Types Of Amphorae Research Articles

THE COMPLEX OF FINDS FROM THE EXCAVATIONS IN TYRAS IN 1978. CHERNYAKHIV PERIOD OF THE ANCIENT CITY

Studies of ancient Tyras (North-Western Pontic region) have shown that the late Roman period of the city was associated with the population of the Chernyakhiv culture, a significant part of which were Germanic Goths. But the importance of this population in the city’s history has not been studied sufficiently, so new publications of finds should be of great interest. During the excavation in 1978 three vessels were discovered which were located probably in a small light building. These are a gray-clay wheel-made mug and also a handmade jug and bowl. The mug is a typical product of Chernyakhiv culture, and the jug is a primitive imitation of Roman forms. As for the bowl, it is difficult to find analogies for it. This assemblage belongs to the latest layer of ancient Tyras which can be framed by the second half of the 3rd — early 5th century AD. Several other objects belong to the same period, as well as some Chernyakhiv finds from the cultural layer. These are fibulae (early items of them are dated to the middle — late 3rd century), axe-shaped pendants, combs made of deer horn. The types of amphorae of the late Roman period, known in Tyras, are also common on the Chernyakhiv settlements. Table and kitchen gray vessels clearly represent the types of dishes common throughout the territory of the Chernyakhiv culture. Occasionally there are fragments of vessels typical for the Wielbark (Gothic) culture. In the cultural layers of the Roman Tyras also the earlier group of gray-clay tableware presents, which is typologically different from the Chernyakhiv ware. Local workshops produced it (as well as red-clay products) until the mid-3rd century AD, when the activity of Greco-Roman craftsmen ceased. Later the new inhabitants of Tyras brought their own pottery. An important difference between the production technology of Greco-Roman and Chernyakhiv potters was the use of a fast potter’s wheel in the first case, and a slow wheel in the second one. The barbaric slow wheel has not been compared favorably with a fast one but the Chernihiv’s people have not the fast wheel. We propose an approximate reconstruction of the history of Tyras in the late Roman period. The military victories of the barbarians (the Gothic Wars of 238—270) caused the evacuation (between 248 and 253) of the Roman garrison and, probably, the inhabitants of the city. The period of the history of Tyras as an ancient city was over, however the merchant ships came to its port even during wars. To continue mutually beneficial trade (from the mid-3rd century and especially in the second half of the 4th century, when the peak of imports is observed) there was a fairly small number of «Chernyakhiv residents» in the destroyed city. Their activity might have been seasonal and limited to a few months of navigation per year. They handled the ships and transferred the goods to «their» merchants for resale in the depths of Chernyakhiv territory. These people built new houses among the ruins but their standard of living did not reach the level of Chernyakhiv rural settlements. Judging by the finds, they had a small number of wheel-made ceramics and replaced the shortage of ware by primitive handmade products. Summarizing the available materials, we can conclude the following. The last phase of ancient Tyras, known as the «post-Gothic» period, should be more reasonably called the «Chernyakhiv period». In the mid-3rd century Tyras lost the signs of a city, and till the early 5th century became a Chernyakhiv trade settlement.

Multianalytical approach to the exceptional Late Roman shipwreck of Ses Fontanelles (Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain)

The paper presents the results of an interim analytical approach to the Late Roman shipwreck of Ses Fontanelles recently found in the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). The excellent state of preservation of the hull and the cargo, including amphorae with painted inscriptions (tituli picti), and its location in shallow waters offshore of one of the main touristic beaches of the island makes this a unique finding in the Mediterranean. A first season of excavations and study of the cargo triggered an analytical approach to solve some of the problems pose by archaeological research, mainly related to the possible origin of the vessel. The analytical strategy combines petrographic analysis for the study of the provenance of the amphorae, archaeozoology and residue analysis to identify their content, and analysis of the wood and plant remains to understand the use of vegetal resources in shipbuilding and in the stow of the cargo. The results of the combination of the petrographic analysis, the study of the ichthyofauna and the organic residue analysis suggest that the boat probably departed from the area of Cartagena in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, carrying a cargo of fish sauce (liquaminis flos), oil, and wine (probably also some olives preserved in grape derivatives), transported in three main types of amphorae. The analysis of the wood shows, as known in Roman shipbuilding, a clear selection of forest resources. The shipbuilders used pine for longitudinal parts of the hull, while for the small pieces related to the assemblage system (pegged, mortise and tenons) and subjected to a great stress they selected harder woods mainly Cupressaceae, Olea europaea, and Laurus nobilis. In addition, the study reveals that mainly branches of Vitis vinifera, but also other herbaceous plants were used as dunnage protecting the cargo during the journey. The results help to shed some light into different aspects of this unique vessel sunk in Mallorcan waters and contributes to show the benefit of applying archaeological sciences in maritime archaeology.

