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Material culture means the objects people made and used in the past, such as pots, clothes, tools and buildings. In history lessons, these objects help children learn through evidence, not just stories or dates. Looking closely at objects helps pupils ask questions, spot details and think about how people lived long ago. It also helps them understand how we know about the past, not just what happened.
Roman drinking vessels offer an example of how you can use material culture to teach history in the classroom. Ask pupils to look at the shape, size and decoration of a cup or bowl. Is it plain or decorated? Does it look carefully made or quite rough? These questions help children think about who might have used it, where it was used and what people drank. Comparing different types of cups helps pupils understand ideas about wealth, status and everyday life. By studying simple objects, children can begin to see how people experienced the Roman world.
We’ve prepared a carefully designed resource that you can use alongside the information in this blog to help KS2 pupils explore how material culture helps us study and understand the past (download here).
If you would like to explore this approach further, you can book one of our in-person or online workshops, where our archaeologists help children learn how to look closely at objects, ask questions, and use evidence to understand past societies.
Click on the objects below and begin asking questions!
1. A drinking vessel from northern Italy
This area was once home to Celtic people. When the Romans arrived, potters began to mix Roman and Celtic ideas. This cup was made by a Roman potter but its shape follows Celtic drinking habits and aesthetics.
2. A black-glazed wine cup from Naples
This cup follows a Greek tradition of drinking wine from large, shallow cups.
It was made in southern Italy during Roman times. The cup shows how the Romans adopted Greek drinking practices and ideas.
3. A black Megarian bowl from Asia Minor
This bowl is made of clay, but it was designed to look like an expensive silver bowl owned by wealthy people. First made in Greece and Asia Minor, these bowls became popular across the Mediterranean in the 1st century BC. Objects such as this can tell us about social differences, choices and values in Roman society.
4. Roman terra sigillata cup from Gaul
This type of vessel originated in Italy but soon spread across the Mediterranean and Europe.
By analysing the colour of the clay, distinctive decoration or potter’s stamps, archaeologists can identify where and when a vessel was made and trace how these tablewares were produced and widely distributed throughout the Roman Empire.
5. Roman face pot from Italy
These pots were made with human faces moulded onto the surface. They may have been used for drinking, storage or special occasions. Face pots can tell us about identity, beliefs and humour in Roman society, and show how objects could carry meaning, not just be useful.
6. Beaker with a tall neck from Germany
Beakers like this were commonly used in areas near the Rhine and Moselle rivers in the late Roman period (around the 3rd and 4th centuries AD). Over time, different Roman provinces developed their own styles and tastes. This beaker shows how local potters created regional traditions that existed alongside empire-wide products such as terra sigillata.
7. A silver drinking cup from Italy
It shows the Emperor Tiberius celebrating a victory.
Cups like this were very precious because they were made of silver. Adding the image of the emperor made them even more special and showed loyalty, power and high status at Roman banquets.
8. A glass drinking cup from Italy
This blue glass cup was used by wealthy Romans at dinner parties around AD 40–80. Glass vessels like this were expensive and showed status. Glass is good for drinking because it does not absorb flavours, is easy to clean, and lets people see the drink inside.