- Latin Epigraphy, Roman Economy, Instrumentum domesticum, Interregional Relations in roman time, Yenikapı Marmaray-Metro Excavation (İstanbul), Byzantine economy, and 6 moreArchaeology of Roman Dalmatia, Early Byzantine Pottery production, Globular Amphorae, Trade and Exchange during 7th and 8th c. A.D., Near Eastern Archaeology, Byzantine Amphorae, Amphora Stamps, Food in antiquity, and Hellenistic archaeologyedit
The Late Roman Republic and Early Augustan ages are of maximum importance for the understanding of the enormous volume of the Baetican exports of olive oil in later moments. Further, these initial stages mark the beginning of the... more
The Late Roman Republic and Early Augustan ages are of maximum importance for the understanding of the enormous volume of the Baetican exports of olive oil in later moments. Further, these initial stages mark the beginning of the phenomenon of the intense stamping on oil amphorae. The aim of this work is to analyse in depth the epigraphical production of Lucius Horatius, who appears to be the oldest stamp on south Spanish olive oil amphorae. The most recent findings are presented in detail, enlarging the nomina and geography of this production. A critical update is made of all the epigraphical and archaeological data known to date and problems related to their typological ascription are discussed as wel. Through such an integral analysis the main trade routes of the Horati stamps can be traced, with an important diffusion in the Iberian Peninsula,
with special incidence in the Portuguese and Galician Atlantic façade, and a second line of diffusion towards other Mediterranean regions. The findings in Galicia and Portugal are related to the definitive conquest of the Iberian Peninsula as a whole in the time of Augustus, while those of the Mediterranean façade point to other trade routes, which were expanding with other south Spanish ovoid amphorae shortly before the beginning of the Augustan period.
Key words: Hispania; Guadalquivir Valley; Roman Amphorae; Ovoid Amphorae; Betic Olive Oil; Pottery
Production; Gaul.
with special incidence in the Portuguese and Galician Atlantic façade, and a second line of diffusion towards other Mediterranean regions. The findings in Galicia and Portugal are related to the definitive conquest of the Iberian Peninsula as a whole in the time of Augustus, while those of the Mediterranean façade point to other trade routes, which were expanding with other south Spanish ovoid amphorae shortly before the beginning of the Augustan period.
Key words: Hispania; Guadalquivir Valley; Roman Amphorae; Ovoid Amphorae; Betic Olive Oil; Pottery
Production; Gaul.
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Horacio González Cesteros, Piero Berni Millet, Iván González Tobar, Enrique García Vargas, Rui Roberto de Almeida En los últimos años ha habido un importante avance sobre el conocimiento de las primeras fases de exportación del aceite... more
Horacio González Cesteros, Piero Berni Millet, Iván González Tobar, Enrique García Vargas, Rui Roberto de Almeida
En los últimos años ha habido un importante avance sobre el conocimiento de las primeras fases de exportación del aceite de oliva de la Bética, ejemplarizado en la individualización de los primeros envases propiamente béticos de tradición romana, usados para comercializar este producto dentro y fuera de Hispania. Se trata de un proceso innovador que se inicia durante el tercer cuarto del siglo I a.C. y que se incrementa exponencialmente a partir de la segunda mitad de siglo. La finalidad de esta ponencia es explicar el proceso evolutivo y de transformación de los diferentes envases precursores de la Dressel 20, con sus talleres en el valle del Guadalquivir y los focos de difusión exterior. Queremos indagar en el devenir de este proceso dentro del amplio contexto económico del Mediterráneo tardorrepublicano y augusteo, comparando los datos relativos al aceite bético con la producción y exportación de aceite desde otras regiones mediterráneas, e intentando sugerir ciertas pautas relativas al avance de la producción de aceite en la Bética desde la aparición de los primeros tipos olearios hasta que se convierte en la región productora más importante desde el cambio de era hasta el abandono del Monte Testaccio en el s. III d.C.
