A scientific study of three Roman amphorae revealed details of how wine was made. Photo: Shutterstock
The study of three amphorae made it possible to discover some of the practices used by the Romans to make, preserve and eventually to flavor the wine they have consumed.
The study, directed by the University of Avignon (France) and published this Wednesday 29 in Plos Uno magazinesuggests that the Romans used native grapes to make wine and who, later, kept it in amphorae previously waterproofed with imported tar pitch.
To do this study, the authors examined three Roman-era amphorae found in a seabed deposit near the port of San Felice Circeo, Italy, about 90 km southeast of Rome.
Roman amphorae were found in a seabed deposit near the port of San Felice Circeo, Italy Illustrative photo: Shutterstock
what they found
The chemical markers, along with the remains of plant tissues and the pollen found in the amphorae, were essential to confirm the presence in the jars of grape and pine derivatives.
The authors suggest that amphorae were used in red and white winemaking processes, and that pine was used to create tar and waterproof jars and possibly also to flavor the drink, as has been observed at similar archaeological sites.
The pollen of the vine coincides with that of the wild species of the areawhich suggests that these winemakers used local plants, although it is unclear whether these were domesticated at the time.
For its part, the pine tar is not local and probably it was imported from Calabria or Sicilyaccording to the study.
The authors suggest that amphorae were used in white and red winemaking processes Photo: Shutterstock
The authors emphasize the benefits of conducting multidisciplinary research to characterize cultural practices based on archaeological objects.
In this case, the identification of the plant remains, the chemical analysis, the historical and archaeological documents, the design of the amphorae and the previous finds contributed to the conclusions of this analysis and helped to “interpret a story beyond the artifacts that it would not be possible using a single technique, “argue the authors.
“If there was a message to withhold from reading this article, it would be related to the applied multidisciplinary methodology,” emphasizes researcher Louise Chassouant, chemist at the University of Avignon.
EFE
Source: Clarin
