Majorca, in a Roman shipwreck archaeologists discover a hitherto unknown type of amphora

Following a study of the cargo of a Roman shipwreck discovered in 2019 off the coast of Mallorca , Spain, archaeologists from the Universities of Barcelona, Cadiz and the Balearic Islands have identified a type of amphora, renamed Ses Fontanelles I after the shipwreck site. The ship, dating from the fourth century, was found in an exceptional state of preservation, plus the ease of access to the site (near one of Mallorca’s main tourist beaches) allowed for a very thorough study of the cargo.The scholars have therefore determined the origins of the amphorae carried through numerous analyses of both the containers and their contents. The research was published in the scientific journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.

Spanish scholars combined petrographic analysis to study the origin of the amphorae, archaeozoological investigations and residue analysis to identify their contents, and analysis of woody and plant remains to understand the use of plant resources in shipbuilding and cargo stowage. The results of the combination of petrographic analysis, ichthyofauna study, and organic residue analysis suggest that the vessel had probably departed from the area of present-day Cartagena, in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, carrying a cargo of fish sauce, oil, and wine (probably also some olives stored in grape derivatives), transported in four main types of amphorae. Wood analysis shows, as known in Roman shipbuilding, a clear selection of forest resources. Shipbuilders used pine for the longitudinal parts of the hull, while for the smaller pieces related to the assembly system (pickets, mortises and tenons) and subjected to high stresses they selected harder woods mainly Cupressaceae, Olea europaea (olive) and Laurus nobilis (laurel). In addition, the study reveals that mainly branches of Vitis vinifera, but also other herbaceous plants were used as dunnage to protect the cargo during the voyage.

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According to Spanish archaeologists, the Ses Fontanelles wreck constitutes a unique example in that it is one of the few cases in the entire Mediterranean where, thanks to an exceptional state of preservation, it is possible to relate the information from the painted inscriptions to the paleocontent.

The typological study of the amphorae found in the first season of excavations allowed for the classification of 249 pieces with diagnostic attributes that fall into four main types. From a typological point of view, amphorae of the Almagro 51c type are particularly abundant, many of which have painted inscriptions(tituli picti) formed by a stroke with the names “Ausonius et Alunni,” and a second stroke alluding to the contents: “Liq Flos,” or Liquaminis Flos (“slurry flower”) , a liquid fish sauce that was highly valued in Roman times.

The second group by number is that represented by the new type of amphora, named, as mentioned above, “Ses Fontanelles I,” but which scholars probably believe could be considered an imitation of Dressel 23-type oil amphorae, commonly manufactured in Baetica (southern Spain). A third group of containers are the flat-bottomed amphorae manufactured in the 3rd and 4th centuries, especially in the eastern part of Betica, where a number of workshops have been excavated. These containers have traditionally been considered intended for the transport of wine based on their type and prototype, the “Gallic” amphorae produced in Narbonense. However, in the case of the Majorcan wreck some of these amphorae contained solid residues including what appear to be olive stones, indicating that perhaps some of them may have contained preserved fruits. The repertoire of amphorae is completed by the Keay XIX type, but so far only three specimens have been recovered. This could indicate that this type was perhaps related to crew rather than commercial cargo or that it was represented by only a few items.

The cargo was organized on at least two levels covering the entire length and width of the ship. The amphorae were arranged vertically to maximize the limited space available, and those of type Ses Fontanelles I, larger and heavier than the others, occupied the lower level of the center and the aft area. Smaller containers were finally found mainly near the prow and sides.

Majorca, in a Roman shipwreck archaeologists discover a hitherto unknown type of amphora

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