En los últimos años ha habido un importante avance sobre el conocimiento de las primeras fases de exportación del aceite de oliva de la Bética, ejemplarizado en la individualización de los primeros envases propiamente béticos de tradición romana, usados para comercializar este producto dentro y fuera de Hispania. Se trata de un proceso innovador que se inicia durante el tercer cuarto del siglo I a.C. y que se incrementa exponencialmente a partir de la segunda mitad de siglo. La finalidad de esta ponencia es explicar el proceso evolutivo y de transformación de los diferentes envases precursores de la Dressel 20, con sus talleres en el valle del Guadalquivir y los focos de difusión exterior. Queremos indagar en el devenir de este proceso dentro del amplio contexto económico del Mediterráneo tardorrepublicano y augusteo, comparando los datos relativos al aceite bético con la producción y exportación de aceite desde otras regiones mediterráneas, e intentando sugerir ciertas pautas relativas al avance de la producción de aceite en la Bética desde la aparición de los primeros tipos olearios hasta que se convierte en la región productora más importante desde el cambio de era hasta el abandono del Monte Testaccio en el s. III d.C.
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The standardization of transport amphorae provides a window into the scales, organizations, and technological practices behind ancient Mediterranean production, and thus also the coordination and complexity of past economic systems. As... more
The standardization of transport amphorae provides a window into the scales, organizations, and technological practices behind ancient Mediterranean production, and thus also the coordination and complexity of past economic
systems. As our greatest archaeological evidence for the packaging and distribution of bulk agricultural goods over
long distances, transport amphorae represent a fundamental technology that responded to and influenced logistics
and processes of Mediterranean exchange. This contribution sets forth the volume’s overall intellectual questions for
interrogating transport amphorae along with a framework – definitions, parameters, and contexts – through which
standardization (and variation) may be explored analytically, in the process introducing the individual case study
chapters that follow and their broader economic questions and intersections.
Approaching this material evidence requires a careful definition, and here we emphasize the concept of standardization as not a specific state of being but rather a process – i.e., a process of ›standardizing‹ – and related closely
in turn to the process of diversification. From an archaeological perspective, standardization can be reflected in
different aspects, such as formal features, volumetric homogeneity, production volumes and the related numbers and
structures of workshops, or the presence of epigraphic evidence. However, we also discuss the economic, social,
political, and other contexts in which different forms of standardized production may have appeared, as well as the
parameters behind and mechanisms that facilitated it. After introducing each of the case studies, which range from
pre-Roman to late Byzantine and from western Iberia to the Black Sea and Levant, we draw together certain themes
and questions that link the volume’s intellectual agenda and historical implications.
We examine the distinctly regional settings and shared production traditions that gave rise to different standard
shapes and sizes, as well as the coordination and mutual influence across regions that are particularly evident in the
Roman period. Questions emerge regarding how such containers communicated information and for what audiences;
how concerns over transmitting information intersected with practical logistics of container handling, shipment, and
exchange; what level of precision potters and merchants were able to (and cared to) achieve in controlling linear
dimensions and capacities; and what mechanisms were available to transmit techniques and knowledge of standardized production across regions and generations. No less important are questions surrounding how the standardization
of amphorae reflected the potential standardization of products – or origins and styles of products – they contained.
The chapter ends by exploring the broader questions of ancient economic history to which such analyses might
contribute, including complicating scholarly assumptions regarding singular notions of ›efficiency‹ in production
and exchange. Much work remains to be done in exploring the finer contours of potential links between standardization and scales of economic activity, ranging from small producers and local trade to the mass production and interregional shipment for large urban markets that characterized the Roman and Byzantine worlds. By identifying at least
some fundamental questions that remain among these chapters – not least the relative roles of institutions like state
and military supply versus market-based exchange in driving the different trajectories toward standardization and
diversification – we hope to highlight the wide range of productive questions and analytical paths open for future work.
systems. As our greatest archaeological evidence for the packaging and distribution of bulk agricultural goods over
long distances, transport amphorae represent a fundamental technology that responded to and influenced logistics
and processes of Mediterranean exchange. This contribution sets forth the volume’s overall intellectual questions for
interrogating transport amphorae along with a framework – definitions, parameters, and contexts – through which
standardization (and variation) may be explored analytically, in the process introducing the individual case study
chapters that follow and their broader economic questions and intersections.
