The Roman Empire, which reached its peak in the second century CE, stretched from Britain to Arabia and surrounded the Mediterranean. Among the many items which were traded within the empire were small glass bottles. In his essay on Roman Glass in The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, David Whitehouse reports:
“The Romans made a greater variety of glass than any other ancient civilization. Glassblowing was discovered in the Roman Empire, and this led to the production of inexpensive objects for daily use.”
Within the Roman Empire, there were two important areas of glass production: Syria on the eastern Mediterranean and Iberia on the western Mediterranean. Shown below are some of the examples of Roman glass displayed in the Portland Art Museum.
Shown above: Mold-blown grape flask, 200-299 CE.