Recent excavations carried out by the Soprintendenza archeologica di Ostia in the Ager Portuensis near Ostia brought to light a number of republican sites which are thought to be connected to the production and commercialization of salt. This region has played an important role in Rome’s history, because of the presence of the salt marshes and its strategic position on the mouth of the Tiber. The excavated contexts contain graeco-italic wine amphorae of types 5, 5-6 and 6 of van der Mersch’s classification associated with black-slip ware and local common wares. The circulation of wine and amphorae in Northern Latium in general has not been studied yet, and these excavations provide the opportunity for an assessment of the situation in the republican period (www.immensaaequora.org). The archaeometric study comprises petrographical and chemical analyses (X-ray Fluorescence WDS) chosen among amphorae from various sites. The provenance determination relies on existing databases of kiln sites of Roman Amphorae (Università La Sapienza, Facoltà di Lettere, Roma, Project Immensa Aequora; Laboratoire de céramologie de Lyon; Dpt of geosciences of the University of Fribourg)

G. THIERRIN MICHAEL

OLCESE, GLORIA ANGELA

English

Recent excavations carried out by the Soprintendenza archeologica di Ostia in the Ager Portuensis near Ostia brought to light a number of republican sites which are thought to be connected to the production and commercialization of salt. This region has played an important role in Rome\u2019s history, because of the presence of the salt marshes and its strategic position on the mouth of the Tiber. The excavated contexts contain graeco-italic wine amphorae of types 5, 5-6 and 6 of van der Mersch\u2019s classification associated with black-slip ware and local common wares. The circulation of wine and amphorae in Northern Latium in general has not been studied yet, and these excavations provide the opportunity for an assessment of the situation in the republican period (www.immensaaequora.org). The archaeometric study comprises petrographical and chemical analyses (X-ray Fluorescence WDS) chosen among amphorae from various sites. The provenance determination relies on existing databases of kiln sites of Roman Amphorae (Universit\ue0 La Sapienza, Facolt\ue0 di Lettere, Roma, Project Immensa Aequora; Laboratoire de c\ue9ramologie de Lyon; Dpt of geosciences of the University of Fribourg)

G.A. Olcese

T.M. G.

AIR Universita degli studi di Milano

Graeco-Italic amphorae in the region of Ostia: archaeology and archaeometry

Recent excavations carried out by the Soprintendenza archeologica di Ostia in the Ager Portuensis near Ostia brought to light a number of republican sites which are thought to be connected to the production and commercialization of salt. This region has played an important role in Rome’s history, because of the presence of the salt marshes and its strategic position on the mouth of the Tiber. The excavated contexts contain graeco-italic wine amphorae of types 5, 5-6 and 6 of van der Mersch’s classification associated with black-slip ware and local common wares. The circulation of wine and amphorae in Northern Latium in general has not been studied yet, and these excavations provide the opportunity for an assessment of the situation in the republican period (www.immensaaequora.org). The archaeometric study comprises petrographical and chemical analyses (X-ray Fluorescence WDS) chosen among amphorae from various sites. The provenance determination relies on existing databases of kiln sites of Roman Amphorae (Università La Sapienza, Facoltà di Lettere, Roma, Project Immensa Aequora; Laboratoire de céramologie de Lyon; Dpt of geosciences of the University of Fribourg)

Archivio della ricerca- Università di Roma La Sapienza

OLCESE & THIERRIN-MICHAEL: GRAECO-ITALIC AMPHORAE IN THE REGION OF OSTIA1GRAECO-ITALIC AMPHORAE IN THE REGION OF OSTIA:ARCHAEOLOGY AND ARCHAEOMETRY.1G. Olcese – 2G. Thierrin-Michael1Department of Archaeological and Historical Science of the Classical and Oriental World, Faculty of Humanities,University La Sapienza, Rome gloria.olcese@uniroma1.it; www.immensaaequora.org2Dept. of Geosciences, Mineralogy and Petrography, University of Fribourg, gisela.thierrin-michael@unifr.chAbstract: Recent excavations carried out by the Soprintendenza archeologica di Ostia in the Ager Portuensis near Ostia brought tolight a number of republican sites which are thought to be connected to the production and commercialization of salt. This regionhas played an important role in Rome’s history, because of the presence of the salt marshes and its strategic position on the mouth ofthe Tiber. The excavated contexts contain graeco-italic wine amphorae of types 5, 5-6 and 6 of van der Mersch’s classificationassociated with black-slip ware and local common wares. The circulation of wine and amphorae in Northern Latium in general hasnot been studied yet, and these excavations provide the opportunity for an assessment of the situation in the republican period(www.immensaaequora.org). The archaeometric study comprises petrographical and chemical analyses (X-ray Fluorescence WDS)chosen among amphorae from various sites. The provenance determination relies on existing databases of kiln sites of RomanAmphorae (Università La Sapienza, Facoltà di Lettere, Roma, Project Immensa Aequora; Laboratoire de céramologie de Lyon; Dptof geosciences of the University of Fribourg).Keywords: Graeco-Italic amphorae, ceramic data base, OstiaTHE CONTEXTRecent excavations carried out by the SoprintendenzaArcheologica of Ostia in the Ager Portuensis, near Ostia,brought to light a number of Republican sites which arethought to be connected to the production andcommercialization of salt (Morelli et al. 2004). Indeed,because of the presence of salt marshes and its strategicposition at the mouth of the River Tiber, this region hasplayed an important role in Rome’s history.Thanks to a recent collaboration between the UniversityLa Sapienza of Rome and the SoprintendenzaArcheologica of Ostia, it has been possible to undertakeresearch aimed at expanding on a few themes related tothe economy and pottery production in the Ostianterritory in the Republican age (IV – I century B.C.)(Olcese, Suburbium II). Actually, this is a not very wellknown period in the area, and also in other ones ofCentral Italy as for settlement modalities, exploitation ofagricultural resources, establishment of craft activities(Morel 1997, Zevi 2002). Even the information about thematerial culture of this period on the pottery productionareas is little, especially if compared with the informationavailable for the Imperial age (Pellegrino 1983 and 1984;Carbonara et al. 2003).Therefore, the project has been under way since 2003 notonly provides for the study of a few of the main ceramiccategories documented in the area, and their associationsand find contexts; but it also aims at contributing to thereconstruction of the area’s economic and productivesituation, connecting to archaeological and archaeometricresearches already carried through in the Roman area(Olcese 2003).Fig. 1 Ostia, Ager PortuensisA further aspect of the research is then related to theenlargement of the data bank of the archaeometricanalyses (chemical and mineralogical analyses) of theceramics produced in Latium (as well as in southernEtruria and in Campania), within the FIRB project,funded by the Ministry for Research over the triennium2005-2008 and coordinated by G. Olcese(www.immensaaequora.org).THE GRAECO-ITALIC AMPHORAE IN THEREGION OF OSTIAThe circulation of wine and amphorae in NorthernLatium in general has not been studied yet, and theseexcavations provide the opportunity for an assessment ofthe situation in the Republican period (Empereur,Hesnard 1987; van der Mersch 2001; Olcese 2004)EMAC'07 BUDAPEST - VESSELS: INSIDE AND OUTSIDE2Fig. 2 Cluster of the chemical groups (Average Linkage, Euclidian distances, z-scores)Van der Mersch has recently hypothesized the existenceof a production parallel to the Magno-Graeco one (MGS)labelling it with the acronym RMR (amphores romainesmédio-republicaines) (van der Mersch 1994 and 2001),to be also possibly located in Latium.Different contexts of the Ager Portuensis have yieldedGraeco - Italic amphorae, except for a few cases withoutany stamps, amphorae