The presence of wine and olive oil amphorae in the fortlets from Dacia (first half of the IInd century p. Chr.)

Adrian Ardeţ

- abstract -

Conquest of Dacia and transformation of the north-Danubian territory in province had signified an essential phase regarding the development of this area.

The presence of roman soldiers and colonists meant, first of all, an integration of the newly organized province in the roman world, which had the Mediterranean civilizations as a core. Up to the roman conquest of Dacia, the trade has been more or less influenced by the Mediterranean space. Once the province being created, along with the way of life, structure and organization, the essential products that the roman colonists have been using in the regions where they came from, have been compelled. Thus, in the recently created province the pork grease had been changed for olive oil, and the local wine production could not stand a chance in front of the great wine-growing centers from Italy, Greece or Asia.

In the present paper, we shall consider the presence of the amphorae used for olive oil and wine transport, discovered in the camps and forts from Dacia. One has studied the amphorae coming from investigations made in 21 fort places, representing 25% from the total of the amphorae discovered in Dacia. These are represented as it follows:

  • ANGUSTIA (Dressel 20; Zeest 90)
  • APULUM (Dressel 2-4; Gauloise 5; Zeest 90; Dressel 24; Rhodian)
  • APUS FLUMEN (Dressel 6B)
  • ARCIDAVA (Dressel 6B; Dressel 20)
  • BERZOBIS (Zeest 92)
  • CAPUT STENARUM?: (SIBIU) (Benghazi LR1)
  • CENTUM PUTEI (Zeest 64)
  • CINCSOR (Dressel 20, Zeest 80)
  • CUMIDAVA (Zeest 94)
  • DIERNA (Dressel 6B, Dressel 14b, Gauloise 5, Radulescu IIIA, Kuzmanov II, Zeest 90, Knossos 36, Dressel 24, Knossos 22, Agora F65/66, Kapitan II)
  • GAGANAE (Dressel 6B, Forlimpopoli, Portorecanati)
  • GORNEA (Zeest 90)
  • HINOVA (Kuzmanov II)
  • ILISUA (Dressel 6B, Kapitän II)
  • LARGIANA (Schorgendorfer 558)
  • POJEJENA (Forlimpopoli)
  • POROLISSUM (Dressel 6B, Schorgendorfer 558, Almagro 50, Zeest 90, Knossos 22)
  • POTAISSA (Dressel 24)
  • PRAETORIUM (Dressel 6B, Knossos 18, Zeest 90, Rhodian, Dressel 30, Africana II "grande")
  • SAMUM (Dressel 6B, Zeest 92)
  • SLAVENI (Zeest 90, Agora F65/66)
  • TIBISCUM (Dressel 2-4, Dressel 6B, Schorgendorfer 558, Forlimpopoli, Dressel 7, Dressel 11, Dressel 20, Matagallaris 1, Dressel 14b, Almagro 50, Gauloise 5, Zeest 80, Zeest 94, Zeest 92, Kuzmanov II, Zeest 90, Knossos 36, Knossos 22, Rhodian, Koan, Knidian, Agora F65/66, Carthage LRA4, Dressel 30, Africana II "grande", Africana I "piccolo"
  • TIHAU (Forlimpopoli).

During the first half of the Ist century AD, in Dacia move 37% of the total of amphorae known throughout the entire roman presence period in the north-Danubian province. The Occident imports count approximately 80%, Orient 18%, and Africa 2%. From the total import in Dacia, Italy represents 50%, followed by Baetica with 23%, Asia with 16%, Lusitania with 6% and Moesia Inferior, Dalmatia and Africa Proconsularis, which know a percentage up to 3%.

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