Oil lamps were the main source of artificial light in the Roman world. Mold-made terracotta lamps were produced in huge numbers, filled with olive oil and lit with a wick in the nozzle.
The round top, or discus, was often decorated in relief with gods, gladiators, animals, erotic scenes or everyday life, and many lamps carry the stamp of their workshop on the base, so they reveal both popular imagery and patterns of trade across the empire.