Each day excavators remove bucketfuls of amphorae from the 150-foot-tall Monte Testaccio. The artificial hill is made up almost entirely of olive oil amphorae from the ancient Roman province of Baetica in southern Spain. (Pasquale Sorrentino)
Each day excavators remove bucketfuls of amphorae from the 150-foot-tall Monte Testaccio. The artificial hill is made up almost entirely of olive oil amphorae from the ancient Roman province of Baetica in southern Spain. (Pasquale Sorrentino)
I wonder if they ever come upon a whole one. Wonder what other kinds of things are mixed in with the olive oil amphorae. In the picture it looks like only the amphorae are there.
25 million complete amphorae? Well, there should be at least one for every antiquities collector in the world.
Fascinating. Since we know that there were lots of traders in Rome dealing with oil and other goods that were transported in amphorae, you have to wonder how and why they all began to ditch their used amphorae in this one location.
I have an image of Caesar scuffing an X with the toe of his boot and saying something like, “All right, listen up! I’m tired of walking around the forum and seeing all these empty freakin’ jars. From now on, you guys are gonna dump ‘em here or else. As to refuse, this is an offer you can’t refuse. Get it? Refuse. Awright, settle down. Dismissed!”
