Engraved Amphora Dies from Toulouse "Caserne Niel" (dép. Haute-Garonne): New Evidence Concerning their Function

Abstract

This article describes and discusses 17 amphora dies with engraved images found on the late Iron Age industrial and trading settlement of Toulouse in south-western France. These items typically consist of a length of handle or base, which one or both ends were polished smooth and then engraved. These objects are found in contexts dating from c. 200/180 BC until the end of the 2nd century BC and are primarily recovered from parts of the site used for animal butchery, and various industrial and commercial activities. It is argued that the dies were used to decorate textiles, to mark and record commodities that were produced or repackaged, to seal and stamp documents, and to impress mortar seals on amphorae that were reconditioned and refilled on the site.