Recovered amphorae yield new insights

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Underwater archaeology continues to yield new insights into the ancient world. This study, which did chemical and archaeobotanical studies on Roman-era amphorae found in an Italian harbor 90 km south of Rome, showed some interesting results:

Microscopic evidence of plant tissue trapped in ancient resin.

 

The authors examined three Roman period amphorae -- wine jars -- from a seabed deposit near the modern harbor of San Felice Circeo, Italy, about 90 km southeast of Rome. A combination of chemical markers, plant tissue residue, and pollen provided evidence of grape derivatives and pine within the jars. The evidence suggests the amphorae were used in both red and white winemaking processes, while the pine was used to create tar for waterproofing the jars and perhaps also flavoring the wine, as has been observed at similar archaeological sites.

The grapevine pollen matches wild species from the area, suggesting these winemakers were using local plants, although it remains unclear whether these were domesticated at the time. The pine tar, on the other hand, is non-local, and was likely imported from Calabria or Sicily based on other historical sources.

Summary: Although the wine was probably locally produced, the wood tar used for waterproofing of the amphorae was imported from either Sicily or Calabria as suggested by historical records. This study supports the extensive production network that existed in Ancient Rome. 
 

 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220629150201.htm

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figures?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0267129