Gancheva, S. Late Roman Unguentaria of Durostorum

Among late antique pottery, there is a particularly interesting type spread throughout the Mediterranean. In scholarly literature, these vessels are mostly known as late Roman unguentaria and early Christian ampullae. They have a characteristic shape, and some of them also have a stamp. The question regarding the purpose of late Roman unguentaria is not fully clarified and two groups of opinions can be distinguished. The first one connects them with the Christian religion, and the second one considers them as trade items for personal use.

Until now, on the territory of Bulgaria, late Roman unguentaria have been documented in Odessus (13 items), Aquae Calidae (1 item), and Augusta Traiana (1 item). To them, the seven Durostorum specimens, the subject of this article and found during the study of the Roman villa on Patriarch Euthymius St., were also added. Above the base of six of them, there are stamps known from other sites. Although the function of the Durostorum unguentaria cannot be established with certainty, they extended and completed the picture of their distribution in the Balkan provinces and Moesia Secunda in particular.

Durostorum, late Roman unguentaria, stamp, religion, trade items