Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.21857/9e31lhdpzm
Stamps on Roof Tiles (Tegulae) from the Poblicius Family Workshop
Robert Matijašić
orcid.org/0000-0002-0140-7617
; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta Jurja Dobrile u Pul
*
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Archaeological research conducted since 2014 at the Monte Ricco site near Vrsar has revealed the remains of a Roman building (villa rustica) situated on a hill 70 metres high and approximately 2 km from the coast. Its elevated inland location is unusual, as most rural Roman buildings along the western Istrian coast were situated directly by the sea. The finds suggest that the building was constructed in the first half of the 1st century BC, predating the founding of Roman colonies in Istria. The structure had a rectangular layout (approximately 50 × 60 m) with a central courtyard and a large cistern on its northern side. A massive square structure in the southwest corner may have served a
defensive purpose. Ceramic material recovered from the site, including amphora fragments, grey “Venetic” ware, Campana B pottery, thin-walled pottery, and oil lamps, can be dated from the late 2nd century BC to the late 1st century AD. No finds postdate the 2nd century AD, suggesting the site was abandoned by that time. Fragments of mosaic and wall paintings indicate a relatively high standard of living. By the end of 2024, forty fragments of roof tiles (tegulae) bearing workshop stamps had been discovered, mainly from two workshops: one marked “P – S” (initials likely indicating the name of the owner) and the other
belonging to Decimus Poblicius. These stamps date to the 1st century BC, corresponding to the period of the villa’s construction. The most numerous were “P – S” and “D. POBLICI” (including a variant “D. POBLICI D. F.”, meaning “Decimus Poblicius, son of Decimus”), suggesting that the tiles were acquired in bulk for construction purposes. The stamps, impressed before firing, feature raised lettering, typically enclosed within rectangular cartouches. The Poblicius family workshop likely operated over several generations, with evidence of other members, such as Marcus, Lucius, and possibly Aulus Poblicius,
also engaged in ceramic production. Their distribution area, extending from Aquileia to Pula, suggests a workshop located in the hinterland of Aquileia, possibly near Carlino. The finds from Monte Ricco thus fit well within the broader regional network of ceramic production and trade. The name Poblicius has Latin roots, possibly derived from poplicus or populus. While both forms, Poblicius and Publicius, appear in epigraphic sources, the latter is often treated in modern scholarship as the standardized form.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
347357
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.12.2025.
Posjeta: 0 *