Prof. Dr. César Carreras Monfort (UOC)
Porf. Piero Berni Millet (UOC, UB)

Funded by: Junta de Castilla y León; Generalitat de Catalunya i Secció d'Arqueologia Urbana (Barcelona)

In 1994 we carried out a first study of the amphora material coming from Campa Torres excavations (Gijón). Due to this initial contact, we became interested in the amphora circulation in the Northwest quadrant of the Peninsula. This is quite an attractive region in the Roman period because of the important presence of the army and mining exploitations. During two years a series of amphora assemblages of Roman sites from Castilla and León were studied, so they allowed us to have a fair idea of their distribution in the conventus Asturum.

Meanwhile, in 1995, a systematic study of amphora assemblage coming from different sites in Catalonia was set up. It included urban centres (such as Ausa, Iluro, Iesso) as well as rural sites of lower rank such as El Bosquet vila, Can Feu vila or Can Ventura de l'Oller vila. As a result of this work, it became necessary to analyse a larger amphora assemblage, that is why we decided in 1996 to study the amphorae of Barcino, which is still under way.

Aims of the Project

Analysis of the commercial circuits of the Tarraconense province in relation to other provinces in the Roman Empire such as Britannia, from which we dispose of an excellent documentation.

Characterise local productions from Tarraconense, not only in the typological aspects but also in the fabric identification that will facilitate the reconstruction of the province microeconomy.

Identify mechanisms of amphorae commercialisation, relationships between production, distribution and consumption centres. In these aspects, the study of epigraphy is especially relevant.

Introduce a new methodology for amphorae quantification combining measures such as EVE and number of handles and spikes, together with densities obtained from weight and standardised according to area excavated and occupation span (e.g. Rhodian amphorae) distribution

Particular Studies

	Conventus Asturum Amongst the studied sites there is Campa Torres (forthcoming), Astorga (forthcoming), León (unpublished), Rosinos de Vidriales (unpublished) and Uxama Argaela (unpublished). Some general papers on amphora circulation in this region have been published so far (Carreras, 1996; 1997), though there are still many questions to answer.
	Central Catalonia It includes a great number of Romna sites from Barcelona province and other provinces (Guissona), with a date range that goes from republican period to the Late Roman Empire. Amongst the assemblages from the Republican period, the material from silos of Guissona (Guitart, Pera y Carreras, 1998), El Bosquet vila (forthcoming) and Camp de les Lloses (forthcoming) stand out. We have specially insisted in workshops studies to recognise fabrics (petrographic analysis in the UAB and difraction X-rays in the UB), its volume of production and epigraphy. Amongst the studied workshops, Can Feu, La Salut, L'Aiguacuit, Can Jofresa, Nª Sra. del Port o Can Ventura de l'Oller. Besides, distribution of particular imports is studied little known such as Richborough 527 or Dressel 2-4 from Guadalquivir valley, and minor local productions (Carreras y Piero, 1998). Moreover, a myriad of epigraphic studies of Museum collections (e.g. Vic, Empúries) (Berni, 1996; 1998) or wide distributions.
	Barcino The study of the amphorae from Barcino has become the core of our reseach project due to the volume of material coming from constant rescue excavations of the city and its great variety. The project started in spring 1996, since then we have been classifying all the assemblages from all old excavations, which are stored in the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat, and recent rescue excavations. So far amphorae from more than 30 excavations have been studied, and still remain the last 1998 and 1999 campaigns. From this research, we have published some papers such as one about epigraphy (forthcoming), and other minor works under way. We wish to publish the whole research that will make recognise the importance of the Roman Barcelona in the commercial circuits in the Western Empire.
	Catarroja We have collaborated with other researchers, away from the region fous of our work. One of these collaborations is the study of amphorae from the workshop of L'Hort de Pepica (Catarroja, Valencia) excavated in 1996-7 by M.P.García Gelabert and M.García Diez (Universitat de València). It is a Roman villa producing wine that elaborated also its own vessels, chiefly Dressel 2-4 and Dressel 20 (Oliva 3), though there are other miscelanean forms. The excavation report of this assemblage is now forthcoming, waiting for the funding of new excavation.

