Roman strigil and oil flask

Archaeology (Verulamium Museum)

Roman bronze strigil and blue glass oil flask. Most Romans would have bathed in a public bathhouse, only the very rich would have had a bathhouse in their own home. Oil was rubbed onto the body when the individual was in the hot room of the baths (like a sauna). The oil was then scraped off with a strigil . Any dead skin, sweat and dirt was also removed. Soap had not yet been invented. Some glass blowing sites are known in Britain, where broken fragments could be melted down and reused, but many objects were probably imported from the continent. It was usually used to make cups and jugs, but not window glass, as it was difficult to make large pieces of flat glass.

PH3498 strigil &oil flask.tif

i] 120 trany

Jennifer Golding

[not applicable].