An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s11.2

v1.c11.s11.2

Types (4) to (7) exhibit Hellenistic/Roman influence. Roman lamps are reported from ARIKAMEDU and TER. They consist of a globular container with a top hole for pouring oil, a projecting nozzle for the wick and a pierced lug on the opposite side of the nozzle for hold. They are plain or decorated. While most of the types have gone out of use, type (1) still continues. The survival of type (2) is reflected in the stemmed bronze lamps of Kerala. A combination of types (2) and (3) is seen in the stemmed bronze lamps of s. India, while the *dīpa-lakṣmī* in metal is a natural development of type (7).