Bibliography

Berni Millet, P. (1996). "Instrumentum domesticum romà del Museu Episcopal de Vic. La col·lecció de segells en àmfora, tegula i morter". Pyrenae 27; pp.311-326.

Carreras Monfort, C. (1996). "El comercio de Asturia a través de las ánforas". C. Fernández Ochoa (coord.). Los Finisterres atlánticos en la Antigüedad. Gijón; pp.205-212.

Carreras Monfort C. (1997). "Los beneficiarii y la red de aprovisionamiento militar de Britannia e Hispania". Gerión 15; pp.151-176.

Berni Millet, P. (1998). "Las ánforas de aceite de la Bética y su presencia en la Cataluña romana". Col.lecció Instrumenta nº 4. Barcelona.

Berni Millet P., Carreras Monfort C., Revilla Calvo V. (1998). "Sobre dos nuevos Cornelii del vino tarraconense". Laietania 11; pp. 111-123.

Carreras Monfort C., Berni Millet P.(1998). "Producció de vi i àmfores tardanes del NE de la Tarraconense". En II Col·loqui Internacional d'Arqueologia Romana. El vi a l'Antiguitat. Badalona; pp.270-276.

Guitart, J., Pera J., Carreras C. (1998). "La presència del vi itàlic a les fundacions urbanes del principi del segle I aC a l'interior de Catalunya: l'exemple de Iesso". En II Col·loqui Internacional d'Arqueologia Romana. El vi a l'Antiguitat. Badalona, pp.39-60.

Berni Millet P., Carreras Monfort C. (2001). "El circuit comercial de Barcino: reflexions al voltant de les marques amfòriques". Faventia 23/1, 2001; pp. 103-129.

Carreras Monfort C., Berni Millet P. ( 2002 ). "Microspatial relationships in the Laietanian wine trade: shipwrecks, amphora stamps and workshops". Vivre, produire et échanger: reflets méditerranéens. Mélanges offerts à Bernard Liou. Textes rassamblés par Lucien Rivet et Martine Sciallano. Archaéologie et histoire romaine 8. Éditions Monique Mergoil Montagnac; pp. 359-369.

Olesti i Vila O., Carreras Monfort C. ( 2002 ). "Denominació d'origen M. Porci: reflexions al voltant d'una marca d'àmfora tarraconense". Laietania 13; pp. 177-190.

Carreras Monfort C., Berni Millet P. ( 2003 ). "Ánforas". Astorga IV . Lucernas y ánforas. Amaré Tafalla (Dir.). Universidad de León. pp. 653-673.

Pujol i Hamelink M, Carreras Monfort C. (2003). "L'ancoratge i el port de Rhode (Roses, Alt Empordà)". Empúries, 53 (2002), pàgs. 131-154.

Carreras Monfort C. (2004). "Les àmfores de Iesso". Guitart Duran, J.; Pera Isern, J. (ed.), Iesso I. Miscel·lània Arquològica. Patronat d'Arqueologia de Guissona, pp. 145-169.

Carreras Monfort C., Berni Millet P. (2005). "Late Roman amphorae in the City of Barcino (Barcelona)". Gurt i Esparraguera J.M., Buxeda i Garrigós J., Cau Ontiveros M.A. (ed.), LRCW I, Late Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphorae the Mediterranean. Archaeology and Archaeometry, BAR International Series 1340, 2005, pp. 165-178.

Berni Millet P., Carreras Monfort C., Olesti i Vila O. (2005). "La gens Licinia y el nordeste peninsular. Una aproximación al estudio de las formas de propiedad y de gestión de un rico patrimonio familiar". Archivo Español de Arqueología, 78, nrs. 191-192; pp. 167-187.

Aguelo i Mas J., Carreras Monfort C., Huertas Arroyo J. (2006). "L'ocupació altimperial del solar del Mercat de Santa Caterina. Un possible centre productor ceràmic". QUARHIS, época II, núm. 2; pp. 60-73.