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).