An amphora (English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container of a characteristic shape and size; descending from at least as early as the Neolithic Period. Amphorae were used in vast numbers for the transport and storage of various products; both liquid and dry; but mostly for wine. It is most often ceramic; but examples in metals and other materials have been found.

Stoppers of perishable materials; which have rarely survived; were used to seal the contents. Two principal types of amphorae existed: the neck amphora; in which the neck and body meet at a sharp angle; and the one-piece amphora; in which the neck and body form a continuous curve. Neck amphorae were commonly used in the early history of ancient Greece; but were gradually replaced by the one-piece type from around the 7th century BCE. Pictures From History