Trade dynamics between Carthage and Iberia at the end of the 3rd century BC: analytical characterisation of central mediterranean amphorae from Qart-Hadasht (Cartagena, Spain)

The founding of Qart-Hadasht, or ‘New Carthage’, in 228/227 BC reaffirmed the Carthaginian presence on the Iberian Peninsula. The city would serve as its main political base and military port in the Western Mediterranean before being lost to Rome in the Second Punic War. Although the conquest was led on the ground by the Barcid family, the town’s flourishing also led to an increase in the metropolis’s economic and commercial activities. In this study, a total of 37 amphorae of Central Mediterranean typology and located in different Punic contexts of the town were analysed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thin-section petrography (OM). The analyses reveal that a significant number of them originated in North Africa, mainly in the area of Tunisia, though some originated from other production centres on the island of Sicily and probably Algeria. The results also confirm the existence of shared amphora types produced in different Punic production areas and workshops. Thus, the central argument here is that the arrival of containers from such diverse provenances allows us to identify the economic opportunity that this foundation represented for the metropolis as a whole and to explore how this new trade relationship was structured.

Better late (Roman) than never! A possible amphora fragment from 6th century Balatonlelle, Western Hungary

This study reports on a unique finding connected to the re-examination of the ceramic assemblage recovered from the Langobard age (6th century AD) settlement of Balatonlelle, situated in the territory of the former Roman province of Pannonia (now in western Hungary). An undecorated body sherd, not picked up by either the initial typological evaluation of the ceramics or by the preliminary petrographic analysis, was now reassessed by thin section ceramic petrography and scanning electron microscopy. The new analyses revealed that this sherd contains rock and mineral inclusions originated from ophiolites, including slightly serpentinised peridotite fragments. Such rocks do not occur on the surface in Hungary, whereas they are commonly found in the Eastern Mediterranean. The presence of ophiolites in the potsherd indicates that this vessel was produced in a distant territory. The macroscopic characteristics of the sherd combined with its petrographic fingerprint suggest that this pot might have been a transport amphora produced in the Eastern Mediterranean. Although rarely found in Pannonia in the Migration Period, several amphora types, including the most frequently found LRA 1 type, were produced in numerous production centres in the Eastern Mediterranean, in territories geologically congruous with the aplastic inclusions found in the fabric of the Balatonlelle sherd. The significance of this finding is that from Langobard age Pannonia, amphorae occur only sporadically, connected mainly to former Roman settlements. While any conclusions drawn from a single sherd must necessarily remain tentative, this sherd nonetheless provides some material evidence for the existence of some sort of contact between Balatonlelle and the Eastern Mediterranean during the 6th century, be it economic, political or cultural. This study also aims to celebrate the career of György Szakmány, who was one of the key figures to establish ceramic petrographic research and education in Hungary, and trained many generations of petrographers – including the present authors. As such, it also serves as an example how ceramic petrography can bring a new dimension of information to archaeological research.

