Esparto crafting under empire: Local technology and imperial industry in Roman Iberia

Drawing on scholarship in postcolonial archaeology that emphasizes the place of indigenous technology in colonial and imperial contexts, this article explores the role of local communities in esparto grass weaving and basketry in the southeast Iberian Peninsula in antiquity. Esparto crafting became essential to Phoenician and Carthaginian colonial economies of the 1st millennium BCE and, later, to the production equipment for mining and other industries under Roman imperial rule. This paper uses ethnographic studies alongside archaeological evidence of esparto objects, particularly esparto mining equipment, to reconstruct the chaîne opératoire of ancient esparto crafting. It argues that local communities developed landscape learning and tactile technical knowledge surrounding esparto crafting over many generations. In supplying equipment essential to Roman mining, these communities used their technical knowledge to maintain agency and construct their identities under imperial rule. Ultimately, understanding esparto crafting helps elucidate the relationship between resources, technology, and imperial or colonial encounters.

The stat us of the coloni in the mining district of Vipasca in view of the provisions of the Lex metallis dicta

This paper discusses changes in the Roman mining policy that took place during the Empire, based on the provisions found on the second tablet of the Lex metallis dicta2 (Vip II, 1, 2,5,6,7,8,9) from Vipasca. The main stress is placed on the position, rights and obligations of the coloni and miners and the status of mining pits after their sale. By examining the efficiency of the indirect model of silver and lead exploitation in the mining district of Vipasca, the authors present their solution to the unresolved issue of the means by which the Roman state obtained large quantities of metals necessary for the operation of state-run factories and imperial mints.

Rudarski propisi klasičnog i postklasičnog rimskog prava / Mining regulations of classical and postclassical Roman law

In order to understand the functioning of mining in ancient Rome, it is necessary to investigate the rules of classical and post-classical Roman law related to mines. Most of the mining information is extracted from the Lex Vipasca, the two bronze plates found in Aljustrelo in Portugal in 1876 and 1906. The first plate from Aljustrelo provided valuable information on the mining sale taxes, the auctioneer’s provision, the management of baths, shoemakers, barbers, metallurgy workers, mining waste tax, teachers and seizure of mines and receivables. The second plate from Aljustrelo defines the responsibilities of the procurator, the rights and obligations of the owner, the price of the mine, and tells us about the way of organizing the leaseholders in societies – societas. From the preserved provision of Codex Theodosianus (CTh.X.19.8.) we learn about the existence of specially separated rights related to the mining and exploitation rights. The aim of our work is, through analysis of the Aljustrelo plates, to show how far Roman law has defined all aspects of mining in detail and to show the functioning of the system starting from the formation, acquisition of property, business, control, disputes, and associated activities that were formed with mines. These two plates with Roman mining laws provide an inexhaustible study-basis for lawyers, as well as others dealing with Ancient Rome. In addition to the mentioned Lex Vipasca, some minor and later mining regulations have been briefly outlined to complement the picture of Roman mining law.

CIBERARQUEOLOGIA: O DIÁLOGO ENTRE REALIDADE VIRTUAL E ARQUEOLOGIA NO DESENVOLVIMENTO DE VIPASCA ANTIGA

RESUMO: Este artigo apresenta os conceitos principais que estão relacionados à área da Ciberarqueologia: um ramo recente dentro da Arqueologia que estabelece o diálogo entre Realidade Virtual e os trabalhos arqueológicos. Primeiramente é apresentado o panorama da história da cibernética a fim de contextualizar a Realidade Virtual. Depois são discutidas as definições de real e virtual. Por fim, é apresentada a prática ciberarqueológica por meio do aplicativo Vipasca Antiga: um simulador interativo sobre uma antiga área de mineração romana hoje pertencente ao território de Portugal. ABSTRACT: This article presents the main concepts that are related to Cyber-Archaeology: a recent development within archaeology that establishes a dialogue between Virtual Reality and archaeological works. First an overview of the history of cybernetics is presented in order to contextualize Virtual Reality. Then the real and virtual definitions are discussed. Finally, the cyberarchaeological practice (i.e. the dialogue between cybernetics and archeology) is presented through the Vipasca Antiga application: an interactive simulator about an ancient Roman mining area now belonging to the territory of Portugal, and the final product of my PhD research.