Approaching this material evidence requires a careful definition, and here we emphasize the concept of standardization as not a specific state of being but rather a process – i.e., a process of ›standardizing‹ – and related closely
in turn to the process of diversification. From an archaeological perspective, standardization can be reflected in
different aspects, such as formal features, volumetric homogeneity, production volumes and the related numbers and
structures of workshops, or the presence of epigraphic evidence. However, we also discuss the economic, social,
political, and other contexts in which different forms of standardized production may have appeared, as well as the
parameters behind and mechanisms that facilitated it. After introducing each of the case studies, which range from
pre-Roman to late Byzantine and from western Iberia to the Black Sea and Levant, we draw together certain themes
and questions that link the volume’s intellectual agenda and historical implications.
We examine the distinctly regional settings and shared production traditions that gave rise to different standard
shapes and sizes, as well as the coordination and mutual influence across regions that are particularly evident in the
Roman period. Questions emerge regarding how such containers communicated information and for what audiences;
how concerns over transmitting information intersected with practical logistics of container handling, shipment, and
exchange; what level of precision potters and merchants were able to (and cared to) achieve in controlling linear
dimensions and capacities; and what mechanisms were available to transmit techniques and knowledge of standardized production across regions and generations. No less important are questions surrounding how the standardization
of amphorae reflected the potential standardization of products – or origins and styles of products – they contained.
The chapter ends by exploring the broader questions of ancient economic history to which such analyses might
contribute, including complicating scholarly assumptions regarding singular notions of ›efficiency‹ in production
and exchange. Much work remains to be done in exploring the finer contours of potential links between standardization and scales of economic activity, ranging from small producers and local trade to the mass production and interregional shipment for large urban markets that characterized the Roman and Byzantine worlds. By identifying at least
some fundamental questions that remain among these chapters – not least the relative roles of institutions like state
and military supply versus market-based exchange in driving the different trajectories toward standardization and
diversification – we hope to highlight the wide range of productive questions and analytical paths open for future work.
Research Interests:
This paper analyzes the development of amphora production in a specific region in the northern Mediterranean coastal corner of Hispania Citerior, ancient Layetania. The purpose is to search for the aims and reasons behind the achievement... more
This paper analyzes the development of amphora production in a specific region in the northern Mediterranean coastal
corner of Hispania Citerior, ancient Layetania. The purpose is to search for the aims and reasons behind the achievement of a high standardization level as seen upon analysis ranging from the first stages of production in the late 2nd century B.C. to its decline in the late 1st century A.D. The central Catalan coastal region must be regarded as a special case
study due to the current large archaeological knowledge based on the amphora epigraphy, the petrographical studies,
the large number of excavated kiln sites, as well as the presence of its amphorae in their most important import places
and shipwrecks. This large quantity of evidence provides the foundation for an in-depth analysis of the formal and
volumetric standardization achieved by Layetanian amphora production. However, we believe our study would be
unsuccessful if we were not to pay attention to the essential economic, social, and politic factors that were reflected and
determined the production and standardization level of these transport vessels. These factors were closely linked to the
development of the western Roman economy and were much broader than the geographical limits of central Catalonia,
including not only other regions in the Iberian Peninsula but Gallia Narbonensis and Thyrrenian Italy as well.
The observed standardization process of the Layetanian amphorae was not a lineal development but something
that we can perceive in two relevant moments. The first took place in the central decades of the 1st century B.C. when
the production of Italic or pre-Roman Iberian amphora types was gradually replaced by the first provincial amphorae.
These first amphorae seem to have lacked a formal and volumetric standardization and can be regarded as transitional
types that developed into the Pascual 1 type at the beginning of the Augustan era. The second moment of change took
place from late Augustan times and can be regarded as something exceptional when compared with the development of
amphora production in most of the Roman provinces during early imperial times. Even if the production of Pascual 1
continued for some decades, in the workshops around the recently founded colony of Barcino a ›new‹ amphora type,
the so-called Dressel 3-2, based once again in Italian types, started to be produced. We argue that this shift in the formal
production of transport vessels in Layetania was motivated by the introduction of new owners of Italian origin, who
settled in and around Barcino, and also by the mutation of the main import markets, which from now on would be
placed in the central area of western Italy.
