Terracotta unguentaria in the far west of the Roman Empire: an overview

Abstract

Excavations carried out in several domestic and funerary areas across the Portuguese territory have resulted in the retrieval of a significant number of terracotta unguentaria. So far, studies concerning this specific type of vessel are very rare in this western region of the Roman Empire, and a wider reading concerning their characteristics, typology, function and chronology is necessary. In this chapter, the available data on Roman terracotta unguentaria retrieved in the Portuguese territory are presented, in order to enable further readings focused on the commercial dynamics and importance of the adoption of this type of artefact in the western area of the Roman Empire.