Pottery was produced in enormous quantities in
ancient Rome, mostly for utilitarian purposes. It is found all over the former
Roman Empire and beyond.
Monte Testaccio is a huge
waste mound in Rome made almost entirely of broken
amphorae used for transporting and storing liquids and other products – in this case probably mostly Spanish olive oil, which was landed nearby, and was the main fuel for lighting, as well as its use in the kitchen and washing in the
baths.