A rare find at the Potaissa legionary fortress: two terracotta oinochoai (pinch-mouthed flagons) as private imports

Abstract

The archaeological excavations carried out in the year 2012 within the praetentura sinistra (centuriae cohors quingenariae) of the legionary fortress from Potaissa led to the discovery of a special type of pottery that could belong to the category of the legionary wares. However, the two terracotta oinochoai do not belong to the repertoire of wares produced by the local workshops associated with the fortress. To this date they represent a rare type, as out of the approximately 10.000 individual wares analyzed for this garrison, only two such finds were made. They were recovered from the same waste pit together with other materials. Based on their typology, fabric composition and rarity, it can be concluded that they are personal/private imports, acquired at the same time, brought to Potaissa by possibly one of Legio V Macedonica’s soldiers and utilized within the same barrack until they were discarded.