STRAINER JUGS: MYSTERIOUS POURING VESSELS FROM THE WELL IN THE AGORA IN NEA PAPHOS

Strainer jugs deposited in a Hellenistic well in the Agora of Nea Paphos, Cyprus, constitute a rare tableware shape. Moreover, the function of vessels, whose constant features are a deep, funnel‑like mouth separated from a body by a strainer, and a tabular spout placed perpendicularly to a small handle, remains unclear. The methodology included a macroscopic analysis of fabric combined with a typological study of vessels from the well. In addition, the capacities were measured with the goal of achieving a better understanding of their function. The results, supplemented by analogies, revealed that strainer jugs might not have been purely Hellenistic inventions as previously thought since a very similar shape was already produced in the Late Bronze Age in Cyprus. Hellenistic strainer jugs from the well were made in Rhodian Colour‑coated Ware. However, the preliminary study of other fragmentary preserved vessels from the site shows that the shape was possibly produced in various fabrics, as observed elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Detailed analysis of the shape indicates two main functions of vessels: filtering and pouring, while their capacity corresponds to a single serving. Although strainer jugs might have been used to prepare infusions/ filter other semi‑/ liquid substances and subsequently to feed, excluding other interpretations requires further research.