Commercial Amphoras: The Earliest Consumer Packages?

Abstract

Commercial amphoras are large ceramic vessels that were used from 1500 B.C. to 500 A.D. to ship wine and other products throughout the Mediterranean, supplying the ancient Greek and Roman empires. Although their form is much different from our own packages, the shape and design were clearly the result of the same reasoning that we use to design successful packaging today. The unusual shape, especially the pointed base, facilitated handling, storage, transport, and use in marketing channels that were very differently shaped from those that are used today. This article investigates amphoras’ physical properties, manufacturing process, and logistical and marketing advantages and illustrates the value of such packaging artifacts in documenting the history of trade.