General Information

Gerasa “JUTZ” lamps are a locally manufactured mold-made version of the common Late Roman round lamp. “JUTZ” stands for Jerash Upper Temple of Zeus, in whose excavation contexts huge numbers of this type were found, although many also come from contemporary stratified deposits elsewhere in the city (Ostrasz and Kehrberg-Ostrasz 2020, p. 361). Gerasa JUTZ lamps share with other Late Roman round lamps a low, round body, wide filling hole surrounded by a sloping inner rim, a narrow shoulder adorned with rather simple stamped or impressed decoration, short round wick opening, and a round lug handle.

JUTZ lamps differ from the slightly later Gerasa Late Roman “HIPPO” lamps in both technical and stylistic ways. On JUTZ lamps, potters first attached the upper and lower bodies together, and then affixed the handle across the join (see, e.g., Ostrasz and Kehrberg-Ostrasz 2020, Fig. 193, no. 22 = JZ216). The lug handle itself is fairly large in proportion to the body, and carries two narrow vertical incisions.

The shoulder decoration of JUTZ lamps is generally clear but often irregularly applied, indicating that it was impressed or stamped after the two body parts were joined.

Jerash/Gerasa (Jordan/Northern Highlands)