archaeology

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Metal mining in Roman Dalmatia

2018, Opuscula archaeologica

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The mining of metal ores was an important industry in the ancient world because it provided valuable resources: precious metals for coins and non-precious metals for tools and weapons. The Roman province of Dalmatia possessed significant deposits of gold, silver and iron. This article combines evidence from archaeology, coins, inscriptions and literature to assess the nature of the management, organisation and significance of this industry in Dalmatia during the Roman period with an eye especially to the involvement of the Roman state. It also considers the greater economic impact of the mines in terms of employment and provision of supplies.

Recent work on Roman quarries near Korčula and on Brač

written with Ben Russell
2015, Vjesnik za arheologiju i povijest dalmatinsku

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This paper presents the results of a field survey undertaken to determine the nature of the evidence for Roman-period activity at quarries on the so-called Škoji islands off Korčula and on Brač. The aim of this investigation was to observe the condition of the quarries and the available archaeological evidence as well as to provide a more comprehensive description of the sites, using measurements, photographs, maps and geographical coordinates. An analysis of the sites also includes comparisons with other quarries in Dalmatia and in the broader Roman Mediterranean.

Cultural interaction and economic ambition in Roman Dalmatia

2011, Meetings of culture in the ancient Mediterranean: the proceedings of the 17th international congress of Classical archaeology.

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An interesting aspect of the Roman economy, and indeed the economy of any age, is the extent to which certain economic choices are dictated by a region’s socio-cultural framework. Equally important is the way in which economic activities can promote cultural interaction through the movement of goods and people.The Roman period is particularly useful for considering these aspects for two reasons: a certain level of cultural homogeneity which existed at the time as well as the high level of interconnectedness which characterised the Roman Mediterranean. In order to understand how these influences functioned and how they affected the lives of people living in the Roman world, this paper takes as a starting point the evidence from the provincial level, focusing on the Roman province of Dalmatia.

Olive and vine cultivation in the Roman province of Dalmatia

2007, Histria Antiqua

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This paper looks briefly at the archaeological evidence for olive and vine cultivation in the Roman province of Dalmatia, which mainly comes in the form of facilities for the production of oil and wine. It also considers the significance of the evidence in the light of other, related factors such as geographic situation and the evidence for trade in oil and wine in the Roman period.

Internal and external trade in the Roman province of Dalmatia

2005, Opuscula Archaeologica
This work considers some of the archaeological, epigraphic, and literary evidence for trade in the Roman province of Dalmatia during the first four centuries AD. It focuses mainly on external trade, especially imports for which there is much clear archaeological evidence. The section on imports is an analysis of trade relations between Dalmatia and the rest of the Mediterranean over time, while the sections on exports and internal trade, due to the nature of the evidence, are more general, making a case for the nature of these activities in the province during this period. The work not only assesses the currently available in formation but also suggests future areas of research which could add to our understanding of Dalmatian trade, both within the province and with the wider Mediterranean world.

ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM WEBSITE

Highlights of the British Collection

Appleford Roman Pewter Hoard

In 1968, gravel extraction in a pit at Appleford brought to light a hoard of pewter which had lain hidden since the fourth or fifth century AD. The hoard itself consisted of at least 24 pieces of pewter tableware, making it the third largest hoard of Roman pewter found in this country to date. READ MORE

Ironwork Hoards from Dorchester-on-Thames

Situated on the River Thame near its confluence with the Thames, where that great river was crossed by the major Roman road between Alchester and Silchester, Dorchester-on-Thames seems to have become a local administrative and economic centre in the Roman period. It appears to have continued as a local power base even at the end of the Roman period. READ MORE

Military Belt Set from Dorchester-on-Thames

In 1874, during levelling works on the eastern part of Dyke Hills, workmen discovered two graves – one male, one female – dating to the very end of the Roman period in Britain. The male burial contained a large number of bronze objects which formed part of a rare late Roman military belt set. READ MORE

Chester Altar

This red sandstone altar dedicated to the Roman god Jupiter was found in 1653 during excavation for the cellar of Richard Tyrer in Foregate Street, Chester. It stood in his garden until he donated it to the University of Oxford in 1675. READ MORE

Roman Pewter from Bossens, Cornwall

In 1756, a farmer in Bossens, near St. Erth in Cornwall, saw the foot of one of his oxen sink a bit deeper into the ground. Upon further exploration, he discovered a deep pit with the two pewter pieces, a two-handled patera, two stone weights and a small millstone all of Cornish granite, and a quantity of leather and animal remains. READ MORE

Roman Pots in the Founding Collection

These Romano-British jars were two of the first Roman objects to enter the museum’s collection. Six Roman pots are recorded in the 1685 catalogue known as The Book of the Junior Proctor. READ MORE