/MATERIALI D'ARCHEOLOGIA /3 Bonifiche e drenaggi con anfore in epoca romana: aspetti tecnici e topografici FRANCO, COSIMO, PANINI237 THE AMPHORAE OF VAL SAN PIETRO (PULA) (Tamas Bezeczky) Connected with the topic of the conference are a group of amphorae and a buil- ding that has been referred! to very often. They were excavated by Anton Gnirs? in Pola in 1909. He found many amphorae right on the beach in eastern part of Val San Pietro (Fig. 1). During contraction work, the foundation of a large building was unearthed. The richly decorated building is open to the south, There was a row of co- lumns (porticus) around the inner court (25 x 29.5 m), in the center of which there was a building B (15.3 x 8 m) with two rooms. In front of the southem part of the building, two columns (A) were found. Gnirs thought that the building may have been either a cultic building or a storehouse. ‘The amphorae? were found on the beach, that is, on the western part of the buil- ding. They were upside down (Fig. 2). They had the stamps C-LAEC-BASSI — FE. LIX-SER (32 pieces), CLAEK — AMYCVS (18 pieces) and CLAEK- BAS-EVCHAR (46 pie- ces). The difference between the various ‘groups of amphorae may hhave been even 50 years: the pieces with the C:LAEC:BASSI - FE- LIXSER stamps were made in Augustan pe- riod, and are the earliest amphorae produced in the workshop. ‘The ase amphorae with C+LAEK Fi. Mapof Yl San Plo in Poland he bung wth peri - AMYCYS stamps have not been found in Magdalensberg,® so it seems they were produced after 45-50 A. D. Next to the amphorae, inside the row of columns (E), large dolia® (with diameter of 1.5 m) were found (C). It seems quite unlikely that the amphorae were prepared for filling with olive- oil. Even though there were dolia, no sign of production can be seen in this area.’ The building itself seems to have served cultic purposes. The amphorae were probably used for reinforcing the foundation. The same technology was used between two temples of the Forum’ of Pula and on Via Campomarzio? (Lenin Street at the time of the excavation, Fig. 3) were mostly Lamboglia 2 amphorae (Fig. 4) with CANT.TA2 Val San Pietro (Pola) Fig. 4. Amphorae from excavation Via Campo- ‘maraio-Lenin iret afer Starac- Matai 1991) Fig. 3. Map of the area Via Campomarcio - Lenin Street (afer Starac- Mattaité 1991)Val San Pietro (Pola) and SVG (2) stamps were excavated. It seems likely that this was a normal method of reinforcing the foundations of large buildings in Pula, too. NOTE 1) FTassak Lacan, Recherches sur ane file x uloiaed Ire, MEA, (982) 9M. BCA Ie Lesamphore de Cislpineet de 'hartatique ou de- Dud de Empire, 97 (1988), 223; Bezsczxy,Ampho ‘ra and emplora stamps rom the Laecanus Workshop, SAS 1995) 45, Fig 2) A. Guns, Forschungsergebnsse aus dem sdichen ren, OUh 18, (1910) Bei, 98-103. 3). Goes ope, $8, 9) Beancacy ope, 58 5) V-MAIER-MAIDL, Stempel and Inschriften auf “Amphoren vom Magdelensbere, Archaolgische For fcungen 2 den Grabungn auf dem Magdaleasbers 11,192), 4.60; Brancaky opt 57, Nod. 6A. Gon op it 102, Fig 31 TA. Gis op. et. 95.97; A. Gs, Eine Romische Tonwarefobrit in Fasana bei Pol, Jahrbuch fur AI tertumabande 4, (1910), 79.88, | R, WussuAtrL, Zur Topographic der alteen Pola, ‘th (1901), 18485, 9) M. Minapraa Rosen, Notiiario archeologico (4938-36) AMSI, 47 (1988), 302; A. Sranac = R. Ma “wae Stupn’ naz anor w Pl 1991. godin, Dis ore, 13 (991), 77-101,