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Used for conserving foods and storage, and based on several examples from Germany and Switzerland, these wide-mouthed jars are less common than square bottles. They date from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD.
However, there is often difficulty in identifying and dating finds of square jar fragments, as they are frequently indistinguishable from square bottles.
The bases of these blue-green jars are usually decorated with patterns in relief. There are many variations, the exact significance of which is still not fully understood.
They may be makers' marks, owners' marks, or relate to the original contents of the jar.
This base design is from Augst, in Switzerland and Xanten, in Germany.