Brandon’s Oil Lamp
Brandon Lane chose this oil lamp as his object. From MODES he was able to discover that it was found in the grounds of the Cromwell Brewery on Barnbygate in Newark. It is made from greyware and has two holes, the one on top for filling and the other for the wick. It has a small handle which has at some time been glued back in place. Currently it is with the University of Lincoln for conservation. The fact that it was found in Newark is interesting, as there is no recorded Roman settlement at Newark. The Roman Fosse Way between Lincoln and Exeter ran through Newark, but most of the finds in the museum come from Roman sites along the road at Brough, East Stoke and Norton Disney. There has been other Roman finds from Newark, from a site which must have been between the road and the River Trent.
Through further research Brandon was able to find out that oil lamps were one of the most common everyday items even before the Roman period. They were moulded in two parts, joined together and the holes made before they were fired in a kiln. The wick would have been made from fibres such as linen that was coiled inside the body of the lamp and pulled out as it burnt down. The fuel would probably have been olive oil, which would have been transported inside amphorae such as the one in the museum collection. Many were highly decorated with images from mythology or everyday scenes, although the lamp selected by Brandon is undecorated.
During his visit to the British Museum Brandon was able to see many different oil lamps, with and without decoration, including the one shown below. Brandon chose this object because he was interested in how they would have provided light in the Roman home. He can imagine the greasy smoke and smell produced from burning olive oil.
