Objects, affordances, and material histories in Roman Palestine
A case study on Northern Collar-Neck Lamps and their uses in early Jewish Sources
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12374739 |
|---|---|
| Authors | G E Gardner (0000-0003-2063-9795, University of British Columbia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 508-534 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-11 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Roman Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1047-7594 • E-ISSN: 2331-5709 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1047759424000217 |
| OpenAlex | W4404249862 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 66 |
This article seeks to contribute to the growing scholarship on object-focused Roman histories by expanding the conversation to previously overlooked archaeological finds from Roman Palestine. This case study focuses on “Northern Collar-Neck Lamps,” which have been found throughout Roman Galilee and date to the first two centuries CE. I argue that their distinctive high collar, perhaps designed to reduce spillage, also served as an affordance that invited additional modes of interaction, namely placing a supplemental reservoir for oil – such as a pierced eggshell – over the filling hole. Once set up, this would allow for a slow drip of oil to prolong illumination time without human intervention. This usage is suggested from chronologically and geographically proximate sources, namely early rabbinic literature: Hebrew and Aramaic writings from the first centuries that reference physical details and uses of hundreds of objects and could prove helpful for future material histories of the Roman era
Affordance · Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Collar · Judaism · Palestine · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Computer Science · Engineering · History · Mechanical Engineering
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |