The Roman Empire, which reached its peak in the second century CE, stretched from Britain to Arabia and surrounded the Mediterranean. Among the many items which were traded within the empire were small glass bottles and other glass containers. Glass vessels were not only traded throughout the Roman Empire, but they were also luxury items in wealthier Roman households.
In his essay on Roman Glass in The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, David Whitehouse reports:
“The Romans made a greater variety of glass than any other ancient civilization. Glassblowing was discovered in the Roman Empire, and this led to the production of inexpensive objects for daily use.”
Glassblowing was invented in the first century BCE, probably in Syria. Within the Roman Empire, there were two important areas of glass production: Syria on the eastern Mediterranean and Iberia on the western Mediterranean.
With regard to the glassblowing technique, David Whitehouse reports:
“The worker gathers molten glass on the end of a blowpipe, then inflates the gather and shapes it by swinging, rolling on a flat surface, and manipulation with tools.”
The use of molds enabled the glassblower to produce decorated glass vessels as easily as plain ones.
Shown below are some of the glass items from Pompeii. The Oregon Museum of Science and Technology (OMSI) in Portland had a special exhibit on Pompeii which included more than 200 items on loan from the Naples National Archaeological Museum.
More Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome: Sculpture in Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Erotic Images in Pompeii (Photo Diary)
Ancient Rome: Jewelry (Photo Diary)
Ancient Rome: Pompeii's Amphitheater
Ancient Rome: The Houses of Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Death in Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Food in Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Theater in Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Glass Bottles (Photo Diary)