Byzantine Lamp - Public domain museum image. A clay bowl with holes in it on a white surface

An oil lamp is a lamp used to provide continuous illumination over a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common today. They work in the same way as candles, but use fuel that is liquid at room temperature, so an oil container is required. The textile wick falls into the oil and ignites at the end, burning the oil as it rises through the wick.