Ollae, cistulae, cadi, utres, cupae, and other Intangible Vessels in the Roman Economy: Some Case Studies

In Roman times foodstuffs were traded using not only amphorae but also ceramic-leather-wooden-wicker containers which, because of their perishability and/or their generic forms and small dimensions, are very difficult to identify as regards their specific functions and, therefore, their role in the Roman economy, differently from the clearly typologized amphorae. However, integrating archaeological data with other sources (literary, iconographic, epigraphic, legal, ethnographic etc.), these intangible vessels appear to have been the protagonists of important commercial dynamics, in the local-regional and more extensive contexts, transporting both niche and mass goods. Some case studies will be presented considering the various foodstuffs.