Parion'dan Günsenin Tipi Amphoralar

Parion is situated within the boundaries of the village of Kemer, located in the northwest of the Biga district, which now forms a part of Çanakkale province. The excavations conducted in the town since 2005 have yielded various types of amphorae. Amphorae is one of the most numerically dense ceramic groups that were recovered from the Parion excavations. Previous investigations have indicated the existence of amphorae dating back to the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods. This article analyses the Günsenin-type amphorae discovered during excavations in Parion between 2007 and 2020. The study categorises amphora styles produced in Northern Marmara into typological groups. It was noted that the Günsenin type amphorae from Parion exhibit both high and low-capacity morphologies. The investigations identified eight different types of Günsenin amphorae present in Parion, which arrived in the city during the Middle Byzantine period (9th-13th centuries AD).

Crtice o prehrani u rimsko doba na prostoru Like

The paper provides an overview of the current published findings on nutrition in Roman times of Lika. Archeobotanical and archaeozoological analyzes have so far been made only at the site of Lički Ribnik, while from the site of Žuta Lokva several types of amphorae are known which contribute to the knowledge of the topic. The data provided the data that the Romans consumed millet, peas, beef and mutton in Lika. They drank wine from the Adriatic coast, used olive oil from Istria and Spain, and made their dishes with a special Roman spice garum.

A note on Medieval Mediterranean trade networks: first observations on the possible evidence of Sicilian amphorae of the 8th-9th century in Crete and the Aegean

Nearly a quarter of a century has gone by since scholars working on the Medieval Mediterranean were wondering if Byzantium was dead or alive during the 8th-9th centuries. Indeed, until recently, it was still quite a prevailing view that this period marked the ‘Dark Ages’ for the Byzantine Empire, in all the facets of its administrative, economic, and sociocultural life. Scholarly debate of the last years has zealously challenged this view, depicting a smoother and less pessimistic picture of this period. For instance, leaving aside historical and artistic aspects, and focusing on the theme of this report – that is Medieval amphorae – already in the mid-2010s it was clear that the Mediterranean remained a dynamic economic system throughout the 8th-9th century. This argument, which was mostly drawn on the evidence of the so-called Aegean globular amphorae, was further embodied and enhanced in 2018, during a thematic conference of the AIECM3 group, which was entirely dedicated to Medieval Mediterranean amphorae from the 8th to 12th centuries. Among the main and most valuable contributions, Cacciaguerra’s article shed light on the Mediterranean patterns of distribution of a specific type of amphora of the 8th-9th century produced in Sicily. Back then, amphorae of this kind were known outside Sicily, mostly along the Adriatic, but were utterly unknown eastward of the Otranto Straight. The aim of this short report is twofold: 1. to elaborate on this mainstream study-theme of Medieval Mediterranean amphorae and trade networks; 2. to expand on the current record of extra-regional evidence of Sicilian amphorae of the 8th-9th century by discussing the evidence of possible specimens documented in Crete and into the Aegean.

The Roman Military Presence On The Berezan Island

In the article, some categories of items found at Berezan island and testifying the Roman military presence are discussed. The proposal for accommodation of Roman troops units on the island are confirmed in the form of: architectural remains, some types of amphorae, a bronze eagle, medical instruments, numismatic material and Roman military ammunition.

“Macedonian Amphoras” at Kale, Krševica Site – Another Evidence about Chronology of the Iron Age Settlement and Connections with the Hellenistic World

Archaeological finds discovered in the course of the investigations at the site Kale near Krševica village confirmed the exceptional importance of that site. Large scale excavations conducted at the site from 2001 to 2018 revealed the remains of the settlement dating from the 4th – 3rd centuries BC. Settlement with the acropolis was at the dominant position in the vicinity of Južna Morava. From there it was easy to reach Macedonia and the Aegean via the passages along the Vardar river valley. Many discovered artifacts including metal objects, fragments of Greek painted pottery, large quantity of amphoras, which mainly originate from the vineyard regions around the towns of Thasos and Mende confirm the intensive relations between Krševica and the southeast Europe. For this occasion we selected from the various amphora types only few specimens, which differ from the older ones and are characterized by disk foot, ovoid or baggy body with rounded or angular shoulder, long, thin neck, flaring or projecting rim with sharp ridge well below, strap handles from shoulder to ridge. They are also known as “Macedonian amphora” type and they are related to the Hellenistic period. From the same period dates the remains of the large vaulted structure below the acropolis. Settlement at Krševica had been also known to the Celts. Many pits with large quantity of the Celtic finds were found at the acropolis. The material dates from the 2nd–1st centuries BC, from the time of clashes between the Celts and the Romans after the fall of Macedonia.

