Amphoras from Alcochete near Setúbal: 1st to 3rd centuries AD

The fish condiments produced at Setúbal were packed into tall clay vessels called amphoras and sent by sea to the consumer markets of the Empire, particularly to Rome.

In Roman times these amphoras were the most used containers for the transport of food products such as wine, honey, olive oil, olives, jams, vegetables and cereals. Each food type had its own shape of amphora. The specifications also altered according to the regions and times at which the amphoras were made.

The amphoras produced in the potters' workshops along the Sado estuary had a uniform shape between the 1st and 3rd centuries.