Monte Testaccio
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Monte Testaccio is a artificial hill composed of pottery fragments coming entirely from the amphorae and diotae jars used to transport grains and liquids into Ancient Rome by the Tiber.
The dump was used until the end of the 4th Century AD, and is now overgrown with grass and trees, but archaeologists have calculated the depth of the fragments as 45 m and the circumference as 1,017 m.
The earliest pots were predominantly used for olive oil, mainly from Baetica, and because the maker's seal and other contents notes, such as tituli picti, are still available on the fragments they are a rich primary source for understanding the Roman economy.
It gives its name to the Testaccio district of Rome.
[edit] References
- Adkins L. & R. 1993 An Introduction to the Romans Chartwell ISBN 0-7858-1609-7 (Quotes the 1,017 m circumference).
[edit] External links
- Pictures of the hill from various angles.
- The Archaeological Institute of America will be conducting volunteer field work on the mound from September 25, 2005, they estimate the height of the mound at 45 metres.
- Testaccio website by Universitat de Roma "La Sapienza" and Universitat de Barcelona
