Oil lamps

Uses
Lamps were used by ancient people in a variety of ways,
both indoors and outdoors. They served utilitarian,
ritualistic, and symbolic purposes.
Business owners, such as innkeepers and barkeepers, used
oil lamps to light their businesses as well as the streets
nearby. Noblemen used lamps to light their paths when
they or their guests were out after dark. Soldiers used
them to light forts and military encampments. Fishermen
are believed to have used lamps on their boats when going
on nighttime fishing excursions, and when out to sea,
galleys likely had oil lamps hanging at the stern to indicate
their positions to one another.
In the entertainment sector, lamps were used to light
venues for after-dark sporting events such as gladiator
shows. They were also used for “special effects” at the
theater to indicate when a scene was supposed to be set at
night.
In religious contexts, oil lamps served the simple utilitarian
function of lighting temples and shrines, and they served a
number of ritualistic functions, as well. Many of the
religious practices in ancient Rome involved some form of
ritual sacrifice or offering. Because light was considered a
blessing, oil lamps were frequently dedicated at temples
and shrines as votive offerings. They were also a common
component in burial practices, and lamps were often
buried with the dead in order to light the way into the
afterlife and beyond.

In some cases, oil lamps served as a status symbol.

Wealthy families used and displayed lamps made of metal,
a higher quality material, lamps with intricate or exotic
imagery, and lamps with multiple nozzles which burned
more fuel, making the lamp more costly.
History
Some of the earliest lamps, dating to the Upper Paleolithic,
were stones with depressions in which animal fats were
likely burned as a source of light. Shells, such as conch or
oyster, were also employed as lamps, and even may have
served as the prototype for early lamp forms.
Clay lamps appeared during the Bronze Age around the
16th century BC and were ubiquitous throughout the
Roman Empire. Initially, they took the form of a saucer with
a floating wick.

Soon after, these saucers began to develop a pinched or

folded rim which resulted in a nozzle and served the
purpose of holding the wick in place, thus controlling the
flame as well as the smoke. Lamps with folded rims are
often referred to as “cocked-hat” lamps.
The oil lamp is one of the oldest inventions of mankind,
evidence dating between 15,000 to 12,000 years before Christ. 
At this time civilization, as we identify it, was unknown and
prehistoric man inhabited cave-like environments. One
characteristic prehistoric lamp was found in the cave of
Lasceau, located in the area of Dordonis in France. Discovered
in 1940, this cave was inhabited between 15,000 and 10,000
BC.  Some archaeologists believe that the first oil lamps
appeared as early as 70,000 years before Christ. Most of these
oil lamps were made of stone and burned animal fat. Oil lamps
dating to around 4000 BC have been found in Egypt where they
The oil lamp is one of the oldest inventions of mankind,
were used for centuries, not only for the illumination of the
evidence dating between 15,000 to 12,000 years before Christ. 
home, but also in religious ritual, which was an integral part of
At this time civilization, as we identify it, was unknown and
daily life at the time.
prehistoric man inhabited cave-like environments. One
characteristic prehistoric lamp was found in the cave of
Lasceau, located in the area of Dordonis in France. Discovered
Stone oil lamp found in the Lackeau cave in France. It used animal fat as fuel and
was used to provide light in cave dwellings 15000 years BC in 1940, this cave was inhabited between 15,000 and 10,000
. BC.  Some archaeologists believe that the first oil lamps
appeared as early as 70,000 years before Christ. Most of these
oil lamps were made of stone and burned animal fat. Oil lamps
dating to around 4000 BC have been found in Egypt where they
were used for centuries, not only for the illumination of the
home, but also in religious ritual, which was an integral part of
daily life at the time.
As they evolved, clay lamps became more enclosed,
moving from a pinched nozzle to a bridged nozzle, and
sporting the addition of a rim. These changes aided in
reducing the amount of oil lost through spillage.
Just as the Egyptians, the ancient Greeks also used oil lamps in
death ritual and other religious ceremonies.     For centuries the
oil lamp has served Man in the practical needs of daily life,
remaining a constant reminder of his connection to the
sacred.     The production of oil lamps by pottery wheel began
about 600 BC. , followed by mould production dating from 400-
300 BC. The moulding process resulted in the improvement of
the quality and decoration of the lamps. Throughout history the
form and function of oil lamps has steadily progressed.

