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Why did the Romans switch from clay amphorae to oak barrels?

Selective waste collection began in Rome, as evidenced by Mount Testaccio, an artificial hill 50 metres high with a base of 22,000 square metres built from the remains of 25 million amphorae in which olive oil was transported from Hispania to the city.

monte-Testaccio-proxyindian

Detail of the floor of Monte Testaccio, now overgrown with vegetation. Most of these amphorae came from the Hispanic province of Baetica and were used to store olive oil. Author: Steve browne & John Verkleir

The production of amphorae was simple, the handles helped in their handling and they were easy to transport on ships - the holds were covered with sand and the lower conical part was partially buried in it. So, in Greece and Rome they became the standard containers for transporting the most precious liquids: wine and olive oil. So why and when did the Romans abandon clay amphorae in favour of oak barrels?

If amphorae were the appropriate container for naval transport, for land transport, their shape did not make them easy to transport in wagons. It was in the middle of the 1st century BC when the Roman Republic subdued Gaul, and the invaders learned how the Gauls stored and transported beer... in oak barrels. The Roman legions were the first to adopt oak barrels to transport the wine that accompanied them on their many conquering expeditions, abandoning the cumbersome amphorae.

Roman amphorae

Roman amphorae. Museum Vivanco of Wine Culture. Briones, Spain.

Although nowadays the use of French or American oak for wine ageing is the norm due to the characteristics and particularities of the wood, at that time the choice of oak was not related to winemaking methods and crianza but to the abundance of these trees in Europe and because their wood can be bent relatively easily to make barrels.

Following the example of the army, the merchants of Rome quickly adopted wooden barrels instead of amphorae: they were stronger than clay, weighed less and could be moved with less effort by rolling them. Moreover, unlike clay, wooden barrels allow oxidation and add flavours, smells and nuances. In this way, they found that wines shipped over long distances in oak barrels improved when they arrived at their destination.

So, if oak barrels began to be used for the ease of transport and the quantity of wood, today they have to do with the smell and taste they bring to the wine.

Javier Sanz
Storyteller through his blog, books, collaborations in the press and radio with the sole aim of bringing history in an entertaining and entertaining way to those who have left it aside. Director of the digital and interactive magazine "iHstoria". Collaborations in the newspaper Diario de Teruel, the magazine Iberia Vieja and the magazine Clío. Radio collaborations in La Rosa de los Vientos (Onda Cero), Gente Despierta (RNE) and La Noche es Nuestra (EuropaFM).

2 comments

  1. Not to mention that due to the high risk of shipwreck, the barrels float and a large part of the wrecked ship's cargo could be recovered.

  2. Didactic more than interesting...I like the synthetic and simple..Quedo Atto..roberto

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