From Hispania Tarraconensis (NE Spain) to Gallia Narbonensis (S France). New data on Pascual 1 amphora trade in the Augustan period

The Port-Vendres 4 Shipwreck Cargo: evidence of the Roman wine trade in the western Mediterranean

“…These secondary processes cause changes in both the chemical and mineralogical compositions (as well in the macroscopic colour) of the pastes and therefore these processes must be identified and examined to achieve a correct interpretation of compositional data. Thin-section, XRD and SEM-EDS analyses allowed the identification of secondary carbonates (aragonite and magnesium calcite) and sulphides (pyrite) whose crystallization is related to deposition in a seawater environment, as demonstrated in previous studies (Picon, 1986;Béarat et al, 1992;Pradell et al, 1996;Amadori et al, 2002;Cau et al, 2002;Buxeda et al, 2004Buxeda et al, , 2005Secco et al, 2011;Martínez et al, 2013a;Montana et al, 2014). Both Mg-calcite and aragonite are typical seawater carbonates which frequently occur as aggregates in the voids of pottery sherds.…”

“…Two main groups of the Pascual 1 type were distinguished macroscopically on the basis of their paste characteristics: ten individuals presented a reddish paste colour (PV4001,2,3,4,8,10,11,15,16,38) and seven a light brown colour (PV4005,6,7,9,12,13,14). However, most samples presented surfaces with a greyish hue due to alterations caused by seawater, as documented elsewhere (Buxeda et al, 2004(Buxeda et al, , 2005Martínez et al, 2013a). The archaeometric study involved chemical, mineralogical and petrographic characterization (Tite, 2008).…”

“…In addition, some Pascual 1 amphoras (P1-B) were most probably produced in the winemaking complex of El Moréin the northern Laietan region, generally dated from the Augustan period although a more accurate chronology is still needed. The discovery of several shipwrecks on this route with cargoes consisting mainly of amphoras from the Laietan region (Martínez et al, 2013a(Martínez et al, , 2013b) is evidence of the important role played by this area in the local wine trade, even though remains of port facilities found up to now in Baetulo and Iluro are few and of minor importance. The presence on the same ship of Pascual 1 amphoras produced in three main areas of the Laietan region, some 20-25 km distant from each other and around 50 km in total, points to the question of what exactly the trade route followed by the ship was.…”

“…XRF was performed using a Philips PW 2400 spectrometer while XRD measurements were carried out using a Siemens D500 diffractometer. Measurements were taken following the same procedures as previous studies (Martínez et al, 2013a). Two selected samples (PV4012 and PV4023) were submitted for SEM-EDS analysis to gain a better understanding of weathering processes occurring in a marine environment of deposition.…”

“…This assertion was used to support or validate the hypothesis that wine amphoras were shipped directly from port facilities located next to pottery workshops, generally found on the coast or in nearby fluvial basins. However, recent research focused on the archaeometric characterization of wine amphoras from pottery workshops of north-eastern Spain (Martínez, 2014), shipwrecks (Buxeda et al, 2004Martínez et al, 2013aMartínez et al, , 2013b, and sites of reception and consumption (Barberan et al, 2009;Martínez, 2011Martínez, -2012Martínez, , 2013 point to the existence of a variety of trading patterns, differing according to the chronological framework in which each specific site or production area was operating. Thus, it has been demonstrated that the use of this route by ships trading several types of amphora as their main cargo dated to the pre-Augustan or late Augustan period, such as Cap Béar 3 (Dressel 1, Tarraconense 1, Pascual 1 and Dressel 12 amphoras) and Port-Vendres 5 (Pascual 1 and Dressel 2-4 amphoras from the Tarraconensis) respectively, in addition to Port-Vendres 4 (Kotarba et al, 2007: 638-40;Martínez et al, 2013b).…”