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6.5 Amphorae by Fabienne Olmer

Forty-five amphora fragments were recovered from nine different locations in the three study areas. Apart from one rim, two handles and one shoulder, most of the finds were body sherds. All but two are imports from Italy or Spain, Dressel 1 wine amphorae and Dressel 20 olive oil vessels being the commonest forms. Four of the Dressel 1 can be attributed to the Albinia kilns in Etruria. Other wine amphorae from Italy - all represented by single sherds only - included Graeco-Italic and Dressel 2-4 and Lamboglia 2. One Spanish sherd can be identified as Pascual 1; three other Tarraconensian sherds could be from either Pascual 1 or Dressel 2-4.

Lamboglia 2 is relatively uncommon in Gaul, although there are a number of other findspots in Saône et Loire (Olmer 1997); the form does not, however, appear in equivalent numbers in surrounding areas, perhaps suggesting that Burgundy was a privileged recipient of the type (Loughton 2003). The latest finds from Gaul appear to date to the two decades after the Gallic War (Loughton 2003, 183).

The largest group of amphora sherds came from L'Haut des Champs, which was walked more than once. Finds from here included sherds of two Gaulish amphorae, one an import from Narbonensis, the other from the kilns at Gueugnon 40km downstream. The workshop at Gueugnon produced flat-bottomed amphorae that closely resemble Gauloise 3 and 4 forms (Olmer 1996); production appears to have started in the later 1st century AD.

In addition to the above, three small sherds of Dressel 1 were collected in a hollow way at Poil, north of Le Carzot farm, during the geophysical survey of the rectangular enclosures. At least 100 Dressel 1s were found in the 1984-5 excavations nearby at Le Quart du Bas (Olmer 1997).

Table 5: Amphorae from the Arroux Valley Survey

UFLine/gridQtyWt (g)FormSourceFabricArea/site
75[1-7]134Graeco-Italic, rimItalyAmph 6A2: L'Haut des Champs
41A150Dr 1ItalyAmph 1aA1: La Vente N
45 140Dr 1AlbiniaAmph 1bA1: N du Jardet
15A139Dr 1? (burnt)ItalyAmph 1aA2: Le Grands Champ
18[1]132Dr 1?ItalyAmph 1aA2: Le Grands Champ
33B146Dr 1?ItalyAmph 1aA2: L'Haut des Champs
3422142Dr 1ItalyAmph 1aA2: L'Haut des Champs
3431100Dr 1? (burnt)ItalyAmph 1aA2: L'Haut des Champs
3431104Dr 1? (red blobs)Italy - 'southern'Amph 1aA2: L'Haut des Champs
3461112Dr 1 shoulder (red blobs)Italy - 'southern'Amph 1aA2: L'Haut des Champs
64 4751Dr 1ItalyAmph 1aA2: L'Haut des Champs
75[4-2]112Dr 1AlbiniaAmph 1bA2: L'Haut des Champs
83B144Dr 1ItalyAmph 1aA3: Le Champ de Maison
76 158Dr 1; handleAlbiniaAmph 1bA3: La Grand Pâture
83B1138Dr 1? poss. burnt?ItalyAmph 1aA3: Le Champ de Maison
99 1176Dr 1, near baseAlbiniaAmph 1bA3: Pâture de Rully
79 334Dr 1ItalyAmph 1aPoil, N du Carzot
75[4-3]1110Lamboglia 2Italy, Adriatic coastAmph 5A2: L'Haut des Champs
19 123Pascual 1TarraconensisAmph 4A2 Beaufort
33B1130Dr 2-4, handle. Black sand fabricCampaniaAmph 7A2: L'Haut des Champs
75[2-1]120Dr 2-4 or Pascual 1TarraconensisAmph 4A2: L'Haut des Champs
75[4-3]132Dr 2-4 or Pascual 1TarraconensisAmph 4A2: L'Haut des Champs
75[5]124Dr 2-4 or Pascual 1TarraconensisAmph 4A2: L'Haut des Champs
35 128Dr 20BaeticaAmph 2A2: Beaufort
15A3531Dr 20BaeticaAmph 2A2: Le Grands Champ
15B1215Dr 20BaeticaAmph 2A2: Le Grands Champ
18[1]4176Dr 20BaeticaAmph 2A2: Le Grands Champ
18[4]1220Dr 20BaeticaAmph 2A2: Le Grands Champ
44B394Dr 20BaeticaAmph 2A2: Les Chaumes
34619Dr 20?Baetica?Amph 2bA2: L'Haut des Champs
75[1-3]120Dr 20BaeticaAmph 2A2: L'Haut des Champs
75[2-7]2146Dr 20BaeticaAmph 2A2: L'Haut des Champs
347164Gauloise flat-bottomed formGueugnonAmph 3bA2: L'Haut des Champss
64 1102GauloiseNarbonensisAmph 3aA2: L'Haut des Champs

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