Multidisciplinary Approaches to Food and Foodways in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean Edited by Sylvie Yona Waksman (Archéologies 4). Lyon: Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée 2020. Pp. 508. €65. ISBN 978-2-35668-070-9 (paper).

<i>Multidisciplinary Approaches to Food and Foodways in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean</i> Edited by Sylvie Yona Waksman (Archéologies 4). Lyon: Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée 2020. Pp. 508. €65. ISBN 978-2-35668-070-9 (paper).

Production and Transport of Goods in the Roman Period: Residue Analysis and Wine Derivatives in Late Republican Baetican Ovoid Amphorae

ABSTRACT Amphorae are key materials in the investigation of the production and transport of goods in ancient times. For the Roman period, many typologies of amphorae are standardised and there are hypotheses concerning their uses and contents mainly based on the shape, provenance, tituli picti and, when preserved, the solid contents. However, there are still many amphora types that have to be investigated in order to better understand the economy of the regions where they were produced and filled. This is the case of the amphorae object of this paper: the so-called ovoid amphorae of Hispania Ulterior/Baetica. This paper presents new results of an interdisciplinary investigation aimed to discover the commodities contained in ovoid amphorae. This amphora type and its specific use have never been investigated, except for a preliminary test. Here, organic residues analysis of twenty-four amphorae produced in two different locations in Hispania Ulterior/Baetica (Bay of Cadiz and the Guadalquivir Valley) and excavated at the site of El Olivillo in Cadiz (Spain), are presented. The findings suggest that the majority of the amphorae were coated with abundant pitch derived from Pinaceae trees and that most of them contained grape derivatives, although other products were also identified. Not only is this documentation of Hispania Ulterior/Baetican wine production in the late Republican period important, but the use of ovoid amphorae for carrying wine is somewhat unexpected because it is usually thought that amphorae of this type in southern Italy and in the Corinthia probably carried olive oil.

Provenance of late Republican Roman pottery from Caput Adriae revealed by non-invasive mineral chemistry of melanitic garnets and other igneous minerals

Quite rare pottery shards showing a paste rich in black sand particles, possibly igneous minerals, have been discovered in late Republican Roman sites of Trieste area (NE Italy) and SW Slovenia in the Caput Adriae. Most of them belong to late Greco-Italic and Dressel 1 amphora types, in use from the end of the 3 rd and the beginning of 1 st centuries BC. Following a methodological procedure based on the analysis of igneous temper, proved to be particularly effective by several scholars, numerous minerals have been extracted from the surface of 16 pottery shards, without causing any visible damage to them. Microprobe analysis has allowed the identification of igneous minerals (olivine, clinopyroxene, feldspar and garnet), most likely originating from the Roman or Campanian magmatic provinces. The chemistry of garnets, indicated in the past as a possible tracer of ancient commerce but no longer used in the last decades to study Italian late Republican pottery, has proved to be a promising tool to distinguish among the two magmatic provinces. According to our study, most of the investigated garnets-bearing samples would originate from Somma-Vesuvius while some of them from Latium.

Petrographic and neutron activation analysis of Late Iron Age amphorae from the south western Iberian Peninsula

This paper presents the study of two sets of Late Iron Age amphorae from the south western Iberian Peninsula through petrographic and Neutron Activation analysis. The first assemblage includes Turdetanian amphorae from the Guadalquivir Valley, studied in relation to nearby production centres. The second group comprises similar amphorae from consumption centres located along the Portuguese coast, whose fabrics have suggested both the import of Turdetanian containers and local production in workshops around the Tagus and Sado estuaries.This study demonstrates the existence of commercial exchange involving foodstuffs between the lower Guadalquivir Valley and the central coast of Portugal. Furthermore, it represents the first petrographic and chemical characterisation of this type of amphora produced around the rivers Sado and Tagus.