We are persuaded that Layetanian amphora production and its standardization is one of the most suitable examples
for understanding the interconnectedness of the Roman economy of late Republican and early imperial times. Future
data will surely nuance the current state of research, but in the following pages, a general overview of the standardization process can be seen, with its causes, consequences, and general repercussions on the provincial economies.
corner of Hispania Citerior, ancient Layetania. The purpose is to search for the aims and reasons behind the achievement of a high standardization level as seen upon analysis ranging from the first stages of production in the late 2nd century B.C. to its decline in the late 1st century A.D. The central Catalan coastal region must be regarded as a special case
study due to the current large archaeological knowledge based on the amphora epigraphy, the petrographical studies,
the large number of excavated kiln sites, as well as the presence of its amphorae in their most important import places
and shipwrecks. This large quantity of evidence provides the foundation for an in-depth analysis of the formal and
volumetric standardization achieved by Layetanian amphora production. However, we believe our study would be
unsuccessful if we were not to pay attention to the essential economic, social, and politic factors that were reflected and
determined the production and standardization level of these transport vessels. These factors were closely linked to the
development of the western Roman economy and were much broader than the geographical limits of central Catalonia,
including not only other regions in the Iberian Peninsula but Gallia Narbonensis and Thyrrenian Italy as well.
The observed standardization process of the Layetanian amphorae was not a lineal development but something
that we can perceive in two relevant moments. The first took place in the central decades of the 1st century B.C. when
the production of Italic or pre-Roman Iberian amphora types was gradually replaced by the first provincial amphorae.
These first amphorae seem to have lacked a formal and volumetric standardization and can be regarded as transitional
types that developed into the Pascual 1 type at the beginning of the Augustan era. The second moment of change took
place from late Augustan times and can be regarded as something exceptional when compared with the development of
amphora production in most of the Roman provinces during early imperial times. Even if the production of Pascual 1
continued for some decades, in the workshops around the recently founded colony of Barcino a ›new‹ amphora type,
the so-called Dressel 3-2, based once again in Italian types, started to be produced. We argue that this shift in the formal
production of transport vessels in Layetania was motivated by the introduction of new owners of Italian origin, who
settled in and around Barcino, and also by the mutation of the main import markets, which from now on would be
placed in the central area of western Italy.
We are persuaded that Layetanian amphora production and its standardization is one of the most suitable examples
for understanding the interconnectedness of the Roman economy of late Republican and early imperial times. Future
data will surely nuance the current state of research, but in the following pages, a general overview of the standardization process can be seen, with its causes, consequences, and general repercussions on the provincial economies.
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The archaeological site of La Longarina in Ostia has been partially excavated in two different field campaigns. Excavations in Longarina 1 were carried out in 1975 and in Longarina 2 in 2005. The two work areas were situated very close to... more
The archaeological site of La Longarina in Ostia has been partially excavated in two different field campaigns. Excavations in Longarina 1 were carried out in 1975 and in Longarina 2 in 2005. The two work areas were situated very close to each other, in the vast lagoon of Ostia connected with the sea on one side and elsewhere with the salt flats. Research has revealed the existence of a reclamation system of the marshland by the drainage of groundwater and by reinforcing the lagoon banks with soils mixed with various clayey materials. With this aim, during the late 1 st century BCE and first moments of the 1 st CE, large quantities of earth mixed with different materials, mainly pottery, were interleaved with deposits of complete or almost complete amphorae. With this contribution we aim to report a first preliminary study about the Longarina 2 depot, based on a first small campaign developed in November 2021. This depot is formed by 47 amphorae (fig. 3, tab. 1). From a chronological point of view there is a striking homogeneity with all the amphora types dated in the central decades of the 1 st century BCE; from a geographical perspective, most amphorae came from the Italian regions, especially from the central and north Adriatic (34) with a smaller quantity of those produced in different Tirrenian areas (4). However, extra-Italian regions such as the Iberian Peninsula (7) and North Africa (2) are present as well. This preliminary publication is the first step in a larger study about the whole context included in a broad scientific collaboration between the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica, the Austrian Archaeological Institute (ÖAI), the
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Ephesos was one of the most important cities of antiquity. Settled in the heartland of a very productive region, the city had good road networks with the Anatolian inland and a main harbour open to the Aegean. Archaeology has shown... more
Ephesos was one of the most important cities of antiquity. Settled in the heartland of a very productive region, the
city had good road networks with the Anatolian inland and a main harbour open to the Aegean. Archaeology has
shown evidence of the arrival of commodities from the entire ancient world at Ephesos and the intense commercial activity of the city, even with remote regions. On the other hand, the exportation of Ephesian and Asia Minor
commodities is attested due to the presence, in almost every ancient site, of non-perishable materials produced and
exported from Ephesos. This paper attempts a first approach to the extremely complex archaeological and historical
question of the trade interconnectivity of Ephesos with other major commercial centres, in this case with two other
major cities: Carthage and Alexandria. These cities also acted as focal points for the distribution of commodities
from their territories as well as redistribution hubs of further commercial routes. The analysis of the epigraphic,
numismatic and above all the pottery evidence will reveal the existence of close ties between these cities.
