AMPHORAS in the CENTRE D'ETUDES ALEXANDRINES

Calculating the volume of an amphora

The method used to calculate the volume of an amphora is quite simple(*). The amphora is graphically sectioned transversally in 'n' strips of the same height 'h'. Each of these strips corresponds to a section of the cone. The total volume of the amphora is the sum of all the volumes of these individual cone sections (**). The Amphora Department of the Centre d'Etudes Alexandrines (CEAA) uses a small computer application developed in 1999 by Jean-Vianney Richard, an engineer from the ESGT, within FilemakerPro (a programme much used by archaeologists) in order to create a data base of amphora volumes. This data base can subsequently be linked to other data bases.

(*) See Y. RIGOIR "Méthode géométrique simple de calcul du volume des contenants céramiques". Documents d'Archéologie Méridionale 4,1981.
(**) The volume of a cone section is calculated by means of the formula:
(R₁² + R₂² + R₁R₂) x (p x h / 3)
in which R1 and R2 correspond to the lengths of the upper and lower edges of the cone section, and h to the height.

You can upload the application for calculating amphora volumes (FilemakerPro version 7 for PC and Mac) and instructions, by clicking here