Digital modeling of function and performance of transport amphorae

AbstractIn antiquity, amphorae served as standard transport containers for diverse goods. For packaging of large numbers of amphorae, the basically ovoid‐shaped amphora bodies were stacked in several layers placing their pointed bases into the spaces between the shoulders of the amphorae in the respective lower layer. Thus, particularly during transport in cargo ships they had to withstand considerable mechanical loads at their contact points. This required high mechanical performance concerning the actual ceramic materials as well as the vessel design. In the present paper, the performance of different types of amphorae will be assessed. On the basis of mechanical tests of specimens of East Aegean transport amphorae of the Hellenistic and Roman Period, the material properties of the ceramics have been estimated. These properties are used in three‐dimensional models, simulating the performance of different amphora types under typical loads by using the finite element method (FEM). In this way, specific design features of different vessel types can be assessed for their performance particularly during transport. On the other hand, the simulations provide information toward the interpretation of typical damages observed in archaeological finds and allow for a realistic assessment of amphora function and the risk of its failure.

The logistics of marking in the Baetic Amphoras. The use of numerals in the organizational systems of ceramic pro ductions

The objective of this study is to identify, by means of the analysis of the graffiti ante cocturam on the Roman amphoras, the different processes of production which are registered in the amphorae workshops. The olive oil produced in the Baetica served massively to nourish the western provinces of Roman Empire for more than 300 years. The standardization of the selected amphoric type, which extended over more than one hundred amphora workshops, allows us to observe certain patterns of similarity in the amphoric productions, at either a typological or epigraphic level, that allow us to understand the production organization of these amphoras. We apply here a development of the categorization of graffiti ante cocturam on these olive oil amphoras (i.e. Dressel 20) that allows us to analyze the set of the epigraphs which have been published so far from a new point of view. Our work focuses on the analysis of graffiti belonging to thirteen different archaeological surveys conducted on the surface of Monte Testaccio (Rome, years 1989 to 2000 and 2005). Before now the graffiti found in the different excavations of Monte Testaccio have been studied and published independently, and only through a global analysis can we present a joint vision of graffiti for more than a century, appreciating certain patterns or key trends which are important for understanding the different processes of production of the Dressel 20 amphorae in the production areas. The results suggest that the presence of numerals responds to a clear will on the part of the artisan collective who was dedicated to the manufacture of these amphoras to quantify the lots produced in any of the various phases of a production system. The fact that one is a part of a complex system of artisanal ceramic manufacturing at industrial levels necessitated a strict organizational control of all the productive phases. The continuity over time and the dispersion of the marking method in the territory makes us think of possible well-defined standardization processes, with learning processes common to the ceramic artisan communities and their possible mobility through the different workshops that produced the same type of amphora. The same results could be understood as part of the internal control of the contracted productions, as well as constituting a log of the internal logistics of the baking phase or for its control, when storing them in one of the first phases of formation of the amphora.

Eastern Mediterranean amphorae from Late Antique urban centers of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula: archaeometric characterization

Amphorae from Palestine, Turkey, the Aegean and other areas of the eastern Mediterranean are frequently documented in Late Antique archaeological contexts in northeastern Spain, in relation to the transport of wine and other products. In order to gain further information on their compositional variability, provenance and production technology, a series of these amphorae was archaeometrically characterized. The amphorae were sampled from various contexts found in consumption centres of the current Catalan coastal territory, dated between the 5th and 7th centuries AD. Various types of eastern Mediterranean amphorae were characterized, including the most common ones, such as LRA 1, LRA 4, LRA 2 and LRA 3, but also others less represented in the ceramic assemblages. The selected samples were analyzed using a combination of techniques (WD-X-ray fluorescence, X-ray powder diffraction and optical microscopy by thin section analysis) for their chemical, mineralogical and petrographic characterization. The results show the presence of well differentiated fabrics and chemical compositions for each of the amphora types analyzed as well as certain variability in some of them, related to differences in provenance and/or production technology. Comparison with available archaeometric and archaeological data from eastern Mediterranean production centers enabled for provenance hypotheses for many of the amphorae under study.