city had good road networks with the Anatolian inland and a main harbour open to the Aegean. Archaeology has
shown evidence of the arrival of commodities from the entire ancient world at Ephesos and the intense commercial activity of the city, even with remote regions. On the other hand, the exportation of Ephesian and Asia Minor
commodities is attested due to the presence, in almost every ancient site, of non-perishable materials produced and
exported from Ephesos. This paper attempts a first approach to the extremely complex archaeological and historical
question of the trade interconnectivity of Ephesos with other major commercial centres, in this case with two other
major cities: Carthage and Alexandria. These cities also acted as focal points for the distribution of commodities
from their territories as well as redistribution hubs of further commercial routes. The analysis of the epigraphic,
numismatic and above all the pottery evidence will reveal the existence of close ties between these cities.
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This synthesis undertakes the diachronic analysis of palaeocontents of the amphorae produced in the south of the Iberian Peninsula in Antiquity. This includes Punic finds in the coastal areas and Turdetanian containers in the interior... more
This synthesis undertakes the diachronic analysis of palaeocontents of the amphorae produced in the south of the Iberian
Peninsula in Antiquity. This includes Punic finds in the coastal areas and Turdetanian containers in the interior regions and the major
fluvial valleys, the direct forerunners of the economic growth and agricultural boom experienced in the conventus Gaditanus and the
Guadalquivir valley from the 1st century BC onwards. The study focuses on the areas where amphorae were produced and on the main
products they contained (olive oil, salt preserves and wine), and specific examples are used to illustrate the status quaestionis for each
amphora family or type, as the amount of available evidence is overwhelming and cannot all be presented here. Special attention is
paid to complex and less well understood issues. Direct and indirect evidence for the content of amphorae in Hispania Ulterior/Baetica
Peninsula in Antiquity. This includes Punic finds in the coastal areas and Turdetanian containers in the interior regions and the major
fluvial valleys, the direct forerunners of the economic growth and agricultural boom experienced in the conventus Gaditanus and the
Guadalquivir valley from the 1st century BC onwards. The study focuses on the areas where amphorae were produced and on the main
products they contained (olive oil, salt preserves and wine), and specific examples are used to illustrate the status quaestionis for each
amphora family or type, as the amount of available evidence is overwhelming and cannot all be presented here. Special attention is
paid to complex and less well understood issues. Direct and indirect evidence for the content of amphorae in Hispania Ulterior/Baetica
Research Interests:
This synthesis undertakes the diachronic analysis of palaeocontents of the amphorae produced in the south of the Iberian Peninsula in Antiquity. This includes Punic finds in the coastal areas and Turdetanian containers in the interior... more
This synthesis undertakes the diachronic analysis of palaeocontents of the amphorae produced in the south of the Iberian Peninsula in Antiquity. This includes Punic finds in the coastal areas and Turdetanian containers in the interior regions and the major fluvial valleys, the direct forerunners of the economic growth and agricultural boom experienced in the conventus Gaditanus and the Guadalquivir valley from the 1st century BC onwards. The study focuses on the areas where amphorae were produced and on the main products they contained (olive oil, salt preserves and wine), and specific examples are used to illustrate the status quaestionis for each amphora family or type, as the amount of available evidence is overwhelming and cannot all be presented here. Special attention is paid to complex and less well understood issues. Direct and indirect evidence for the content of amphorae in Hispania Ulterior/Baetica (and of its precedents) is abundant, owing to the combination of different sources, notably the chemical analysis of organic residues.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Food in antiquity, Iron Age Iberian Peninsula (Archaeology), Archaeology of the Iberian Peninsula, Late Roman Archaeology, and 8 moreArchaeology of Roman Hispania, Residue Analysis (Archaeology), Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Amphorae (Archaeology), Roman Amphorae, Ancient Fishing, Late Roman Amphorae, and Roman Archaeology
La denominada "cantina" ha sido la principal prioridad del estudio arqueológico de la Casa de Ariadna desde 2013 hasta 2015. En su estado actual, la denominada cantina fue la bodega de la casa de Ariadna (ambiente 58), al me
