hotwaterbottles

16d

Multiple Roman clay hot water bottles in the shape of human body parts used for therapeutic purposes some 2,000 years ago. Found in a building which may have been a healing centre

Paphos Archaeological Museum, Cyprus
📷 by Alison Fisk

#Archaeology #HotWaterBottles

A display at Paphos Archaeological Museum of ancient Roman red clay vessels shaped like human body parts each of which has a spout with a handle either side, allowing it to be filled with hot water or oil. The clay walls of the vessels are only 3 mm thick so that heat would be conducted to the body. They are comparable in size to the corresponding human parts of the body including ears, torso, groin, hands, thigh, knee, shin, and feet. They are mounted for the display over a simple outline of a human figure, illustrating their possible therapeutic use around 2,000 years ago.

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