Alto da Cerca (Valpaços, Portugal): um assentamento militar romano na Serra da Padrela e sua relação com o distrito mineiro de Tresminas

Pretendemos com este trabalho dar a conhecer um possível assentamento militar romano localizado na vertente Oriental da serra da Padrela: o Alto da Cerca (Valpaços, Portugal). O uso de uma metodologia não-invasiva permitiunos caracterizar arqueologicamente este sítio e diferenciá-lo em relação à rede de povoamento local. Tendo em consideração que o exército romano estaria directamente envolvido em tarefas de controlo e proteção das zonas mineiras, mas também com questões logísticas e técnico-administrativas de planificação, administração e organização territorial, procuramos contextualizar este assentamento em relação ao distrito mineiro romano de Tresminas. Alto da Cerca (Valpaços, Portugal): a Roman military settlement in the Padrela Mountain and its relation to the mining district of Tresminas - In this work, we study a possible Roman military settlement located on the eastern slope of the Padrela Mountain, named Alto da Cerca (Valpaços, Portugal). The use of a non-invasive methodology allowed us to characterise the site archaeologically and to differentiate it in relation to the local settlement network. Considering that the Roman army was directly involved in control tasks and protection of mining areas, but also in logistical issues and technical and administrative planning, as well as administration and territorial organization, we seek to contextualize the settlement in relation to the Roman mining district of Tresminas.

METAL DELM - metal avrelianis contribution to the study of mining coins and anonymous quadrantes

In the course of rescue archaeological investigations at the Viminacium necropolis of Vi{e Grobalja in 1984, one anonymous quadrans of the VIII Apollo group was discovered (cat. 1). It was discovered in trench 63 in the immediate vicinity of a grave with an inhumation (G 343) that, besides two pottery vessels, also yielded as grave offerings one as of Faustina the Elder, minted after her death, in AD 141. Other finds presented here are four specimens of Roman mining coins from the private collection of Petar Fajfri} from [abac (cat. 2-5). All specimens come from the well known site of Duge Njive in the area of the village of Banatsko Polje (Bogati} borough) where, by all appearances, are the remains of a vicus or smaller settlement. Five specimens of mining coins from that site have already been published. Both mining coins and anonymous quadrantes represent, in general, rare types of numismatic finds. Nine anonymous quadrantes are known so far from the territory of Serbia (Table 1) and the provenance is known for three specimens from the region of Guberevac-Babe (Kosmaj), housed in the National Museum in Belgrade. All three belong to the Minerva group with an owl facing to the right represented on the reverse. For two more anonymous quadrantes the place of discovery is known: one specimen comes from Singidunum and belongs to the Mercury group and the other that was found at Viminacium and is the subject of this paper is of the Apollo group. There are four more specimens from unknown sites for which it is assumed that they come from the Upper Moesia territory. Two of them are from the Vajfert collection and two from the Kovacevic collection in the National Museum in Belgrade, There has, however, been a somewhat greater number (38) of Roman mining coins discovered in Serbia (Table 1). We know the finding locations of 25 of them: from the Kosmaj area (Babe, Guberevac and Stojnik), the Ibar valley (from the vicinity of Trepca and So~anica), Ritopek, Belgrade and Banovo Polje. We do not know the provenance for the remaining 13 specimens, but it is assumed that they come from the Upper Moesia territory. The anonymous quadrans discovered at the Viminacium necropolis of Vi{e Grobalja belongs, as previously mentioned, to the Apollo group. The only analogous piece known from the territory of Serbia comes from the Kovacevic collection in the National Museum in Belgrade. Most of the known specimens belong to the Minerva group (3), there are two pieces of the Mars group, one of Mercury and one undetermined (Table 1). The anonymous quadrans from Viminacium is the second of its kind discovered along the Upper Moesia section of the Danube limes. The quadrans from Singidunum was found in the zone of the Roman Singidunum harbour and belongs to the Mercury group. Five specimens of mining coins in the Fajfri} collection published earlier belong to the same METAL DELM type with a bust of Diana on the obverse and deer on the reverse. To this group should be added our specimen cat. 2, and as such this type is the best represented group (6) of mining coins from the site of Duge Njive at Banovo Polje. The same group, Metalli Delmatici, also includes cat. 3, which has the head of Mars on the obverse and armour on the reverse. Then there are the two identical quadrantes of the group MetalliAureliani (cat. 4, 5) and their only analogy from the territory of Serbia is the quadrans from the Kosmaj area. The nine specimens of mining coins from the site of Duge Njive at Banovo Polje make up a considerable proportion of the total number of mining coins in Serbia. Their importance is even greater because of the fact that seven METAL DELM specimens are the first of that group for which we know the finding location. Finds of the anonymous quadrans from the Viminacium necropolis of Vi{e Grobalja and the mining coins from Banovo Polje complete the picture of the topography of this kind of numismatic finds. Their publishing is, mainly because of the known provenance, more significant for future investigations.