whose use is not always clear noris their origin known. The excavated contexts (FiumicinoL23 P5, L23 P12, Nuova Fiera di Roma, Lunga Sosta,Casal Bernocchi) contain types 5, 5-6 and 6 of van derMersch’s classification associated with black-slip ware(of the Atelier des petites estampilles type, Morel 1969)and local common wares (Olcese 2003). In most cases,the kneading (‘fabrics’) of the raw materials are differentfrom the ones of the Graeco-Italic amphorae usuallytraded, such as the ones produced in the Ischia and in theGulf of Naples areas and, more in general, from thefabrics of the Campanian amphorae (for these amphorae,Olcese 2004 and 2005/06).These first data have therefore led to expand on the issueof the origin of the Graeco-Italic ones found in the Ostiaarea, also adopting laboratory methods.METHODS, MATERIAL AND QUESTIONSThe archaeometric study comprises petrographical andchemical analyses (X-ray Fluorescence WDS) chosenamong amphorae from various sites. Chemical analysesby X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (WDS) andpetrographical analyses by polarization microscopyincluded 34 amphorae samples from 5 sites in theFiumicino – Ostia region.OLCESE & THIERRIN-MICHAEL: GRAECO-ITALIC AMPHORAE IN THE REGION OF OSTIA3Fig. 3 (a) Graeco-Italic amphora van der Mersch type 5, (b) sample P5-4 (analytical group 2a)Fig. 4 (a) Graeco-Italic amphora van der Mersch type 5, 5/6 , (b) sample P5-3 (analytical group 3a)Fig. 5 (a) Graeco-Italic amphora van der Mersch type 5, 5/6, (b) sample 52ROM (attribution Minturno)Analyses in glass tablets of 10 major (Al2O3, CaO,Fe2O3, K2O, MgO, MnO, Na2O, P2O5, SiO2, TiO2) and12 trace elements (Ba, Cr, La, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Th, V, Y,Zn, Zr) were carried out on a Philips PW1480/10spectrometer at the laboratories of CNR-IstitutoGeoscienze e Georisorse di Roma.The provenance determination relies on existingdatabases of kiln sites in Central Southern Italy(University La Sapienza, Faculty of Humanities, FIRBProject) and analyses carried out by the Laboratoire decéramologie de Lyon; Dept of Geosciences of theUniversity of Fribourg.EMAC'07 BUDAPEST - VESSELS: INSIDE AND OUTSIDE4Fig. 6 (a) Graeco-Italic amphora type 4 (?), (b) sample 22ROM (analytical group 5)Fig. 7 (a) Dressel 1, (b) sample P12-58 (attribution Pompeii) (scale fig. 3-7 b: large side = 2.75mm)The basic question is: Where do the amphorae comefrom? This question could easily be answered if allimportant amphora kiln sites were known and availableas a reference, or if there existed reasonable argumentsallowing a differentiation of provenance regions withoutreference groups. However, at present neither is given.Within the project, under way, a census of all the ceramicproduction sites, and a review and characterization of thematerials stored in warehouses and museums are beingcarried out. The main question is, therefore, how to getsome answers concerning provenance.The FIRB project proposes several strategies, one ofwhich is presented here at the example of the Graeco-Italic amphorae from 5 sites around Ostia (Fig. 1). Theidea is to break down the general provenance questioninto sub-questions addressing specific hypotheses basedon macroscopical observations and archaeologicalcontext.Macroscopically, the amphorae are subdivided into morethan 6 fabric groups. The analyses concentrate mainly onthree of them (A1, A2, B), each one is present on severalof the studied sites, which allowed to draw hypothesesconcerning their origin. The only stamped piece,discovered at the studied sites, shows characteristics mostsimilar to the main fabric group, but with slightly coarserinclusions.Questions regarding these groups were: 1) Are theyhomogeneous? 2) Do they belong to a known amphoraproduction? Possibilities are Mondragone (N-Campania),Minturno, Astura (Latium), or Pompeii for differentfabric groups (for reference groups, Thierrin Michael1992, Theirrin Michael 1996, Olcese et al. 1996). 