Archaeology
Archaeologists uncover 2,000-year-old Roman winery
A team of archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old Roman winery in Rome, revealing new insights into the cultural importance of agriculture in ancient Rome and its role as a form of entertainment for the highest echelons of society.
The winery was found in the lavishly decorated Villa of the Quintilii, where the day-to-day production of wine was presented as entertainment for wealthy, powerful Romans, perhaps including the emperor himself.
Excavations at the site, which are published in the journal Antiquity, revealed a complex system of rooms and channels used for wine production and storage. The wine making process would have begun in the treading room, which unlike other waterproof plaster-covered examples from the same period, was found to be clad with expensive red marble.
The slippery nature of marble makes it an unusual choice for a production area and further hints at the importance of theatricality at the winery. The excavations, which began in 2017, also revealed the mechanisms of two large presses and a multicoloured marble-clad fountain-like system through which wine flowed to storage jars in the cellar.
Image Credit : Antiquity
A series of lavishly decorated rooms surrounding the winery were likely used by the emperor and his retinue to dine while observing the wine being made. Each of these rooms have wide open entrances which offered an expansive view of the workers and the mechanisms of the winery system.
Lead author Dr Emlyn Dodd, previously of the British School at Rome and now based in the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London, said: “Agricultural labour was romanticised by the ruling classes of many ancient cultures, especially as it was often the source of both their wealth and status. The excavations at the Villa of the Quintilii reveal to us how ancient Roman elites reimagined the annual vintage as a “theatrical” performance, prioritising the experience of those observing over the practical needs of the workers.
“It would have been a real spectacle for those watching, the combination of fountains of wine and water, luxurious materials – especially the thin white marble channels through which the wine could be seen flowing – and the sounds of the workers and music would have resulted in a theatrical show.”
The Villa of the Quintilii was part of the imperial estate and both its proximity to Rome and luxurious decorations, suggest that it may have played an active role in imperial life. Compared to other imperial properties, where once-lavish quarters were later transformed for utilitarian use, Gordian’s imperial court may have visited the Villa of the Quintilii for a ritual at this facility associated with the annual vintage.
The winery’s discovery has also increased our knowledge of the brief reign of Gordian III, who we now know began a program of monumental construction focused on infrastructure and restoration of facilities for spectacle, including Rome’s famous Colosseum.
https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2023.18
Header Image Credit : Antiquity
Archaeologists from the University of Tokyo have uncovered possible traces of the Villa of Augustus during excavations at Somma Vesuviana.
Somma Vesuviana is a town and commune in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy. During the Roman period, the area was a resort for rich patricians of Rome, or for rich estate owners who constructed large villa complexes.
Excavations in the Nola area during the 1930’s uncovered a large Roman villa interpreted as the Villa of Augustus, which has been subject to ongoing archaeological investigations since 2002.
The villa actually dates from the 2nd century AD, however, more recent studies have discovered traces of a building in a lower context that dates from around the reign of Augustus.
Image Credit : UTokyo Foundation
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius), was Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is credited as being the founder of the Roman Empire and the Principate system of government which lasted until the Crisis of the Third Century.
According to accounts by Tacitus and Suetonius, Augustus died in a villa located on the northern side of Mount Vesuvius, which was later consecrated as a temple for his Imperial cult.
Archaeologists used radiocarbon dating and a physical and chemical analysis of the volcanic pumice layers covering the earlier building, the results of which confirmed that the building predates the Vesuvian eruption in AD 79 which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The eruption released a deadly cloud of super-heated tephra and gases to a height of 33 km, ejecting molten rock, pulverised pumice, and hot ash at 1.5 million tons per second. Excavations within the building have uncovered pieces of walls and roof tiles that collapsed due to pyroclastic flows as the volcanic material travelled down the northern side of the volcano.
According to a press statement by the University of Tokyo: “This suggests that even the northern foothills of Mount Vesuvius, where the effects of the AD 79 eruption were said to have been less severe than the southeastern region of the mountain, were also affected by the eruption with destructive power.”
To further support the supposition of the building being the Villa of Augustus, the team conducted the same physical and chemical dating of volcanic material on adjacent buildings associated with the early villa complex.
Furthermore, radiocarbon dating of charcoal collected from the ruins of a “kiln”-like structure has dated the material to the early 1st century AD. The discovery of 1st century AD amphorae within the ruins indicate that the “kiln”-like structure was later converted into a warehouse before the eruption.
Studies of the 2nd century building has also revealed that it reused architectural features from the earlier building, demonstrating a transition from “disaster” to “reconstruction” in the area around Mount Vesuvius.
Header Image Credit : UTokyo Foundation
Sources : University of Tokyo
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Underwater archaeologists from Södertörn University, in collaboration with the CEMAS/Institute for Archaeology and Ancient Culture at Stockholm University, have conducted an investigation of the wreck of the royal flagship Gribshunden.
A diving club first discovered the wreck in the 1970’s at a depth of 10 m (33 ft), but unaware of the significance, the identity of the wreck wouldn’t be confirmed until 2013.
The wreck is internationally significant as the world’s best-preserved ship from the Age of Exploration – a proxy for the vessels of Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama.
The Gribshunden was the flagship of Hans (John), King of Denmark, which after a large explosion in 1495, sank at anchor near the town of Ronneby, Sweden.
The ship was enroute to Kalmar from Copenhagen and was carrying the king for a summit with the Swedish council. At the time of the explosion, the king was ashore and suffered no injury, however, one contemporary account records 150 crewman dying in the tragic accident.
The Gribshunden sunk to a depth of just ten metres, meaning that the rigging was still above the water level and was partially accessible. Salvers boarded the ship and used rudimentary diving equipment to salvage some of the high-status belongings of the king and retinue.
Underwater archaeologists have recently conducted a non-intrusive survey of the wreck site using photography and 3D photogrammetry. This has provided new data for a digital reconstruction of the wreck and further insights into the ship’s superstructure.
Furthermore, the survey has provided details into the armaments still onboard and the present state of preservation of the timbers from the wreck structure.
According to a paper on the study: “The main focus of the investigation concerned the ship’s superstructure, and it can be stated that there are a large number of timbers and building parts which, after further reconstruction and interpretation, will give a more detailed picture of the ship’s superstructure”.
Header Image Credit : Rolf Fabricius Warming
Sources : Stockholms universitet
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
-
Ghosts2 years agoZozo: The Ouija Board Demon
-
Space2 years agoScientists claim to have found the answer what existed before the Universe
-
Ghosts2 years agoOld Coot of Mount Greylock
-
Archaeology1 year ago
New discoveries at Ekʼ Balam during conservation works
-
General3 years agoUC San Francisco engaging in horrifying experiments, organ harvesting of live babies in the name of “science”