2.3. Dressel 2-4 amphoras

Typology

Cylindrical amphora with long bifid handles (composed of two rods), with small beaded lip and distinct carinated shoulder. Occasionally stamped near the base, or on the neck or handle. The form is derived from a prototype distributed from the island of Kos, hence referred to colloquially as Koan amphoras.

Fabric and technology

Very varied, due to their widespread production (see below). There are examples in the distinctive fabrics of both the Italian Dressel 1 (including the Campanian `black sand' fabric) and the Catalan Pascual 1.

Capacity

From 26-34l.

Date

Production from the later 1st century BC through to the end of the 1st century AD, and probably beyond. Imports in pre-conquest deposits in Britain, but most common on early Roman sites.

Source

One of the most widely produced amphora types; made in Italy (Peacock 1977; Hesnard et al. 1989), where it was produced on the same sites as the Dressel 1, Catalonia (Keay and Jones 1982), Baetica (Sealey 1985, 37, 42), central and southern France (Laubenheimer 1989, 118-23; Meffre and Meffre 1992), Lyon (Dangréaux et al. 1992, type 2), western Switzerland (Martin-Kilcher 1994, 342-4), the eastern Mediterranean (Empereur and Picon 1989) and Britain, at Brockley Hill (Castle 1978; Sealey 1985, 128-30).

Contents

Principally wine, but occasionally defrutum, fish-based sauces, olive-oil and dates.

Distribution

Widespread in the western Provinces. The distribution of the principal sources remains to be studied, but both Italian and Spanish products are found widely.

Aliases

Augst class 5. Peacock and Williams class 10 (Graeco-Roman, Koan, Ostia LI, Cam. 182-183, Callender 2, Benghazi ER4).

References

Sealey 1985, 27-50; Martin-Kilcher 1994, 337-46.

Bibliography

Castle 1978 Castle, S. A., Amphorae from Brockley Hill, 1975, Britannia, 9, 383-92, 1978.
Dangréaux et al. 1992 Dangréaux, B., Desbat, A., Picon, M. and Schmitt, A., La production d`amphores à Lyon, in Les amphores en Gaule. Production et circulation, F. Laubenheimer ed., Centre de Recherches d'Histoire Ancienne, 116, 37-50, Université de Besançon, Besançon, 1992.
Empereur and Picon 1989 Empereur, J.-Y. and Picon, M., Les régions de production d'amphores impériales en Méditerranée orientale, in Amphores romaines et histoire économique: dix ans de recherche, Collection de l'École Française de Rome, 114, 223-48, École Française de Rome, Rome, 1989.
Hesnard et al. 1989 Hesnard, A., Ricq, M., Arthur, P. R., Picon, M. and Tchernia, A., Aires de production des gréco-italiques et des Dr. 1, in Amphores romaines et histoire économique: dix ans de recherche, Collection de l'École Française de Rome, 114, 21-65, École Française de Rome, Rome, 1989.
Keay and Jones 1982 Keay, S. J. and Jones, L., Differentiation of early Imperial amphora production in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Current research in ceramics: Thin-section studies, C. Johns and T. Potter ed., British Museum Occasional Paper, 32, 45-61, British Museum, London, 1982.
Laubenheimer 1989 Laubenheimer, F., Les amphores gauloises sous l'Empire. Recherches nouvelles sur leur production et leur chronologie, in Amphores romaines et histoire économique: dix ans de recherche, Collection de l'École Française de Rome, 114, 105-38, École Française de Rome, Rome, 1989.
Martin-Kilcher 1994 Martin-Kilcher, S., Die römischen Amphoren aus Augst und Kaiseraugst. Ein Beitrag zur römischen Handels- und Kulturgeschichte. 2, Die Amphoren für Wein, Fischsauce, Südfrüchte (Gruppen 2-24) und Gesamtauswertung, Forschungen in Augst, 7, Römermuseum, Augst, 1994.
Meffre and Meffre 1992 Meffre, J.-C. and Meffre, P., L'atelier augustéen d'amphores et de céramiques de Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes (Vaucluse), in Les amphores en Gaule. Production et circulation, F. Laubenheimer ed., Centre de Recherches d'Histoire Ancienne, 116, 25-35, Université de Besançon, Besançon, 1992.
Peacock 1977 Peacock, D. P. S., Recent discoveries of Roman amphora kilns in Italy, AntiqJ, 57, 262-9, 1977.
Sealey 1985 Sealey, P. R., Amphoras from the 1970 excavations at Colchester Sheepen, British archaeological reports. British series, 142, BAR, Oxford, 1985.