During the systematic excavation of the presumed medieval Church of St Panteleimon in the eastern part of Nis (Naissus), a lead object in the form of a hollow cast amphora was discovered in a so-called ?ceramic pit?. The object featured floral decorations and a two-line Greek inscription, which can be read as: ??????C?/???. Miniature lead amphorae constitute a notable category of small finds of the Late Roman Republican and Imperial periods and Late Antiquity. These miniature vessels were not intended for everyday use but served as containers for medicines, ointments, or other liquids. Comparable objects and moulds have primarily been found in the Eastern Mediterranean, although the majority are held in museum collections without secure archaeological provenance. Some lead containers bear a Greek name in the genitive case, most likely indicating the pharmacist (or physician) responsible for preparing the contents. In one confirmed instance, an inscription identified the amphora as containing a remedy for eye diseases; the specimen from Naissus was likely used for the treatment of nasal ailments. On morphological and linguistic grounds, the Naissus find can be dated to the Roman Imperial period (2nd-3rd century), and no later than the late 3rd century CE. In this contribution, we aim to offer a more comprehensive analysis of the Naissus vessel?s inscription, which would help to date this object more precisely. Additionally, we intend to provide a review of related ancient literary sources and archaeological materials to gain better insight into their purpose in the Roman period and Late Antiquity.
Jeremić et al. (2025) studied this question.