Terra sigillata
2nd c. AD
Tolegassos (Viladamat - Alt Empordà)
The Villa of Tolegassos in Viladamat has provided a rich and varied set of finds. They allow us to glimpse various aspects of daily life on a farm in Roman Imperial times. There are objects for domestic and personal use; tools for agriculture and craftwork; items of furniture, medical instruments, etc. The archaeologists even found a highly specialised surgical instrument, a needle for cataract surgery, which we have already shown you.
On this occasion we will look at a much more humble object, one that helps us imagine the long days farmers spent under the harsh Mediterranean sun. It is a small earthenware bottle bottle that kept the water cool, like our pitchers.
Of the type known as Terra Sigillata Africana A, it was found in the fill of a well and can be dated to the 2nd century AD, probably the second half. Despite its small size, about 15 cm in diameter, its manufacture was quite complex. Viewed from the side, it has a lenticular, flattened section. The two convex halves were turned separately and then joined to form the body of the container. The neck and mouth were turned separately and added. Lastly, the handles were moulded by hand and attached. Finally, in some cases like ours, it was decorated with a pair of fine concentric circles. Once varnished, the bottle was placed in the kiln to be fired.
Beyond their undoubted scientific and heritage value, some archaeological objects have the virtue of bringing us closer to the people who used them and the situations in which they were used. The Tolegassos water bottle is one of those objects.
