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Archaeological ceramics are considered one of the most important sources of both technological and chronological information. Here, the investigation of some archaeological underwater amphorae from the Egadi’s Battle, that decided the end of the First Punic War (241 B.C.), is reported. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), petrography, and Thermoluminescence (TL) were used to determine the composition of the amphorae and to evaluate the compatibly of their age with the above Battle. Considering the historical importance of the act and the well-defined historical collocation these amphorae represent an interesting archaeometric case study.

Introduction. Amphorae is a significant part of pottery from the early medieval sites of Pontic region. They are traditionally considered as important source for analyzing the chronology, directions and intensity of ancient trade links. The paper is devoted to comparative analysis of clay raw material used for making medieval pontic amphorae. These ceramic containers are wide spread in the sites of the 8th - 10th centuries in Crimea, Taman, the Don and the Volga river basins and in other areas. Methods and materials. Two groups of sources were investigated. The first group contains samples from 280 amphorae found on settlement sites of Saltovo-Mayaki times in the Middle and Lower Don basin. These samples have been сollected by the author in the museum funds of Southern regions of Russia. The second group is represented by samples of clay raw material from Southern part of Crimea where pontic amphorae production centers were located (the foothills and Southern coast). We used A.A. Bobrinsky’s method for determining different regions for digging of main plastic raw material by analyzing the ceramic under a stereoscopic microscope. Results. The main result of study is allocation of two kinds of raw materials which were used for pontic amphorae making (about 84 % of studied vessels). After comparing these raw material kinds with Crimean samples, their connection with different areas was clarified. These areas belong to different geological formations. The first area is in the South-Western Crimea, and the second area covers the Southern and South-Eastern Crimean coast, to the South of the ridge of the Crimean mountains. The conducted research allowed obtaining interesting data which need to be further proved by the methods of archaeometry.

Although wine was unquestionably one of the most important commodities traded in the Mediterranean during the Roman Empire, less is known about wine commerce after its fall and whether the trade continued in regions under Islamic control. To investigate, here we undertook systematic analysis of grapevine products in archaeological ceramics, encompassing the chemical analysis of 109 transport amphorae from the fifth to the eleventh centuries, as well as numerous control samples. By quantifying tartaric acid in relation to malic acid, we were able to distinguish grapevines from other fruit-based products with a high degree of confidence. Using these quantitative criteria, we show beyond doubt thatwine continued to be traded through Sicily during the Islamic period. Wine was supplied locally within Sicily but also exported from Palermo to ports under Christian control. Such direct evidence supports the notion that Sicilian merchants continued to capitalize on profitable Mediterranean trade networks during the Islamic period, including the trade in products prohibited by the Islamic hadiths, and that the relationship between wine and the rise of Islam was far from straightforward.

The Mediterranean has long played host to unusually intense patterns of maritime-led exchange, involving both products made beyond the basin and local, culturally distinctive goods such as oils and wines that continue to be well-known markers of the region’s economies and lifestyles today. Protecting these commodities, and sometimes highly emblematic of them, have been specialized physical packages, of which clay amphoras are perhaps the most well-known early examples. In contrast, modern steel shipping containers, occurring in unusual densities at the Mediterranean pinch points of globalized trade, represent only a latest phase of this cultural tradition. Mediterranean containers therefore have a continuous history spanning at least 5,000 years, one that, worldwide, offers a uniquely long, continuous, and detailed record of economic specialization. It is remarkable, then, that there has been as yet so little consideration of this tradition over its full time span. This paper makes the case for developing a more strongly longitudinal, comparative, and evolutionary perspective on these highly iconic material forms.

La epigrafía sobre las ánforas constituye un elemento esencial para el análisis de las relaciones comerciales en la Antigüedad. Este artículo ofrece una visión actualizada de la epigrafía de las ánforas romanas republicanas descubiertas en la ciudad de Valentia (Hispania citerior). El 39.58% del catálogo está formado por piezas inéditas y se ha realizado una revisión crítica de las inscripciones que ya se conocían. El estudio permite plantear nuevas hipótesis de trabajo y aporta nuevos datos que permiten avanzar en el conocimiento del papel que jugó la ciudad romana republicana de Valentia dentro de las redes comerciales de su época.