3) Ifnot, are there properties arguing for a local or regionalproduction? At present, no kiln sites are known foramphorae of that period in the region.FIRST RESULTSChemically, the samples fall roughly into two categories.The first is characterized by low to medium calciumoxide content, between 5.8 and 9 weight%, the second byOLCESE & THIERRIN-MICHAEL: GRAECO-ITALIC AMPHORAE IN THE REGION OF OSTIA5higher calcium oxide content up to 16 weight% (thechemical data will be published in the final edition of theproject). These categories are subdivided into severalsmall entities with significant compositional differences,mainly in their iron and aluminium contents. Thedendrogram (Fig. 2) shows this diversity as the amphoraeare divided in small clusters. The fabrics, as seen underthe microscope, reflect this heterogeneity.The analyses also reveal that each macroscopicallydefined fabric group is, as a matter of fact, made up ofseveral compositional groups. However, most samplesbelonging to fabric groups A1 and A2 form the largestentities in the low- to medium calcium oxide category,distinguished basically by their content in iron oxide (andrelated parameters). Their petrographical characteristicsand differences are illustrated by Figs. 3-4. The formedhypotheses concerning the provenance could beconfirmed only for two samples:- One attribution to Minturno, illustrated in Fig. 5. Someother samples are also close to references from Minturno,but small discrepancies do not allow a safe attribution.The samples from fabric group B (Fig. 6) did not matcheither the Minturno production nor the one from Astura,but certainly come from another kiln site.- One attribution to the region of Pompeii (Fig. 7). Thisamphora is of type Dressel 1. The other analysed samplesof black sand fabric belong to unknown productions.- Whereas five samples macroscopically andpetrographically strongly resemble the production ofMondragone, their chemical compositions do not confirmthese resemblances beyond doubt.(Detailed descriptions of the groups are found in theAppendix.)CONCLUSIONSThe analysed amphora material from consumer sitesaround Ostia proved to be extremely heterogeneous.Answers to questions 1 and 2: Are they homogeneous?Do they belong to a known amphora production?Macroscopically defined fabric groups proved to consistseveral compositional entities. Isolated samples wereattributed to Minturno and Pompeii; and several othercases are close to the productions of Minturno andMondragone, but are not sufficiently well integrated intothe reference groups. Therefore, the hypothesis of North-Campanian amphorae among the material from Ostiacould not be fully confirmed. Most groups cannot beassigned to known production centres.Such outcome confirms both that most of the productioncentres of Graeco-Italic amphorae (and probably of Dr. 1as well) supplying the Ager Portuensis are unknown, andthat the research in Southern Etruria and Northern andinterior Latium has to be intensified.Question 3 (are there properties arguing for a local orregional production?) has yet to be further explored.There are affinities between samples from group 2a and3a and common wares from the Tiber valley aroundRome (Olcese 2003), with the contribution of Picon andThierrin Michael), but these do not rule out the possibilitythat they were made on the coast, relatively close to avolcanic complex for 3a, and further away for 2a.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSMany thanks to the Soprintendenza Archeologica of Ostiaand in particular to A. Gallina Zevi, C. Morelli and A.Pellegrino, responsible for the research in the Ostia areaand the Ager Portuensis, to A. Rinaldi, FIRB Project,who looked after and made the work feasible. Drawingsare by E. Serafini and A. Festuccia. Graphic of the posteris by G. Murro.REFERENCESCARBONARA, A., PELLEGRINO, A., ROSSETTI, C.,TELLA, F. & ZACCAGNINI, R. (2003): La ceramica di etàrepubblicana dal territorio ostiense, Rei cretariae RomanaeFautorum Acta, 38, pp. 51-62.EMPEREUR J.Y., HESNARD A. (1987) : Les amphoreshéllenistiques, in : Céramiques héllenistiques et romaines II,P. Leveque, J.P. Morel (Eds.), Paris 1987, pp. 9-71.MOREL, J.P. (1969): Etudes de céramique campanienne, I:l’atelier des petites estampilles, MEFR 81, 1, pp. 59-117.MOREL, J.P. (1997): L’économie des peuples latins et latinisésavant la seconde guerre punique, in: Atti del Convegnointernazionale ‘Nomen Latinum’, Latini e Romani prima diAnnibale, Roma, pp. 213-232.MORELLI, C., CARBONARA, A., FORTE, V., GIUDICE, R.and MANACORDA, P. (2008) The landscape of the AgerPortuensis, Roma: some new discoveries, 2000-2002. InG.Lock and A.Faustoferri (a cura di), Archaeology andlandscape in central Italy (Papers in memory of John A.Lloyd), Oxford University School of Archaeology:Monograph 69, Oxford, 213-232MORELLI, C., OLCESE,G. & ZEVI, F. (2004): Scoperterecenti nelle saline portuensi (Campus Salinarumromanarum) e un progetto di ricerca sulla ceramica di areaostiense in età repubblicana, in Méditerranée occidentaleantique: les échanges, III seminario Anser, coordination A.Gallina Zevi e R.Turchetti, Soveria Mannelli, pp. 43-55.EMAC'07 BUDAPEST - VESSELS: INSIDE AND OUTSIDE6OLCESE G., PICON M. , THIERRIN