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Dealing with the ‘big family’ that ovoid transport containers comprise, and finding a definition that can encapsulate their many formal, geographical and cultural variations, was never going to be a straightforward or trouble-free matter.... more
Dealing with the ‘big family’ that ovoid transport containers comprise, and finding a definition that can encapsulate their many formal, geographical and cultural variations, was never going to be a straightforward or trouble-free matter. The concept of the ovoid form embraces a huge and diversified range of actual vessels. Traditionally, it includes such shapes as: 1) the so-called Brindisian amphorae, which were probably inspired by Corinthian and north Peloponnesian ovoid prototypes; 2) the little-known ovoid amphorae from the central and northern Italian Adriatic; 3) the also poorly systematised Campania-Lazio ovoid amphorae; 4) the early African amphorae from the Proconsularis, previously known as ‘Ancient Tripolitanian’ and recently renamed as ‘Ancient African’ type; 5) the ovoid amphorae from Tingitania – western north Africa; 6) the amphorae from several production areas of Hispania, each of them with its own specific repertoire, including four main and extensive regions – the Bay of Cadiz and the Mediterranean coastal area of Hispania Ulterior, the Guadalquivir valley also in Hispania Ulterior, the eastern costal area of Hispania Citerior Tarraconensis, and finally the western Atlantic façade of Hispania Ulterior, later Lusitania.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Classical Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Archaeology of Roman Hispania, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), and 9 moreAncient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Amphorae (Archaeology), Ancient Shipwrecks, Amphorae, Hispania, Ancient Mediterranean ports, Roman Amphorae, Roman cities of Baetica (Hispania), and Roman Archaeology
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n 2012, two of the authors conducted research in the amphora collection of the National Museum of Roman Art (Museo Nacional de Arte Romano/MNAR) in Mérida (Spain). Their attention was attracted by one of the museum's finds. It was an... more
n 2012, two of the authors conducted research in the amphora collection of the National Museum of Roman Art (Museo Nacional de Arte Romano/MNAR) in Mérida (Spain). Their attention was attracted by one of the museum's finds. It was an almost complete Beltrán 72 amphora, the fabric of which showed its production place to have been within the Cadiz Bay area (Spain). It bore a red-ink inscription on the neck and upper part of the body. Taking a good graphic copy of the inscription, the authors discussed it with several epigraphic and linguistic specialists, arriving at the conclusion that it was written using two alphabets, a Semitic one for the two upper lines, and Latin for the lowest one.
Because of this exceptional piece, already presented to the general public in the exhibition catalogue Ars Scribendi (Almeida 2014), the authors decided to conduct a closer examination of this amphora typology, Hebrew inscriptions found on amphorae and known to them, and to establish the context of this find within the important Roman and late antique Jewish community of Augusta Emerita and the Iberian Peninsula
Because of this exceptional piece, already presented to the general public in the exhibition catalogue Ars Scribendi (Almeida 2014), the authors decided to conduct a closer examination of this amphora typology, Hebrew inscriptions found on amphorae and known to them, and to establish the context of this find within the important Roman and late antique Jewish community of Augusta Emerita and the Iberian Peninsula
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Recent underwater archaeological surveys (2008-2010) carried out in La Caleta area brought to light interesting material from different historical phases of the Bay of Cadiz. Some small amphorae produced in the Hinterland of Ephesus are... more
Recent underwater archaeological surveys (2008-2010) carried out in La Caleta area brought to light interesting material from different historical phases of the Bay of Cadiz. Some small amphorae produced in the Hinterland of Ephesus are studied in this paper, all of them found in La Caleta, as first evidence of imports from the Aegean metropolis in Cádiz. Those Ephesian individuals could bea representative example of the long distance commerce and the high quality products consumed by the Gaditan elites during the Roman period and the Late Antiquity.To achieve this we will also refer to the Ephesian agricultural production, and particularly wine and the production and commercial structures of the Aegean metropolis.
