CHEMICAL MARKERS AND THE FUNCTION OF DOLIA IN THE ROMAN FOUNDRY OF VALDERREPISA (CIUDAD REAL, SPAIN)

Abstract

The aim of this work is to discuss the results of chemical analysis of residues conducted by means of Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in an assemblage of roman dolia coming from the site of Valderrepisa (Ciudad Real, Spain). The site, excavated between 1990 and 1991, holds an ancient foundry dating back to the Late Republican period (II-I centuries B.C.) and related to the mining exploitation of silver and plumb of Sierra Morena at its time of highest activity. The interest of this case study is that the pottery containers were found in their primary context of use inside a storage room, thus providing major evidence about diet and subsistence practices of the foundry workers, who might have been of Italian origin, at least in part. A variety of chemical markers retrieved from the pottery samples analysed points out to vegetable oil as the only content of the whole assemblage. A dataset we will confront with literary sources to ascertain the function of these vessels in the site.