This style of amphora, often referred to as 'bag-shaped' globular amphora, was produced in Palestine and Egypt throughout the Roman and Byzantine periods, and seems to have been associated with fine wines. There is a great amount of variation both in shape and fabric over the years and according to the production region. It has been recorded all around the Eastern Mediterranean in fairly large quantities from the 1st century CE to the early decades of the 8th century CE. Paul Reynolds notes that the “LRA 5 was a constant and major import at Carthage and Rome throughout the 5^th century CE, but notably not imported into Gaul and eastern Spain until the late 5^th and 6^th centuries, and then only in relatively small numbers” (2005: 573).

Reynolds records another type of LRA 5 from Beirut in early 5th century contexts with “a fairly fine red fabric with moderate line spalling and reduced surfaces with painted decoration, a ‘classic’ tall collar rim, and a ridge on the lower neck” (2005: 574). Meanwhile, there occurs “occasionally in 6^th century contexts a thick-walled version of LRA 5 in a dense brown fabric akin to that of the Gaza LRA 4. Some fine to coarse sandy, often lime-rich, pale orange-brown examples, sometimes decorated with painted red bands, are very probably Caesarea products” (Reynolds, 2005: 574).

AE 5/6; Egloff 186, 188–190; Palestinian Bag-shaped, Peacock & Williams 46; Pieri types 1–5; Zemer 54–56 

Birsama (Israel/Negev)

Ma'agan Mikhael B Shipwreck (Israel/Carmel coastal plain)