General Information

Late Roman Amphora 1 (LRA 1) is the most commonly found transport amphora in Late Roman-Byzantine contexts in the Mediterranean world (Williams 2005; Pieri 2012: 29). The form was a long-lived (4–8th century C.E.) family of medium sized transport vessels ranging from 50 to 58 cm in height and 30 to 31 cm in length (Reynolds 2014). LRA1s are one of seven types of transport amphora (Late Roman Amphora 1–7) which are defined by their standardized shapes and sizes, and frequent appearance alongside each other. LRA1s have been found throughout the Roman world including the British Isles; along the Mediterranean coasts of southern Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia; and Black Sea region; and even on the Indian subcontinent far outside the context of Mediterranean maritime trade (Bezeczky 2013: 159). This vast presence of LRA 1 indicates an expansive trade network which connected many parts of the late Roman and early Byzantine worlds. LRA 1 are an important proxy for these intangible social and economic connections (Karagiorgou 2009: 37).

LRA1 amphoras were made in many production centers in the eastern Mediterranean, including islands in the Aegean like Rhodes and Kos, western Anatolia, the Cilician coast, Cyprus, and potentially northern Syria and central Israel (Empereur and Picon 1989; Karagiorgou 2009: 41; Bezeczky 2013: 159; Diamanti et al. 2014; Reynolds 2014; Gillett 2023). The adherence to a clear volumetric system in LRA1 shapes and the multitude of production centers indicates a set of established standards for vessels used in trade during this period. Standard shapes and sizes across multiple points of origin would make the transport, taxation, and selling of goods an easier undertaking. The high degree of uniformity found in LRA1 and other Late Roman Amphora types indicates a close cultural or administrative connection between the regions of production (Karagiorgou 2009: 41). Therefore, it is thought that the LRA1 was tied to the annona and the annona militaris, the state-level tax in kind and redistribution of staple foodstuffs like wine and grain for both citizens and soldiers (Rostovtzeff 1957: 158–163; McCormick 2001: 85–86; Rauh, Autret and Lund 2013: 164). That is not to say that the amphora type was only affiliated with the imperial system; the LRA1 was also widely circulated in non-state commercial trade. The volume of trade to areas completely outside of the Byzantine Empire, in addition to the evidence for local LRA1 production unintended for export both show that this container was co-opted for various commercial activities.

Some LRA1s from Cyprus, Marseille, and aboard the Yassi Ada wreck were found coated on the inside with impermeable pitch (Reynolds 2014). This evidence highlights the fact that many LRA1 vessels were optimized for liquid contents rather than dry goods (Van Alfen 1996: 209; Pieri 2005: 612). Whether they were primarily designated for wine or olive oil remains a debate amongst some scholars, but the ambiguity of evidence is itself a clue that is frequently overlooked. The overall LRA1 tradition is best defined as a general use maritime container, unlike the specialized amphoras of the Hellenistic and Roman periods (Van Alfen 1996: 209). However, it is also evident that the LRA1s of specific manufacturing centers sometimes had a designated purpose, such as the demonstrated connection between wine traders and the LRA1 form at Elaiussa (Iacomi 2010). Furthermore, it may be that the amphora was assigned a specific use/cargo on a local-regional basis.

The multi-purpose functionality of the amphora likely contributed to the widespread phenomenon of small-scale imitation and various secondary uses and recycling of the container in local and regional economic networks. For example, an LRA1 found on a shipwreck off the Israeli coast contained grape or raisin seeds, further highlighting the commonplace usage as a wine container (Creisher et al. 2019: 108). Another vessel found on the coast of North Africa had traces of olive oil residue (Williams 2005: 161), and painted dipinti, usually located on the amphora's shoulder, tend to describe olive oil rather than wine as the contents carried (ibid.; Van Alfen 1996: Fig. 15, 208). Some dipinti are even abbreviations for measurements of dry goods, which might suggest that "non-liquid goods like barley and wheat were shipped in them from time to time," though these occurences would've been rare (Leidwanger 2005: 80). There are even rare examples of more unusual secondary uses, such as an infant burial in 5-6th c. Greece (Vasiliou and Tsigarida 2014: 726). This general usage for the generic transport amphora of the period emphasizes the LRA1's place in the transition process from a wide pool of specific-use amphora forms to the later multipurpose Byzantine globular amphora. 

Typology: The LRA nomenclature comes from John Riley and was devised to describe Late Roman period ceramics publish from excavations at site of Carthage, where a huge amount of LRA1s have been found (Karagiorgou 2009: 41). Though the 'LRA1' title has become almost universally used, other typological classifications exist (see Earlier/Alternative Names section). Over the centuries of LRA1 production, potters made significant changes to the overall body shape and size of the ware. All forms of LRA1 have two Ꞁ-shaped handles, a banded rim, and horizontal ridges running across the body. The body is roughly cylindrical to ovoid, sometimes with a ‘cinched’ waist that has a smaller diameter than the upper body. The handles are angled, projecting perpendicularly out from under the rim before sharply turning down (Reynolds 2014; Demesticha 2014: 601–602). The actual size and volume varies within each subtype. The most frequently used typological system was first devised by Dominique Pieri (2005), and has been updated over the years to form the following:

• LRA1 Type A (also LRA 1A; Bezecky's Type A): the earliest iteration of the 'typical' LRA1, Type A is dated from the mid-4th c. to the late 5th-early 6th c. CE. This form has a pear-shaped body, a tall narrow neck (5–7.5 cm, sometimes narrower in the mid-section), grooved handles, a button on the base, and a narrow mouth with a fold rim. There is a good deal of variability within the necks and rims of Type A, but this should be attested to the variety of workshops producing it.


• LRA1 transitional type (Bezecky's Type B): the body of this type is cylindrical, not ovoid, and the handles are thicker and form a right angle. This type is usually assigned to the 5–6th c. In general, LRA1 handles are attached at an obtuse angle during the 4th c. (Type A), but become right angles in the 5th century. Starting in the 5th c., potters begin to widen the mouths of the LRA1. This results in shorter, wider neck walls and a more robust protruding rim around the vessel’s mouth. Note that the cylindrical body does not yet feature the 'pinched' lower half, a classic feature of Type B.


• LRA1 Type B (also LRA 1B): a pinched waist, wider neck (10–12.5 cm), and round base are defining characteristics of LRA1 Type B (Pieri 2005:75). The rim is flares out more than Type A, but the handles remain grooved. This type is dated to the 6–7th c. The center of the neck frequently features a sort of rib or ridge.


• LRA1 Type C: a form unique to the southern Cypriot coast

Production centers: LRA1 vessels were produced at multiple production sites, which means that clay and petrographic descriptions naturally vary. LRA1 fabrics are often characterized as hard and sandy and range in color from pinkish-cream (7.5YR 8/2-4) to reddish-yellow (5YR 7/6) (Reynolds 2014). While LRA1 production decreases after the 7th c., the ware (sometimes referred to as imitations or 'survivals') is still produced in a large amount at least the Aegean, and circulated in the 8th and sometimes into the 9th c. (Poulou-Papadimitriou and Nodarou 2014).

Cilicia Type VI amphora; Peacock and Williams 44; Yassi Ada 1; Agora M333; Keay LIII; British B2; Ballana 6; Egloff 164 and 169; Kuzmanov XIII; Scorpan 8B; Zemer 66; Hayes Type 5 (see, e.g., Reynolds 2005: 565; Bezecky 2013: 158; Demesticha 2014: 600 for more).