Broken Roman oil lamp found in a refuse pit of a Roman villa near Apt, Vaucluse, France, dating to the 1st–3rd century CE.
Dimensions
Approx. 6 cm x 5 cm x 4.5 cm
This ceramic oil lamp fragment was recovered from the garbage pit of a Roman villa ruin near Apt, in the Vaucluse region of France. The lamp, although broken, retains its basic form: a rounded body, a clear nozzle area with wick hole, and a central filling cavity. Traces of blackening suggest actual use for lighting. Roman oil lamps were everyday items, typically filled with olive oil and used throughout the Empire.
This particular example is plain and undecorated, likely intended for utilitarian domestic use. The wear and fractures are consistent with archaeological finds. The presence of a possible stamp or base design suggests it may once have borne a maker’s mark, though it is no longer legible.
Estimated Price
$30–$50 USD (as a broken but genuine artifact with historical interest)