This paper presents novel insights into the long-term chronological patterns related to the distribution and consumption of amphora-borne foodstuffs in Italy. The study specifically focuses on the consumption of wine, olive oil and fish sauces, which exhibit diverse provenances. Notably, it contributes significantly to our understanding of the Roman economy by utilising an open dataset and a replicable research method. The analysis reveals a pronounced growth pattern during the late Republican to early Imperial period. Importantly, quantitative evidence demonstrates that the diverse consumption pattern observed in the capital city of Rome is less exceptional than previously believed. The study draws upon a substantial dataset comprising 28,851 diagnostic amphora fragments excavated and documented from 28 different urban and rural settlements in the North Adriatic and Central Italy, spanning the period from the 4th c. BCE to the 7th c. CE. The analytical approach employs a probabilistic aoristic method, evenly distributing amphora frequencies across relevant date ranges.

About 100 sherds from Haltern 70 amphorae recovered from Castro do Vieito (NW Portugal) and from kiln sites located at Guadalquivir valley, Rio Tinto valley, bay of Cadix and Algarve coast, were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The study aimed mainly to verify the provenance of Castro do Vieito (CV) Haltern 70 amphorae. Principal components analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were performed. A CV sherd with a potter’s stamp “LH…” was studied among other CV sherds and it was found that they have the same origin, and probably a unique provenance. The most considered area of Haltern 70 type, Guadalquivir valley, is not likely to be the origin of CV Haltern 70 amphorae. Moreover, it is quite possible that these amphorae were produced in a region with Nb rich soils.

Recently, an inscribed fragment of a closed vase made of buff pinkish clay, covered with a red-orange wash, 11.8 cm wide and 8.4 cm high, and decorated with black, lustrous clay-paint surfaced briefly on the Swiss art market. It preserves a small section of the black tongue pattern on the shoulder and a wide black strip separating ornament and a panel with a straight glossy black line angled upwards; and the incomplete inscription TONIKONO[… . This paper endeavours to place the inscription and the name Nikon in a wider context and to examine the use of Pseudo-Panathenaic Amphorae.

This article presents a novel approach to classifying archaeological artefacts using machine learning, specifically deep learning, rather than relying on traditional, time-consuming human-based methods. By employing Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), this approach aims to expedite and enhance the identification process, making it more accessible to a wider audience. The study focuses on two types of artefacts- Roman Lusitanian amphorae (2nd-5th centuries) and Portuguese faience (16th-18th centuries)- chosen for their diversity. While Lusitanian amphorae lack decoration, Portuguese faience poses challenges with subtle colour variations. The study demonstrates the potential of this approach to overcome these hurdles. The paper outlines the methodology, dataset creation, and model training, emphasizing the importance of extensive data and computational resources. The ultimate objective of this research is to develop a mobile application that utilizes image classification techniques to accurately classify ceramic sherds and bring about a significant transformation in archaeological classification.

Although in modern societies fermented beverages are associated with socializing, celebration, and ritual, in ancient times they were also importa`nt sources of essential nutrients and potable water. In Mesoamerica, pulque, an alcoholic beverage produced from the fermented sap of several species of maguey plants ( Agavaceae ; Fig. 1) is hypothesized to have been used as a dietary supplement and risk-buffering food in ancient Teotihuacan (150 B.C. to A.D. 650). Although direct archaeological evidence of pulque production is lacking, organic residue analysis of pottery vessels offers a new avenue of investigation. However, the chemical components of alcoholic beverages are water-soluble, greatly limiting their survival over archaeological timescales compared with hydrophobic lipids widely preserved in food residues. Hence, we apply a novel lipid biomarker approach that considers detection of bacteriohopanoids derived from the ethanol-producing bacterium Zymomonas mobilis for identifying pulque production/consumption in pottery vessels. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry selected ion monitoring ( m/z 191) of lipid extracts of >300 potsherds revealed characteristic bacteriohopanoid distributions in a subset of 14 potsherds. This hopanoid biomarker approach offers a new means of identifying commonly occurring bacterially fermented alcoholic beverages worldwide, including palm wine, beer, cider, perry, and other plant sap- or fruit-derived beverages [Swings J, De Ley J (1977) Bacteriol Rev 41(1):1–46]. Significance This research provides the earliest direct chemical evidence for the production of alcoholic beverage pulque in Mesoamerica, based on organic residues recovered from pottery vessels from Teotihuacan. A novel bacterial lipid biomarker approach is reported, which provides a new means of documenting the consumption of bacterially fermented alcoholic beverages in antiquity worldwide. At Teotihuacan, we have evidence that pulque was stored in distinctive amphorae vessels sealed with pine resin, as well as in other, less specialized vessels. Direct evidence of pulque production provides new insights into how the nutritional requirements of Teotihuacanos were sustained in a region in which the diet was largely based on plants and crop failures, due to drought and frost damage, which resulted in frequent shortfalls in staples.