Archaeology student finds exceptionally rare fragment from Roman bottle

Phys.Org ^ | July 23, 2019 | by Shelley Hughes, University of York

[jagusafr]

“It is amazing that a small fragment has told us so much.”

In many other contexts (coughEvolutioncough), this would be proof that the evaluator is desperately trying to establish a link...great story, though.

[Red Badger]

I’m always amazed that when a paleontologist finds a scrap of jawbone they can immediately tell us how tall they were, how much they weighed, what they ate and how much and if they were a victim of climate change.....................

[Innovative]

It’s great that an archaeology student found it and saved it.

[BenLurkin]

It is beautiful

[A strike]

Methinks this may be in the same category as from the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy: “There’s no boron in this elephant feces. “

[katana]

Perfume? I’d guess Garum, Roman fermented fish sauce made from anything left after the meat was gone, which (to quote the ads for Frank’s Hot Sauce) “they put that s*** on everything”. There’s a similar condiment popular in SE Asia that was suggested I add to a dish once. I sniffed the bottle and declined the offer. Smelled like vomit. But hey, if the French can enjoy rancid, runny cheese who are we to criticize?

[Moonman62]

It was eventually found to match a fish shaped bottle that had been restored from many pieces, which is housed in the Corning Museum of Glass, New York.

...

So is this piece from the bottle in the museum or is it from a different but similar bottle?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

If only these artifacts could talk. How did it get from the glass works in today's Ukraine on the Black Sea to the Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire? Did it have one owner? Who was the owner? Were there other owners? Was it commissioned? Or were these made in large numbers and sold? Why are so few extant today? What were the trade routes that took it from the Black Sea to Gloucestershire? Why did it get smashed and discarded? Was the Lady of the Villa mad at the Man of the Villa for staying out late and she bopped him with it?

[CrazyIvan]

“I’m always amazed that when a paleontologist finds a scrap of jawbone they can immediately tell us how tall they were, how much they weighed, what they ate and how much and if they were a victim of climate change.....................”

But we can’t figure out what Genius de Milo was doing with her arms.

[Red Badger]

My guess is she was pouring water from a vessel, a common pose.....................

[Red Badger]

Different but similar................

[Red Badger]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_sauce

[TexasGator]

Amazing.

[katana]

I’ve enjoyed a number of Asian foods that supposedly make most Caucasians run for bushes to upchuck (durian fruit, for example) but I met my match with that Singaporean fish sauce and Filipino style fish soup.

[Red Badger]

I’ll eat anything once, twice if it doesn’t kill me....................

[bgill]

Different.

Bottom line, the fish bottles were mass produced.

[ro_dreaming]

here’s a similar condiment popular in SE Asia that was suggested I add to a dish once. I believe you're referring to NƯỚC MẮM CHẤM.

[ro_dreaming]

Balut?

https://www.wikihow.com/Eat-Balut

(Hard pass from me)

[Clutch Martin]

Fish sauce is goooooood.

My loving wife doesn’t like it, but she likes the principle of umami and I tell her “honey, when you want more umami or you tell me that the dish doesn’t have enough Umami guess what I use?”

My darling has taken in more fish sauce and she will never need to know.