MICHAEL G. (1996) : Ilquartiere ceramico sotto la chiesa di Santa Restituta a LaccoAmeno d'Ischia e la produzione di anfore e di ceramica in etàellenistica, Bollettino di Archeologia, 39-40, 1996, pp. 7 - 29.OLCESE, G. (2003): Ceramiche comuni a Roma e in arearomana: produzione, circolazione e tecnologia (tarda etàrepubblicana – prima età imperiale), Mantova.OLCESE, G. (2004): Anfore greco-italiche antiche: alcuneosservazioni sull’origine e sulla circolazione alla luce direcenti ricerche archeologiche e archeometriche, in:Archaeological Methods and Approaches: Ancient Industryand Commerce in Italy, April 18-20, 2002, Eds. Eric. C. DeSena e Hélène Dessales, pp.173-192.OLCESE, G. (2005/2006): The production and circulation ofGreco-Italic amphorae of G. Campania (Ischia/bay ofNaples). The data of archaeological and archaeometricresearch. Skyllis, 7. Jahrgang 2005/2006, Heft 1-2, pp. 60-75.OLCESE, G. (in press): Produzione e circolazione ceramica inarea romana in età repubblicana: linee di ricerca, metodi diindagine e problemi aperti, In Suburbium II, Il suburbio diRoma dalla fine dell’età monarchica alla nascita del sistemadelle ville (V-II sec.a. C.) , Eds. V. Jolivet e R. Volpe.PELLEGRINO, A. (1983): Ville rustiche a Dragoncello (Acilia)in Archeologia Laziale, 5, Roma, pp. 76-83.PELLEGRINO, A. (1984): Scavi a Dragoncello eCasalbernocchi (Acilia), in Archeologia Laziale, VI, pp.194-198.THIERRIN MICHAEL G. (1992): Römische Weinamphoren:Mineralogische und petrographische Untersuchungen zurKlärung ihrer Herkunft und Herstellungsweise.- ThèseUniversité Fribourg Nr. 977, 1990.THIERRIN MICHAEL G., GALETTI G. (1996) : Amphoresvinaires italiques: Deux problèmes rencontrés lors del'utilisation de groupes de références pour l'attribution detessons d'origine inconnue.-GMPCA Actes du colloque dePérigueux 1995, Supplément à la Revue d'Archéométrie,119-124.VAN DER MERSCH, C. (1994): Vin et Amphores de GrandGrèce et de Sicile, IVe-IIIe s. avant J.-C., Naples.VAN DER MERSCH, C. (2001): Aux sources du vin romaindans le Latium et la Campania à l’époque médio-républicaine, Ostraka, pp. 157- 206.ZEVI, F. (2002): Appunti per una storia di Ostia repubblicana,MEFRA, 114, pp. 13-58.APPENDIXAnalytical group 2a (Fig.3)Most of the samples from macroscopically defined fabric groupA1 are characterized by a scatter of sub-rounded volcanicinclusions among which there are sub-rounded non-volcanicgrains. Non-volcanic inclusions and generally light inclusionspredominate. There is no analogy among the known amphoraeproductions. Chemical composition (comparison among theanalysed samples): the group is lowest in titanium oxide, ironoxide and magnesium oxide. Also low in aluminium, potassiumand calcium oxides.Analytical group 3a (Fig.4)Most samples from macroscopically defined fabric group A2are characterized by frequent sub-rounded volcanic inclusions,which dominate. There are more dark volcanic minerals thanlight grains, but most often some large sanidines are present.There are frequent inclusions of opaque minerals (volcanic).There is no analogy among the known amphorae productions.Chemical composition: relatively high in iron oxide (>8.4weight%), low in aluminium, potassium and calcium content.Attribution to Minturno (Fig.5)It shows a scatter of rounded, well sorted volcanic mineralgrains of very diverse nature and some non- volcanic grains(quartz and carbonate) in a fine matrix. There is a markedpresence of opaque mineral inclusions. This isolated sample canbe attributed to the production of Minturno, matching thereferences lower in calcium oxide. Chemical composition:Particularly high content of iron and titanium (11.53 and 1.13weight%), and relatively low CaO and MgO values are the mostcharacteristic.Analytical group 5 (Fig.6)Frequent carbonate inclusions and rounded volcanic grains in acarbonatic matrix characterize most of the samples from fabricgroup B. There is no analogy among the known amphoraeproductions. Chemical composition: high CaO, MgO and MnOvalues, low content of aluminium oxide.Attribution to Pompeii region (Fig.7)It shows almost exclusively volcanic inclusions of variouskinds, including a large part of volcanic rock fragments in anopaque matrix with elongated pores. This corresponds toreferences from the region of Pompeii. Chemical composition:high in aluminium and potassium oxides (19.01 and 3.24weight%), and shows medium iron and calcium oxide content.

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Graeco-Italic amphorae in the region of Ostia: archaeology and archaeometry

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