The Amphora, or storage vessel, is a symbol of the Mediterranean

Bodrum - Amphorae
Originally uploaded by Traces in the Sand.

An amphora (plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of ceramic vase with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body.

Amphorae first appeared on the Lebanese-Syrian coast around the 15th century BC and spread around the ancient world, being used by the ancient Greeks and Romans as the principal means for transporting and storing,
grapes,
olive oil,
wine,
oil,
olives,
grain,
fish, and other commodities.

They were produced on an industrial scale from Greek times and used around the Mediterranean until about the 7th century. Wooden and skin containers seem to have supplanted amphorae thereafter.