Wine in Rome! Analysis of ancient jars found near the Italian city suggests that wine was made from local grapes in containers waterproofed with imported tar pitch
- Analysis of ancient jugs suggests that the Romans made wine from local grapes
- Researchers have discovered native pollen in three amphorae found in Italy
- There was also pine residue that might be present to flavor the wine
- The pine may also have come from the tar pitch used to make the jars waterproof
If you want to do as the Romans did, you can start with a glass of wine from your nearest vineyard.
A new analysis of a set of three ancient jars found near Rome suggests red and white wine were made from native grapes on the Italian coast during Roman times.
Researchers from the University of Avignon in France also analyzed chemical markers, plant tissue debris and pollen left in the wine jugs.
They discovered evidence of pine wood used to make tar to waterproof the glasses and possibly flavor the wine itself.
The authors said: “By using different approaches to unravel the contents and nature of the coating layer of Roman amphorae, we have advanced the conclusion further in understanding ancient practices than would have been possible with a single approach.”
Researchers from the University of Avignon in France analyzed chemical markers, plant tissue residues and pollen left in ancient Roman wine jars. Depicted is an amphora of the Lamboglia type, a typology intended for the sea transport of wine or olive oil
Images of archaeological plant tissue trapped in the resin of one of the jars (1), filament from the stamen of a modern wild Vitis vinifera flower (2), and section of charred Pinus wood trapped in the clay of one of the jars (3) . The white arrow indicates the diagnostic resin canal
SAN FELICE CIRCEO LAKE CONFIDENT DEPOSIT
After a severe winter storm that hit San Felice Circeo in 2018, a cemetery containing archaeological artifacts was uncovered.
The objects were discovered a short distance from shore, half a meter below normal sand level, in a trench about 100 m² in size.
Among the numerous artefacts uncovered were ancient anchors made of stone, wood, lead and iron, cannons, muskets, remains of ancient ships and amphorae.
The objects date from the 6th century BC. BC, but also from the Middle Ages and Roman times.
In 2018, analytical chemist Louise Chassouant and her colleagues examined three Roman amphorae — wine jars — recovered from a seabed deposit.
The deposit was located near the modern port of San Felice Circeo, Italy, about 56 miles (90 kilometers) southeast of Rome.
Other objects found nearby include ancient anchors made of stone, wood, lead and iron, cannons, muskets and remains of ancient ships.
They were dated to the 6th century B.C. BC, but also dated to the Middle Ages and Roman times.
Three amphorae belonging to the Late Greco-Italic, Dressel, and Lamboglia types were examined in this study.
An analysis of biomarkers in the amphorae, published today in PLoS ONE, suggests they were used to make red and white wine.
The researchers also discovered the pollen of Vitis flowers found in local modern and middle Pleistocene samples.
This grapevine pollen matches wild species from the area, suggesting these vintners used local plants.
However, it remains unclear whether these were then domesticated or harvested from wild plants.
The team also identified residues of Pinus group Sylvestris, which were used to produce wood tar to impregnate the jars.
Vitis pollen grains from fossil sediments from Rignano Flaminio (A, B), surface of modern Vitis wild fruit from Tivoli (C, D), and pitch of the three amphorae in the study (E – J)
Chemical markers showed that the wood tar was not of local origin and was probably imported from Calabria or Sicily based on other historical sources.
It may also have been used to flavor wine, as it imparts a strong aromatic character, and herbal wines were common at the time, the researchers claim.
They hope that their successful multidisciplinary analytical approach will be replicated in future studies of Roman-era grapevine cultivation.
The massive 1,500-year-old WINE FACTORY discovered in Israel is the world’s largest known Byzantine-era winery
A huge wine factory was discovered in Israel, dating back 1,500 years and is the largest known winery ever discovered from Byzantine times.
The sophisticated plant excavated at Yavne could produce up to two million liters of wine a year, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
For comparison, the UK as a whole now produces just under eight million liters a year.
Archaeologists spent two years excavating the 75,000-square-foot site as part of a move by the Israel Land Authority to expand the city of Yavne into the surrounding area.
They found five massive wine presses, warehouses for aging and marketing the wine, and even kilns for firing the clay vessels in which the wine was stored.
The well organized and structured factory produced the regional wine known as Gaza or Ashkelon, which was then exported throughout the Mediterranean.
Wine drinking was common during the Byzantine period around 520 AD due to poor water quality for both adults and children.
Continue reading