The singular collection of tituli picti from the Ses Fontanelles shipwreck (Majorca, Balearic Islands) and its contribution to Hispanic late Roman amphoric epigraphy

In the summer of 2019, a Roman shipwreck with an amphorae cargo was discovered in Ses Fontanelles (SW of Mallorca). A rescue excavation has uncovered approximately a third of the materials, which are being studied. This paper focuses on the inscriptions (tituli picti) on the amphorae (mostly Almagro 51C), an exceptional find, given their high number as well as the type of writing. We analyze and relate paleography with other amphorae painted inscriptions in particular and epigraphical documents in general; we also relate the tituli with the content of the containers in their archaeological context and we approximate a prosopographical study of the anthroponyms that appear in the tituli. Finally, we link the cargo data with those of other imperial shipwrecks. Being quantitatively the most important corpus of painted amphoric epigraphy in Hispania, the wreck is revealed as a key piece to understand more clearly the socioeconomic history of the 4th century AD.

Automated summary

This paper discusses a Roman shipwreck with an amphorae cargo discovered in Ses Fontanelles, Mallorca, in 2019, focusing on the inscriptions on the amphorae and their significance in understanding the socio-economic history of 4th century AD Spain.