to 3rd century AD). Lamps fueled with olive oil and other vegetable oils were very common in the Roman world to provide artificial light. This specimen has wide rim decorated with pearls and separated from the disc by a frame of two circular lines. On the disk, vegetal decoration and, in the left field, the feeding hole. The specimen presents 4,2 cm in height and 8 cm in long. Currently it is exposed in the permanent exhibition of the museum of S. Cucufate (Vila de Frades, Vidigueira). Catalog No. CUC. 81 1309.