Roman Clay Lamp, Cucufate, Portugal

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Ancient Clay Lamp Unveiled at Roman Villa Museum A stunning clay lamp from the Roman villa of S. Cucufate, nestled in Alentejo, Portugal, offers a glimpse into the Late Roman Empire's (300-400 AD) reliance on artificial light. This intricately crafted lucerna was fueled by olive oil and other readily available vegetable oils that dominated the Roman world. The lamp's shoulder boasts 4 bold applications, elegantly separated from its disk by a striking line, while its concave disc features a center filling-hole. Measuring a compact 3.5 cm in height and 5.2 cm in length, this small yet impressive specimen is now on permanent display at the S. Cucufate Museum (Vila de Frades, Vidigueira). Cataloged as CUC 84 6723, this ancient artifact has been meticulously processed and modeled using Reality Capture technology from an impressive 486 photographs.