Baby Feeder Vessel

(Necrópolis del Puig des Molins,Ibiza)

Maternity
Gender and life cycle
Gender and the body

Baby feeders, or feeder vessels, are among the scarce material evidence available for the study of infant feeding in the ancient world. This Carthaginian piece dates from the 4th-3rd century BC, and was discovered in the Necropolis of Puig des Molins in Ibiza. It is a small jug-shaped pitcher with a handle and a spout that would have been used as a baby bottle for feeding infants, whether with breast milk or another liquid, such as porridge or animal milk. Some have even suggested that it could also have been used as a breast pump. The majority of documented Carthaginian baby feeder vessels were found at burial sites, revealing the symbolic value of this type of vessel