A Load of Old Rubbish!

[admiraldick]

Hey all,

I'm trying to put together a table for Gangs of Rome (Second Ed is on the way!) and I want my board to have a balance between 'properly lived in' and the 'conveniently placed everyday items for climbing on' of Assassins' Creed. I can buy quite a few things, but in the quantities I want them, I'm going to have to sculpt and cast them myself.

Obviously, I know Romans used amphorae and would stack them up too. Plus other pottery like large jars and jugs. Baskets and other wicker goods would be around too. But what other 'containers' might you find cluttering up the streets of the Eternal City circa 0AD? Presumably sacks? Would crates and barrels have existed back then? Bales of hay might be a bit too much, but I guess bundles of wheat and other grains wouldn't be impossible (depending on what you are aiming for)

Any help is greatly appreciated and photographic reference suggestions are even better.

[ithoriel]

Sacks for sure.

IIRC the earliest wooden casks we have evidence for were made in Egypt or Sumeria around 2500BCE. Probably Egypt as wood was scarcer in Sumer. I'm too lazy to check the 'net :-)

The Romans certainly used wooden casks, though they were rarer than amphorae.

We have written evidence of hay bales from the writings of Colunella (sp?) from the 1st century CE though I don't think we know what shape they were.

Bales of cloth, piles of wood, bricks or stone, market stalls, hand carts, wells, water troughs, etc. would all add clutter.

[has.been]

Sacks?
'Things' under a 'Tarpaulin'

[Cypher226]

Piles of sacks of wheat for the 'bread' half of 'bread and circuses' would seem fitting.

Parked carts, stalls, stacks of building materials, statues on plinths? 

[admiraldick]

Thanks all. Some good ideas there. I'll try and few things and hopefully post an update.

[carlos marighela]

Lots of phalluses, the Romans were fond of rude graffiti.

They were also fond of fast food so a thermopolium would help set the scene.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55454717

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/27/950645473/whats-on-the-menu-in-ancient-pompeii-duck-goat-snail-researchers-say

[Moriarty]

What about ‘nasoni’ (?) public drinking fountains?
Some pigeon/chicken coops for temple sacrifices?
Basket-weave grain holders?
Assorted animal dung piles?
Soldiers carried their kit on ‘yokes’, so yoked, random bags?
Wine skins?

[FifteensAway]

Check out Baueda for lots of bits that may be of interest.   Link: https://www.baueda.com/kleos.html

I recommend watching A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum movie for ideas - if you can find it.  Might give some ideas and it is remarkably 'modern' for its time (sixties?).  Buster Keaton's last film role if memory serves.  And really Funny.