Reuse as a Funnel
It seems likely that amphora tops detached at the level of the upper wall or shoulder and with the handles removed and/or amphora bottoms (from classes that terminated in something other than a solid spike) with holes drilled or punched through their bases were regularly employed as funnels. Although examples of both kinds of items are regularly recovered in archaeological contexts compatible with their use as funnels, it remains impossible to demonstrate that they were, in fact, employed for this purpose. Examples of amphora tops that might have been used as funnels include an amphora neck from the Casa di Epidio Primo at Pompeii (Regio 1, Insula 8, doorway 14) (Berry 1997a: 192) and the "inscribed top of a red-painted amphora" recovered in a shop at Kourion (Soren and James 1988: 141 ). Also worth noting in this connection is the passage from Martial's Epigrammata (12.32), noted in Section 4.1.1, that refers to an amphorae cervix among the belongings of a destitute man. Examples of amphora bottoms that might have been employed as funnels include eight items consisting of the lower portion of an Egyptian Biconical amphora with a hole in the base recovered at Wadi Umm Hussein in contexts dating to the second century (Tomber 2006: 188-90 nos. 1075-82, 189 figures 1.72.4-1075-4-1082).
- figure 6.9. Amphorae with bottoms removed reused as libation conduits at Isola Sacra necropolis. Toynbee 1971: pl. 19.
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