The Romans brought the oil lamp to Europe, preserving their

importance in ceremony on the precedent of the ancient
Egyptians and Greeks.
 Lamps also began to show signs of experimentation with
changes in overall body shape and the addition of multiple
nozzles, a handle, and clay slips, a coating that was applied
to the outside of clay lamps during production in an effort
to prevent oil from seeping through the porous clay. These
technological advances have been accredited to the
Greeks, whose lamps were exported all over the
Mediterranean between the sixth and fourth centuries BC
due to their high quality of craftsmanship.

Greek tri-nozzle padlock lamp with black high-gloss slip.

N12872.
Further enclosure of the lamp body by Roman crafters
allowed for more decoration on the discus. They also
developed a channel on the nozzle to draw back any oil
that dripped from the wick. Between the first and second
centuries AD, Italian lamps became the dominant style in
the Roman world.
 Byzantine oil lamps   600-700 years AD
 
In Late Antiquity and through the Byzantine Period, oil lamps
found symbolic use in the Christian religion. The ancient pagan
decorative images on lamps were replaced by the symbol of the
cross. For most of the people around the world, the oil lamp has
historically played an important role in society. One need only
recall the charming Arabic tale of Aladdin, whose ‘magic’ lamp
gained fame around the world.   As a historical artefact, the oil
lamp has persisted from ancient times to our own, making it a
valuable indicator of the progress of civilization
Materials and Production
Roman era oil lamps were made of a variety of materials including stone, clay, shell, glass, and metal.
Stone
Stone lamps were usually carved; however, early stone lamps were simply stones with natural depressions.
Clay
Clay lamps were manufactured using a number of methods. They could be hand-molded, wheel thrown, or
impressed into a mold. Some show signs of being made using a combination of these methods. Clay lamps make up
the majority of lamps found in the archaeological record.
Glass
Lamps made of glass were blown and, unlike clay lamps, were capable of holding oil without the risk of seepage.
They also projected light more efficiently than lamps of other materials. However, due to the presence of air
bubbles, blown glass cannot stand up to the intensity of a direct flame the way clay or metal can. As a result, glass
lamps tended to break easily. This may be one reason why they are found less often in the archaeological record.
Metal
Metal lamps were either cast or hammered into a mold, though casting seems to have been the method of choice.
Bronze appears to have been the most common metal used, however, lamps of iron, lead, gold, silver, and copper
have also been found. Although metal lamps were sturdier, and thus had a longer lifespan than lamps made of other
materials, they often did not survive into the modern day. This is likely due to the fact that metal objects, especially
those of precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper, were often melted down and reworked into something
new.
Roman tri-nozzle lamp decorated with images of grapes, vines,
and a human head, possibly that of Bacchus, the Roman god
of wine.
Roman “Factory” lamp with theater mask motif.
Roman discus lamp with gladiator motif.
 Time line of lighting technology
•70,000 BC A hollow rock, shell, or other natural found
object was filled with moss or a similar material that was
soaked in animal fat and ignited.[2]
•c. 4500 BC oil lamps
•c. 3000 BC candles are invented.

•1780 Aimé Argand invents the 

central draught fixed oil lamp.

•1815 Humphry Davy invents the miner's safety lamp.

•1875 Henry Woodward patents an electric light bulb.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_lighting_technology
Sources

Milwaukee public museum

https://www.mpm.edu/research-collections/anthropology/anthropology-collections-research/mediterranean-oil-
lamps/description-and-history-oil-lamps

http://www.epalladioartworkshop.com/OILLAMPS/HISTORY/index.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_lamp