Amphora is defined from its Greek root words as a carrier with handles on either side, used to carry wine, water, olive oil, or grain.
The earliest amphorae date to 2000 BCE all around the shores of The Mediterranean and are made of pottery. Sizes ranged from tiny, such as a perfume amphora or ampule, to over 5 feet high. Amphoras came with long necks at first, having bulbous container sections that typically housed wine or olive oil. These sections sometimes could contain a whopping 35 to 40 liters of liquid!
The bottoms were often pointed so as to allow the vessel to be driven into soft soil or sand, enabling the container to stand upright without any other means of support.
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Amphoras remained a primary means of transport for over 2,000 years. Archaeologists can date a shipwreck by the shapes of amphorae found in their holds - some of which remain intact complete with undisturbed contents.
The amphora was gradually replaced in favor of wooden casks or skin flasks by around 700 AD.
In glassblowing, the term "amphora" refers to a classical form of vase with a waisted bottom.
Amphora is also a present-day term associated with vessels to hold the ashes of the dead.
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