Re: France's earliest winery found


"Hayabusa" <peregrine@xxxxxxxxxxx> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:uikf93h09spvj1pl16qoe5isc3k6p9gn4a@xxxxxxxxxx
On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:53:34 +0200, "Uwe Müller"
<uwemueller@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Do you really believe they could resist? Or do you think they were
just looking at it?

The vessels are containers for the consumption of liquids and many show
signs of use, not all. There have been two succesfull attempts at an
analysis of the residue of whatever was inside the container, when they
were
buried. Both show a honey based drink. And even though pieces of
massiliotic
amphorae are found regularly as far as northern France (maybe the upper
Danube), the actual numbers are surprisingly small. One amphora every ten
or
fifteen years for a whole region dominated by a fortified residence would
be
more than enough to account for all the finds in the more northern parts.
Their numbers increase of course with the decrease in distance.

Maybe it was of minor importance which alcoholic beverage was used, and
wine
was only used every couple of years, and sparingly. As long as the
settlements were not excavated, the few surface finds could be
interpreted
as being only a tiny part of what they once had imported. Large scale
excavations have not increased the numbers sufficiently.

Maybe they imported amphorae full of fish sauce and partied with mead and
beer?

I assume you are talking about the time of ca.600 BCE. Does the
pattern change with time as we get closer to Caesar's era?

Most of the vessels come from early iron age burials, there is a noted lack
of burials in the middle Latène era. If you accept that as a change of
pattern...


Are there clues - eg. labels, or characteristic designes, or
decorations - on the amphoras that indicate which trade good was once
inside?

Most of the finds are single pieces or up to about a dozen sherds per site.
It's simply not enough to judge about forms or functions.


And is it known where the amphorae were made that were found in the
North ? I mean, the petrographic/geochemical data base of the original
clay is constantly improving.

The origin was identified by the clay, the preparation of the clay and the
technics of firing, in other words by archaeological means. AFAIK no
petrographic analysis was done.

There is a new book out on roman amphorae in German Ulrike Ehmig, Die
römischen Amphoren aus Mainz, 2004. Nearly 5000 amphorae from Mogontiacum
have been analysed, about 400 of them underwent geochemical analysis for the
origin of the vessels. You'd have to look into that for more info on
origins, distribution etc. AFAIK many vessels that would have been foreign
by form turned out to be locally made.

have fun

Uwe Mueller


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Frances earliest winery found
    ... Most of the vessels come from early iron age burials, ... The origin was identified by the clay, the preparation of the clay and the ... There is a new book out on roman amphorae in German Ulrike Ehmig, ... distribution etc. AFAIK many vessels that would have been foreign ...
    (sci.archaeology)
  • Re: Frances earliest winery found
    ... The vessels are containers for the consumption of liquids and many show ... Which of the Dressel amphoras is identified with Marseilles? ... I don't know if there are any Dressel types with a Marseille origin, ... Dressel is somwhat age and predominantly did roman amphorae. ...
    (sci.archaeology)
  • Re: Frances earliest winery found
    ... The vessels are containers for the consumption of liquids and many show ... amphorae are found regularly as far as northern France (maybe the upper ... Maybe it was of minor importance which alcoholic beverage was used, ... excavations have not increased the numbers sufficiently. ...
    (sci.archaeology)