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La Caleta (Cadiz) has been addressed in the last decades as part of the port facilities of the ancient city of Gadir/Gades. The research in the area has provided interesting data regarding the distribu- tion of amphorae on the basis of... more
La Caleta (Cadiz) has been addressed in the last decades as part of the port facilities of the ancient city of Gadir/Gades. The research in the area has provided interesting data regarding the distribu- tion of amphorae on the basis of the study of a heterogeneous set of evidence from archaeological campaigns or from museum collections. The role of La Caleta and its surrounding shoals as anchor- age and commercial port should have been very important in Antiquity, at least from the Phoeni- cian period to the Late Roman Empire. Therefore, the analysis of the ceramic evidence from the site is quite relevant not only to contribute to a better un- derstanding of the use of this coastal area but also to study the features of the local maritime trade and the reception of foreign commodities. The main goal of the paper is to present some unpub- lished amphorae discovered in underwater contexts of the area of La Caleta in the 70’s. After a brief historiographic introduction we present the study of 36 amphorae individuals, and on the basis of the available data we will propose some ideas about the commercial uxes from/to Gadir/Gades between the 5th century BC and the 2nd century AD.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Roman Pottery, Underwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), and 8 morePhoenician Punic Archaeology, Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Amphorae (Archaeology), Ancient Shipwrecks, Gadir, Gades, Roman Amphorae, and Ancient Maritime Trade Routes
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Current research trends on the material culture in the province of Hispania Ulterior in the late republic and the early years of the Augustean reign, make any systematisation of amphorae in the Guadalquivir valley (in a wide sense)... more
Current research trends on the material culture in
the province of Hispania Ulterior in the late republic and the
early years of the Augustean reign, make any systematisation
of amphorae in the Guadalquivir valley (in a wide sense) liable
to be soon superseded by new finds and evidence. The
present work aims at reviewing the state of the question of
1st century b. C. amphorae, not exhaustively but taken as
many contexts into account as possible, including production
and consumption areas. Starting with the material evidence,
we propose a typology divided in seventeen regional
amphora types in four groups, according to ‘commercial sucess’
and the duration of the type. The morphological analysis,
which includes new proposals on the origin and development
of types such as Haltern 70, Oberaden 83 and Urceus,
is offered along a historic-economic contextualisation
and the comparison with other coeval amphoric repertoires in
the Iberian Peninsula. The result is a complex typological and
functional proposal which, in our opinion, responds better to
the archaeological record for the chronology and geographical
context in hand. Obviously, the proposal aims at becoming
the base for further discussion in the future.
Keywords: Amphorae, Guadalquivir Valley, Roman Republic,
1st. century B.C., tipology
the province of Hispania Ulterior in the late republic and the
early years of the Augustean reign, make any systematisation
of amphorae in the Guadalquivir valley (in a wide sense) liable
to be soon superseded by new finds and evidence. The
present work aims at reviewing the state of the question of
1st century b. C. amphorae, not exhaustively but taken as
many contexts into account as possible, including production
and consumption areas. Starting with the material evidence,
we propose a typology divided in seventeen regional
amphora types in four groups, according to ‘commercial sucess’
and the duration of the type. The morphological analysis,
which includes new proposals on the origin and development
of types such as Haltern 70, Oberaden 83 and Urceus,
is offered along a historic-economic contextualisation
and the comparison with other coeval amphoric repertoires in
the Iberian Peninsula. The result is a complex typological and
functional proposal which, in our opinion, responds better to
the archaeological record for the chronology and geographical
context in hand. Obviously, the proposal aims at becoming
the base for further discussion in the future.
Keywords: Amphorae, Guadalquivir Valley, Roman Republic,
1st. century B.C., tipology
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The production of amphorae and the export of commodities transported in them was a key activity for the Mediterranean world in Antiquity. Consequently, their study is of enormous value for analysing the agricultural and fishing economy,... more
The production of amphorae and the export of commodities transported in them was a key activity for the Mediterranean world in Antiquity. Consequently, their study is of enormous value for analysing the agricultural and fishing economy, and also the commercial mechanism of that period. Through the typological and chronological analysis of these ceramic containers, a high degree of knowledge has been achieved, especially for the production of the different Mediterranean societies from the second millennium BC to the Middle Ages.
