Original scientific paper
Transport of amphorae according to finds from the waters of Rovinj
Alka Starac
Abstract
TRANSPORT OF AMPHORAE ACCORDING TO FINDS
FROM THE WATERS OF ROVINJ
Alka STARAC
Amphorae for the transportation of wine and oil are the most numerous among the
amphorae recorded in the waters of Rovinj (Table I). Greek-Italic amphorae, Lamboglia 2,
Dressel 6 A, Dressel 2-4, Koan, Rhodian, Knidian amphorae, and amphorae with a flat base
were used for transporting wine. The early Greek-Italic amphorae, dating from the 4th century
BC to the middle of the 2nd century BC, are rare finds in the northern Adriatic. This fact
reflects the political and economic differences between southern areas which were under
Greek influence and northern areas dominated by the Histri and Liburni. The Greek-Italic
amphorae started appearing on a regular basis in the northeastern Adriatic only after the
Roman victories over the Histri in the second and the third quarter of the 2nd century
BC. The Lamboglia 2 type of amphora was produced on the west Adriatic coast from the
middle of the 2nd century BC to the end of the 1st century BC. It is assumed they were also
produced in central Dalmatia. A fragment of a Lamboglia 2 type of amphora bearing the
stamp DIONYSIOS was also recorded. This particular stamp is widespread in the valley of
the River Po and in the south Adriatic area. The stamp was dated in the third quarter of the
1st century BC. The production of the Dressel 6 A type of amphora started in the second half
of the 1st century BC, while the most intensive production period of this type of amphora
lasted to the middle of the 1st century AD. The production of the Dressel 2-4 type of amphora
began in Tyrrhenian Italy in the middle of the 1st century BC. This type was developed from
the Rhodian and Koan prototypes. Just several decades later they were also produced in the
provinces. They were withdrawn from the market in the 2nd century AD. The shape of wine
amphorae originating from the Greek island of Kos inspired the creation of the Dressel 2-4
type of amphora. Rhodian amphorae are a group of amphorae of Hellenic tradition, emerging
at the end of the 1st century BC. Rhodian and Koan amphorae appeared in small numbers in
the north Adriatic area in the period from the 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD. It has
been recorded that amphorae were imported from the Greek island of Knidos in the Adriatic
area in the 2nd century AD and at the beginning of the 3rd century AD. Wine amphorae
with a flat base were produced in many workshop centres all over the Empire. The Dressel 6
B type of amphorae, amphorae with a conical rim, Dressel 20 type of amphorae, and African
amphorae are all oil amphorae. The Dressel 6 B production started somewhere in the middle
of the 1st century BC. The last stamped examples of this type of amphora were dated at the
end of the 2nd century AD and the beginning of the 3rd century AD. However, recent finds
recorded in Istria indicate that there was local production for personal use even as late as
the end of the 3rd century AD and beginning of the 4th century AD. The predominance of Dressel 6 B amphorae in the Alps-Adriatic area throughout the 1st century AD and the
first half of the 2nd century AD testifies to the prevalence of Istrian olive oil in the market
of that area. Amphorae with a conical rim were dated from the first half of the 1st century
to at least the middle of the 2nd century AD. Their likely content has not been ascertained,
although it is generally considered to have been oil. Frequent finds of this type of amphora
in the north Adriatic area indicate that there was a production base in the Cisalpine area.
Globular Hispanic oil amphora of the Dressel 20 type, originating in Baetica, appeared in
the north Adriatic area in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. In the 3rd and 4th centuries AD,
the North African region became the most important exporter of oil to the Mediterranean.
From the 3rd century AD to the 4th century AD, North-African amphorae, especially those
from Byzacena, were transported over the Adriatic Sea to Adriatic destinations and to the
distant Transalpine provinces. Preserved fish products from Baetica circulated, although only
rarely, in the Adriatic area in the 1st century AD. Proof that these products were imported is
offered by amphorae belonging to the group named Dressel 7-11. Late antique amphorae
with a ribbed body were dated in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. It is still not clear what their
likely content would have been. Amphorae of Adriatic origin for the transportation of wine
and oil are the most numerous amphorae finds recorded in the waters of Rovinj, as well as in
the whole underwater Adriatic area. These were the most frequently used amphorae from the
2nd century BC to the 3rd century AD. In numbers, they are followed by African amphorae
which were imported on a massive scale from the 3rd century AD to the 5th century AD.
Somewhat less frequent finds are wine amphorae from the Greek islands. They arrived from
the middle of the 1st century BC and continued to occur up to the end of the 2nd century
AD. Finds belonging to the group of Hispanic amphorae for the transportation of oil and fish
products, dating from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD, are even less numerous. From the 5th
to the 7th centuries AD, amphorae arriving from the distant East Mediterranean and from
North Africa appeared as competitive goods. The waters of the Rovinj area form a bottleneck
in the sea route, since all the cargo coming from North Africa or the Aegean Mediterranean
had to pass there on its way to Pannonia, Noricum or Germania where it was to be sold.
The Liburni and Histri ruled the sea routes from the island of Murter to the bay of Trieste,
before the spread of Roman rule to the northeastern Adriatic in the 2nd century BC. In the
1st century BC, due to the Roman military presence in Illyricum and the frequent Roman
civil wars, intensive navigation took place in the Adriatic. As a result, the circulation of
amphorae carrying supplies for the army also increased. In the 1st and the 2nd centuries AD,
Roman rule grew stable, leading to the unification of the maritime market and intense traffic
between distant provinces which continued in the following centuries. There are numerous
shipwrecks and dispersed cargo in the southern waters of Rovinj, especially around the islands
of Veštar, Polari, Sv. Ivan, and Dvije Sestrice. These are the consequences of the dangerous,
highly-indented coast and the intense sea traffic in the ports of the Roman villas and late
antique settlements of Veštar, Polari and Gustinja.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
34475
URI
Publication date:
15.11.2008.
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