The amphorae of the Ma‘agan Mikhael B shipwreck: preliminary report

Ongoing excavations of the Maʻagan Mikhael B shipwreck have revealed the largest maritime cargo assemblage of Byzantine and Early Islamic ceramics discovered along the Israeli coast to date. Dated between the mid-7th and the mid-8th century CE, the nearly 20-metre-long shipwreck has yielded a cargo of various types of amphorae, including the Late Roman amphora (LRA) types LR 1, LR 2/globular amphorae, LR 4, and LR 5, several bearing inscriptions or dipinti. Some of the jars had stoppers of leather, stone and ceramic, and contained remains of various preserved foodstuffs. The significance of the cargo amphorae is relevant to the discussion of maritime trade networks during the late 7th and early 8th centuries in the Palestinian region, specifically, the information on inter-regional contacts and exchange during the transitional period between the Byzantine and Islamic eras.

Evolution of physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of Minutolo white wines during aging in amphorae: A comparison with stainless steel tanks

The work was aimed to evaluate the effects of aging on physico-chemical indices and antioxidant compounds of Minutolo wines produced through a traditional white vinification and kept for 12 months in 3 types of amphorae (raw, glazed, and engobe) and in stainless steel tanks. The concentrations of all the organic acids remained unchanged. The loss of flavonoids was in the range 35% (raw and glazed amphorae, stainless steel tanks)-45% (engobe amphorae). Flavans reactive with vanillin decreased by 66% in engobe amphorae and by 81% in raw amphorae. The decreases occurred in raw amphorae and stainless steel tanks were included in that range. The highest decrease of the antioxidant capacity measured through the ABTS assay was observed in raw amphorae (20% less than the starting value). The antioxidant capacity was mainly correlated to the concentrations of flavans reactive with vanillin (R2 = 0.845). According to the Principal Component Analysis, the wines were homogeneously grouped as a function of the type of container. From a sensory point of view, aging time affected limpidity and minerality while the type of container influenced minerality, gustatory-olfactory intensity, structure, and harmony. The wines aged in raw amphorae were judged as the best.

The Roman Amphorae Average Capacity (AC)

SummaryThis paper presents a methodological tool of statistical correction to assess the capacities of different Roman amphorae, whereby ceramic values are transformed into amounts of transported product. Based on scaled drawings of 1281 Roman amphorae, individual vessels’ capacities have been calculated by applying a CAD software to the inner profiles. Each vessel has been classified according to amphora types and the mean for each type has been calculated to produce a coefficient called Average Capacity (AC). The estimated capacities are highly reliable and show narrow confidence intervals. Therefore, they can be applied immediately as a correction factor in studies of quantification of amphorae aimed at characterizing trading dynamics. As such, we expect that future statistical studies of amphorae will include this statistical coefficient to produce more precise and reliable analysis of assemblages and, consequently, more accurate research on the Roman economy.

Effects of different vinification procedures and aging containers on phenolic and volatile composition of Greco white wines

Two wines, obtained respectively from Greco grapes submitted to (a) a traditional vinification in white and (b) a vinification including cryomaceration under reductive conditions, were aged for 12 months in glass container and in 3 types of amphorae (raw, glazed, and engobe). The wines obtained by cryomaceration under reductive conditions showed the highest phenolic contents both at racking and after aging. The phenolic contents decreased with aging and proanthocyanidins exhibited the greatest decrease. Antiradical/antioxidant activity at racking and after aging was higher in cryomacerated than in traditional wines. Antioxidant activity was not affected by the type of container. Volatile acids and esters decreased with aging, while alcohols, hydrocarbons, and aromatics increased. According to the principal component analysis (PCA) of results from conventional analyses and antioxidants, the wines were homogeneously grouped as a function of the vinification method applied. The PCA of volatile compounds allows to better emphasize the differences, grouping the data into three clusters according to the type of containers.