This small cup, measuring approximately 7cm in diameter at its widest point, is a well-known type of drinking vessel dating to the second century. It is crafted from free-blown, very thin, and brittle colourless glass, with an inverted conical shape with a rounded carination. The cup is adorned with four fine horizontal wheel-cut lines, evenly spaced down its body.

The cup would have been a fine piece of tableware and its discovery with the remains of a deceased individual is significant. It sheds light on the burial rites and practices of the time, offering several possible interpretations for its presence.

One possibility is that it played a role in a libation ceremony during the burial, where a liquid, often wine or water, was poured as an offering to honour the departed. The cup might have been placed in the grave as a farewell gift to accompany the individual in the afterlife. However, it remains unclear whether the cup was placed intact alongside the deceased’s remains or intentionally broken. In some instances, items were intentionally shattered to symbolise their transformation for the afterlife. There is no indication that the cup was subjected to any form of burning.

These thin-walled glass cups, with their inherent fragility, may symbolize the impermanence of life and the journey into the afterlife.