- Università degli Studi di Verona
Dipartimento di Culture e Civiltà
viale dell'Università 4
37129 Verona
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
"This research project is focussed on the distribution of amphorae and patterns of consumption in the Eastern Roman provinces of Moesia Inferior and Thrace and their economic relationships with the regions of the Western Mediterranean.... more
"This research project is focussed on the distribution of amphorae and patterns of consumption in the Eastern Roman provinces of Moesia Inferior and Thrace and their economic relationships with the regions of the Western Mediterranean.
The research represents a critical review of published data. The peculiar modern geopolitical context over the second half of the 20th century and problems related to linguistic accessibility has had the effect of creating a lack of comprehensive and up-to-date studies in this area and the knowledge of Bulgarian and other Slavic languages was instrumental in identifying local classification systems of amphorae with those commonly established.
The overall account of amphora distribution made it possible to examine in detail some case studies, which were selected either because of their role in the Roman period, or for the intensity of research. All these sites are situated near important commercial routes, along the lower bank of the Danube River (Novae, Sexaginta Prista and Trimammium), on the Western coast of the Black Sea (Odessos, Deultum, Apollonia Pontica) and in inland Thrace (Kabyle).
The direct examination of about four hundred items of amphorae (most of them unpublished) discovered in these sites was used to draft a chronological scheme, which builds on relevant contextual data and published evidence.
Trend analysis of the import of foodstuffs over specific historical periods: the typological examination of the amphorae and their marks, along with the type of agricultural production of their provenance area allow establishing the likely content of the containers (oil, wine, fish products or other foodstuffs). Graphs elaborated on the basis of these patterns can throw fresh insights on this archaeological research.
In the final synthesis, economic long term developments are pointed out. In particular, two commercials routes are highlighted: the first one is connected with the Western Black Sea trade route and it concerns mostly Agean and Pontic trading, without excluding some Western Mediterranean products which reached this territory still in the Late Hellenistic period. The second one runs along the Danube and it is related to the presence of Roman army: through this route since the first half of 1st century AD arrived the goods from the Adriatic Sea, and then, after the Dacian wars and the creation of the province of Dacia (106 AD), the foodstuffs from the Iberian Peninsula. The presence of Iberian commodities increases particularly when the Emperor Septimius Severus established the annona militaris. In this period some goods from the Pontus Euxinus reached the inland of Thrace as shown the assignment of Kabyle. "
The research represents a critical review of published data. The peculiar modern geopolitical context over the second half of the 20th century and problems related to linguistic accessibility has had the effect of creating a lack of comprehensive and up-to-date studies in this area and the knowledge of Bulgarian and other Slavic languages was instrumental in identifying local classification systems of amphorae with those commonly established.
The overall account of amphora distribution made it possible to examine in detail some case studies, which were selected either because of their role in the Roman period, or for the intensity of research. All these sites are situated near important commercial routes, along the lower bank of the Danube River (Novae, Sexaginta Prista and Trimammium), on the Western coast of the Black Sea (Odessos, Deultum, Apollonia Pontica) and in inland Thrace (Kabyle).
The direct examination of about four hundred items of amphorae (most of them unpublished) discovered in these sites was used to draft a chronological scheme, which builds on relevant contextual data and published evidence.
Trend analysis of the import of foodstuffs over specific historical periods: the typological examination of the amphorae and their marks, along with the type of agricultural production of their provenance area allow establishing the likely content of the containers (oil, wine, fish products or other foodstuffs). Graphs elaborated on the basis of these patterns can throw fresh insights on this archaeological research.
In the final synthesis, economic long term developments are pointed out. In particular, two commercials routes are highlighted: the first one is connected with the Western Black Sea trade route and it concerns mostly Agean and Pontic trading, without excluding some Western Mediterranean products which reached this territory still in the Late Hellenistic period. The second one runs along the Danube and it is related to the presence of Roman army: through this route since the first half of 1st century AD arrived the goods from the Adriatic Sea, and then, after the Dacian wars and the creation of the province of Dacia (106 AD), the foodstuffs from the Iberian Peninsula. The presence of Iberian commodities increases particularly when the Emperor Septimius Severus established the annona militaris. In this period some goods from the Pontus Euxinus reached the inland of Thrace as shown the assignment of Kabyle. "