Amphorae imports in the legionary fortresses of León (north Spain) from the Augustan period to late 1st century A.D.: a new pattern of military supply

Abstract

Over the last decades, numerous amphorae fragments have been retrieved in the excavations carried out in the city of León (Spain) in the contexts corresponding to the 1st century AD, which correspond to the occupation of the León site by the legio VI victrix (change of Era - AD 68) and the first decades of the legio VII gemina camp after AD 74. The amphorae of the León camps show a great typological variety, confirming the consumption of wine and its by-products, olive oil, fish products and alum, as well as the origin of the amphorae. Their diachronic study informs us about a pattern of self-supply, which moves away from the civil consumption in Hispania. This study also presents considerable differences from that of the large legionary fortresses of the limes of Germania and Raetia, and at the same time it shows greater similarities with other camps closer to the southern transport networks. Based on the identification of a local or regional production of flat-bottomed amphorae and common ceramic bottles (intended for the internal redistribution of oil rations for the troops) different considerations are raised on the issue of supplies in perishable containers (skin flasks and barrels), providing new research paradigms.