Londinium Lite

CLASSIFIED ADS

Cheers!

Reworking barrels from the Roman port model
Barrels arriving from Germany were then often re-used in a variety of ways

Wine was drunk watered down, spiced or hot. Falernian wine from Campania in Italy was regarded as the best wine but a large number of wooden barrels were imported into Roman Britain from Germany, some holding as much as 550 litres (120 gallons) of German wine.

These German barrels were made from silver fir, a wood that only came from the Alpine region of Germany. The degree to which wine was shipped to Britain in barrels throughout the Roman period is unknown as barrels rarely survive except when wet. In Roman London, such barrels were often cut down and re-used as linings in wells where the waterlogged conditions have preserved them over the centuries.
Roman wooden barrel found at Poultry
Large wooden barrels survive burial in wet conditions

One tall barrel of silver fir, found at Poultry (ONE94) in 1998, had been sunk into the ground in order to make a lining for a well. It consisted of 18 staves. Once filled, it was plugged with a bung, across which a brand CEGFIC had been stamped – this probably indicates the name of the wine producer or shipper. Another half-barrel found at Gresham Street (GHT00), made of silver fir or larch, was bound with hardwood hoops, possibly made of hazel.

Not all barrels were being transported from Germany. From Pudding Lane (PDN81) in 1981, three planks, dated to AD50-70, were made of cedar (Cedrus libani) that probably came from the Lebanon, and were found dowelled with hazel or alder pegs to form the base or lid. Other barrel staves from the waterfront at Pudding Lane were possibly of larch (Larix decidus) or spruce (Picea abies), both coming from the mountains of southern and central Europe.

There is also evidence from London for a more locally-produced vintage. A complete British-made wine amphora from West Smithfield (WES89) and sherds from over 300 other examples have been identified as coming from the St Albans region and the complete amphora was stamped with the potter’s name, Senecio. This suggests that there may have been a flourishing British wine-making industry in the 1st century that centred on St Albans and supplied London.

back to top

    The Museum of London Group is funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Corporation of London. London Wall, LONDON EC2Y 5HN, United Kingdom. Copyright Museum of London. Disclaimer. This site is maintained by the Museum Systems Team.