Didyaknow...?

Firepots, 10-23-09
Didyaknow that four statues in the Capitol rotunda are replicas of ancient Roman-style firepots designed by the Tiffany Company? More than 2,000 years ago, the firepots were placed on the hilltops of Rome and filled with oil, then lit them to signal Senators that session was to begin. Since they didn’t have the luxury of cell phones or computers to communicate long distances, this system worked quite well. Today though, the firepots standing outside each legislative chamber are never lit with oil, but rather with a light bulb.

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