Roman Clay Lamp, Cucufate, Portugal

Clay lamp (lucerna) from roman villa of S. Cucufate, Alentejo, Portugal. Late Roman Empire (3rd century AD to 4th century AD). Lamp was fueled with olive oil and other vegetable oils that were very common in the Roman world to provide artificial light. This specimen has a shoulder decorated with 4 coarse applications, separated from the disk by a line and has a concave disc with center filling-hole. The small specimen presents 3.5 cm in height and 5.2 cm in long. Currently it is showcased in the permanent exhibition of the museum of S. Cucufate (Vila de Frades, Vidigueira). Catalog No. CUC 84 6723.