Scientists Identify the Use of Massive 1,000-Liter Roman Vessels Unearthed at Ostia, Italy

Scientists Identify the Use of Massive 1,000-Liter Roman Vessels Unearthed at Ostia, Italy

Dolia embedded in a storeroom. Credit: Caroline Cheung / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Scientists have long wondered what ancient Romans stored inside the massive ceramic vessels found at Ostia, the port city that once served as Rome’s commercial gateway. Now, a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science offers the first scientific answers. It points to fish sauce as a likely stored commodity and reveals a sophisticated approach to vessel repair…