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 (CAEA) 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.


If you wish to use the application for calculating amphora volumes (FilemakerPro version 5 for PC and Mac) click here to upload it

application Instructions
(*) 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.