Early Roman coins were made in

bronze, but they later changed to

include silver, gold and copper. The
most popular coin of the Roman
Empire was the denarius, made from
silver. Bronze and copper coins were
used for everyday buying whereas
gold and silver coins were used for
larger things because they had bigger
value. The study of coins can tell us
who was in power at the time and also
tells us about how the Roman made
coins. Coins have been found in
countries like Germany, Switzerland,
England, and Spain.
Roman mosaics were made up of
hundreds, sometimes thousands, of
tiny, coloured stones and gems called
tesserae. Each mosaic piece was stuck
to the floor with mortar, a type of
cement. Mosaics would show pictures
of Roman history and everyday
Roman life. Mosaics were used for
different reasons. As well as being
used for decoration, they provided a
strong surface for walking on, and
were also sometimes used as
advertisements or signs. They have
been found in many countries in North
Africa, Syria and even Cyprus.
 Milestones were used to mark
distances on the ancient Roman road
systems. These obelisks were made of
marble or granite and can still be
found today. Milestone inscriptions
included the distance and the names of
the rulers that contributed to the
milestone placement. Roman mile
(mille passum) was measured by 1,000
paces with each pace being five
Roman feet. This tells us a great deal
of about how the Romans measured
distances. Milestones have been found
in many countries once under Roman
rule, including Cyprus.
 Pipes were made of lead.
Civilizations used lead pipes in
water and wastewater systems
because it was easy to bend, it’s
durable and doesn’t rust easily.
Lead pipes can last up to 100 years.
Plumbarii (plumbers) would use
sheets of lead to bend into pipes of
different diameters. The pipes were
used to pump water in to wealthy
people’s homes. The ancient
plumbing system is found in most
countries under ancient Roman rule
like England and Egypt.
The Vindolanda tablets (also known as
Vindolanda Letters) are thin pieces of
wood about the size of a postcard,
which were used as writing paper for
the Roman soldiers . The surface of
the wood was smoothed and treated so
it could be used as paper. The writers
of the documents include soldiers,
officers, their wives and families who
were stationed at Vindolanda,
(England) The writers wrote
in Latin on the tablets. The tablets
were written on with pen and ink. The
nib was attached to a wood holder that
held a well of ink. These have been
found in England, Jerusalem and
Egypt.
 Ancient Roman pottery was
divided into fine and coarse ware,
with the coarse ones being used
regularly for daily activities like
cooking, preservation, and
transportation of goods and
foodstuffs, while the fine ware
were mostly used as serving vessels
used for official dinner parties.
Fired clay or terracotta was also
widely used in the Roman period.
They have been found in countries
like Egypt, Greece and Jerusalem.
 Much of the earliest Roman
jewellery was mostly made of
gold although silver was also
common. Jewellery was not
only for beauty but also to show
others how rich you were. Often
necklaces would have precious
stones such as opal and topaz in
them as well. Many examples
have been found around he
Ancient Roman Empire
including Cyprus.
 Roman era oil lamps were made of a variety of
materials including stone, clay, shell, glass, and
metal. Wicks were made out of different materials
including linen and papyrus. The oil was poured
into the body of the lamp through a filling hole and
the wick was placed in the body of the lamp. When
the wick was lit, the oil burned and a flame was
made out of the hole in the nozzle. Because light
was considered a blessing, oil lamps were often
dedicated at temples and shrines as offerings to the
Gods. They were also part of the burial practices,
and lamps were often buried with the dead in order
to light the way into the afterlife and beyond. A
maker’s mark is a word or symbol typically found
on the base of an artifact. They are similar to
modern brand. Maker’s marks were used in
ancient times to advertise products of a specific
craftsman or workshop to buyers. Today,
archaeologists can use maker’s marks to trace the
origin of artifacts. These have been found at
archeologic sites across the Mediterranean.