The increasing need to supply the Roman army stationed in the German limes and the city of Rome itself, is one of the main drivers traditionally associated with the phenomenon of standardization of certain sizes and types of amphorae. This trend reached a moment of consolidation with the resulting reduction in the variety of amphorae types throughout the first century A.D. Thanks to the findings in their places of consumption, such as Augst (Augusta Raurica) or Mainz (Mogontiacum), we know more about the morphological evolution of many of these containers than we do from the places of production themselves, although this imbalance in our knowledge has gradually been redressed. As a result of the study of the large number of amphorae that these sites offer, we have attained better knowledge of how these products were produced and their morphological and chronological evolution. Nonetheless, there are still many open questions about the organization of the commercial agents in charge of importing exogenous products in northern Europe, as well as the degree of homogenization in terms of consumption practices between military settlements and other settlements where the civilian population was more present. For example, the extent to which the large presence of salted fish during the first century A.D. responds to the dietary needs of the local populations or to the logistical needs of the army stationed on the Rhine, as well as if its presence results from free or directed trade. Even though we have recent works for the lower Rhine with the aim of obtaining an overview of the degree of standardization of consumption (i.e. H. González Cesteros 2015), we do not have quantitative studies for the Roman province of Upper Germania (Germania Superior); although some of the best published materials and detailed studies (especially those carried out by S. Martin-Kilcher and U. Ehmig) are included in this geographical area. Given all of the above, we will be looking at the information provided by the distribution of the amphorae, their associated epigraphy (i.e. post cocturam graffiti), their metrology and capacities, and the local choices on the imitation of certain types as evidence of the widespread nature of certain consumption habits. With this, our aim is to obtain a clearer picture of to what extent the standardization of amphora types also reflects a certain uniformity of consumption habits, as well as to obtain a better understanding of the system of distribution of these containers and the commercial agents involved.

Moving Past Typological Constraints: On the Morphology and Transportability of Amphorae

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发表日期：

2026年

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Mateo González Vázquez

摘要

The increasing need to supply the Roman army stationed in the German limes and the city of Rome itself, is one of the main drivers traditionally associated with the phenomenon of standardization of certain sizes and types of amphorae. This trend reached a moment of consolidation with the resulting reduction in the variety of amphorae types throughout the first century A.D. Thanks to the findings in their places of consumption, such as Augst (Augusta Raurica) or Mainz (Mogontiacum), we know more about the morphological evolution of many of these containers than we do from the places of production themselves, although this imbalance in our knowledge has gradually been redressed. As a result of the study of the large number of amphorae that these sites offer, we have attained better knowledge of how these products were produced and their morphological and chronological evolution. Nonetheless, there are still many open questions about the organization of the commercial agents in charge of importing exogenous products in northern Europe, as well as the degree of homogenization in terms of consumption practices between military settlements and other settlements where the civilian population was more present. For example, the extent to which the large presence of salted fish during the first century A.D. responds to the dietary needs of the local populations or to the logistical needs of the army stationed on the Rhine, as well as if its presence results from free or directed trade. Even though we have recent works for the lower Rhine with the aim of obtaining an overview of the degree of standardization of consumption (i.e. H. González Cesteros 2015), we do not have quantitative studies for the Roman province of Upper Germania (Germania Superior); although some of the best published materials and detailed studies (especially those carried out by S. Martin-Kilcher and U. Ehmig) are included in this geographical area. Given all of the above, we will be looking at the information provided by the distribution of the amphorae, their associated epigraphy (i.e. post cocturam graffiti), their metrology and capacities, and the local choices on the imitation of certain types as evidence of the widespread nature of certain consumption habits. With this, our aim is to obtain a clearer picture of to what extent the standardization of amphora types also reflects a certain uniformity of consumption habits, as well as to obtain a better understanding of the system of distribution of these containers and the commercial agents involved.