Dolium

A Dolium (Latin, plural dolia ) is a barrel-shaped clay pot that was used in many parts of the Roman Empire to the storage and stockpiling.

Dolia usually have a bulbous vessel body without or with a small distinct neck. The orifice is widely used in the control to allow for easy removal of the contents. The edge shape protrudes inward and is mostly designed horizontally. The cover was done with great covers of wood or clay. The floor has a level surface. Because of their size dolia were often molded in design with the individual, superimposed strands, as the vessels of pottery wheels were usually too big. On the edge or the lid, there are few scratchings or graffiti with contents or weight.

The capacity of these clay barrels could be up to 2500 liters. They were made especially in the western Mediterranean. Smaller production existed but also in the Germanic provinces, such as in Augst or Cologne.

Use

Functional solved the dolium the pithoi from. In contrast to the amphora dolia were less than the transport storage. In particular, they were used for storage and fermentation of wine. For this reason they are often smeared on the inside with pitch.

Dolia are often in the storerooms ( cella vinariae ) or found in the yard large villa complexes. Also often they are in the storage area of large international ports as in Ostia and Marseille ( Massilia ). For better cooling, they were usually buried in the ground.

As the amphora and the entire heavy ceramic were dolia reused later secondary. They could be used in large numbers for leveling a building ground, smaller fragments were used for construction of furnaces and hearths. In settlements, they were occasionally dug used as urinal. Finally, they are documented by finds in burials as a simple cover and coffin replacement or recovery of the corpse Brands.