In The Ovoid Amphorae in the Central and Western Mediterranean between the last two centuries of the Republic and the early days of the Roman Empire, several series of amphorae created in the Late Republican Roman period (2nd and 1st centuries BC) have been studied – a group of material until now little studied. All of these groups of containers share a common feature in the shape of their bodies which is generally ovoid. The fact that they were conceived and developed in the economic and political context in which Rome expanded throughout the Mediterranean, transferring to its new territories its production and commercialization procedures, bears witness to the almost total integration of the Mediterranean markets.
This publication is based on the proceedings of the workshop held at Seville University in December 2015. The book brings together contributions on the main production areas of these ovoid amphorae from the Atlantic to the Greek mainland / North Peloponnese, analysing in detail the origins, evolution and disappearance of their main series. It also includes case studies that are particularly relevant in relation to their distribution, consumption patterns, contents and relationship with other groups of amphorae manufactured in the Roman Imperial era. The aim of this publication has been to present an updated and complete synthesis of the so-called ovoid amphorae, from an interdisciplinary, international and diachronic standpoint.
In The Ovoid Amphorae in the Central and Western Mediterranean between the last two centuries of the Republic and the early days of the Roman Empire, several series of amphorae created in the Late Republican Roman period (2nd and 1st centuries BC) have been studied – a group of material until now little studied. All of these groups of containers share a common feature in the shape of their bodies which is generally ovoid. The fact that they were conceived and developed in the economic and political context in which Rome expanded throughout the Mediterranean, transferring to its new territories its production and commercialization procedures, bears witness to the almost total integration of the Mediterranean markets.
This publication is based on the proceedings of the workshop held at Seville University in December 2015. The book brings together contributions on the main production areas of these ovoid amphorae from the Atlantic to the Greek mainland / North Peloponnese, analysing in detail the origins, evolution and disappearance of their main series. It also includes case studies that are particularly relevant in relation to their distribution, consumption patterns, contents and relationship with other groups of amphorae manufactured in the Roman Imperial era. The aim of this publication has been to present an updated and complete synthesis of the so-called ovoid amphorae, from an interdisciplinary, international and diachronic standpoint.
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
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Presented in the «Roman Amphora Contents International Interactive Conference (RACIIC) Reflecting on Maritime Trade in foodstuffs in Antiquity», held at Cádiz, Spain in October, 5th – 7th, 2015 (http://amphoraecontentsconference.es/).
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Panels I-IV at the Leeds International Medieval Congress 2019, sessions 1012, 1112, 1212, 1312, Wed. 03 July - 09.00-18.00 Sponsored by the ERC Project CONNEC 'Connected Clerics: Building a Universal Church in the Late Antique West' and... more
Panels I-IV at the Leeds International Medieval Congress 2019, sessions 1012, 1112, 1212, 1312, Wed. 03 July - 09.00-18.00
Sponsored by the ERC Project CONNEC 'Connected Clerics: Building a Universal Church in the Late Antique West' and Royal Holloway, University of London. Organised by Victoria Leonard, Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London and David Natal Villazala.
Sponsored by the ERC Project CONNEC 'Connected Clerics: Building a Universal Church in the Late Antique West' and Royal Holloway, University of London. Organised by Victoria Leonard, Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London and David Natal Villazala.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
González Cesteros, H.; Berni Millet, P.; González Tobar, I.; García Vargas, E.; de Almeida, R.R. (2022). "Antes de la Dressel 20: tallers cerámicos y ánforas de aceite del Guadalquivir entre el final de la República y mediados del siglo I... more
González Cesteros, H.; Berni Millet, P.; González Tobar, I.; García Vargas, E.; de Almeida, R.R. (2022). "Antes de la Dressel 20: tallers cerámicos y ánforas de aceite del Guadalquivir entre el final de la República y mediados del siglo I d.C.". en Testaceum I, Studi amphoraria Emilio Rodríguez Almeida dicata. Le anfore betiche Dressel 20: produzione e diffusione. Gradus, Rivista di Archeologia, 2022 - anno 17 n. 1; pp. 74-84