Bleicistae mit Produzenteninschriften aus dem römischen Schiffswrack von Rena Maiore (Sardinien)

Arelate / Arles (dép. Bouches-du-Rhône / F) als Umschlagplatz im überregionalen Metallhandel?

Abstract

Besides a great amount of lead ingots, four leaden boxes (cistae) with manufacture’s inscriptions were part of the cargo of a vessel sunk in the Augustan era at Rena Maiore near to the northern coast of Sardinia. The assumption that they may have been produced on the Iberian Peninsula must be dismissed. A detailed epigraphic examination of the producer marks together with the analysis of the metal’s lead isotope compositions has revealed that the cistae were manufactured at Arles/Arelate, with lead coming from deposits in Germania (northern Eifel/northern Venn mountains or even northern Sauerland) and from Gaul itself (Cevennes/Massif Central). The cargo of the Rena Maiore wreck is the first to offer evidence that also in Gaul lead had been mined in greater quantities. At the same time, the Roman colony of Arles developed into a major transhipment site both for goods such as lead.