Forma delle anfore e forme del commercio tardoantico: spunti per una riflessione

The massive spread of globular/ovoid amphorae is one of the most notable phenomena in pottery distribution in Late Antique and Early Byzantine Mediterranean. The aim of this work is to develop a brief reflection on this, through a holistic and functional approach, in which amphorae are seen primarily as part of a packaging system. That is to say, containers designed, produced, used and – very frequently – re-used for containing and transporting liquids. The transformation in Late Antiquity of the “traditional” model of production-use-waste asks to re-consider both the overall context of the Mediterranean transport system and the role of roads and mule tracks (with trucks and pack animals) in the spreading of this “new” type of container.